American Pre-Contact Societies & European Exploration: Key Concepts and Historical Impact

Paleoamericans

Understand when, why and how ancient homo sapiens came to America.

Archaic Americans

Understand how the Archaic era differed from the Paleoamerican period, and what was so important about it.

Large scale societies in the Americas

Be familiar with the main features of these societies.

Beringia

Clovis Points

corn

Olmec

Maya

Aztec

Tenochtitlan

chinampas

Inca

terraces

quipu

Southwest

Hohokam

[Ancestral] Pueblo

Eastern Woodlands

Adena and Hopewell

Mississippian culture

Cahokia Mounds

Algonquian

Iroquois

Prince Henry the Navigator

caravel

astrolabe

lateen sails

maps

Spice Islands

Columbus

Hispaniola

Taino

Treaty of Tordesillas

El Requerimiento

gun powder

Malinche

Cortes

Montezuma II

Tlaxcala

epidemic disease

small pox

encomienda

Bartolome de Las Casas

slavery

the Middle Passage

mercantilism

silver

Columbian Exchange

What this was and what were the consequences?

Northwest passage

A sea route connecting the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, sought by explorers.

Jacques Cartier

A French explorer who claimed Canada for France in the 1530s.

John Cabot

An Italian explorer who sailed under the English flag and is credited with discovering parts of North America.

cod

A type of fish that was a significant resource for early European fisheries in North America.

Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that led to the establishment of Protestant churches.

Martin Luther

A key figure in the Protestant Reformation known for his 95 Theses.

John Calvin

A Protestant reformer whose ideas influenced the development of Calvinism.

Huguenots

French Protestants who faced persecution and sought refuge in other countries.

Fort Caroline

A French fort established in Florida in 1564, representing early French colonization efforts.

Roanoke

The site of the first English attempt at colonization in North America, known for its mysterious disappearance.

Samuel de Champlain

A French explorer known as the 'Father of New France' for founding Quebec.

Quebec

A city in Canada founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608, significant for French colonization.

Huron

A group of Native American tribes in North America, known for their trade relationships with the French.

Coureur de Bois

French fur traders who lived among Native Americans in North America.

Fur and Souls

A phrase describing the dual goals of French colonization: economic (fur trade) and religious (conversion).

Middle Ground

A term referring to the cultural space where Native Americans and Europeans interacted and negotiated.

Henry Hudson

An English explorer known for his explorations of Canada and the northeastern United States.

New Netherlands

A Dutch colony in North America that later became New York.

Beaver Wars

A series of conflicts between Native American tribes over control of the fur trade in the 17th century.

Powhatan

A Native American confederacy in Virginia at the time of English colonization.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

Joint-Stock Company

A business entity where different stocks can be bought and owned by shareholders, used to fund colonization.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company that established the Jamestown colony.

John Smith

An English soldier and explorer who played a crucial role in the establishment of Jamestown.

Henry Spelman

An early English settler in Virginia known for his interactions with Native Americans.

Starving Times

The winter of 1609-1610 in Jamestown, marked by extreme food shortages.

John Rolfe

An English settler known for introducing tobacco cultivation in Virginia.

Pocahontas

A Native American woman who played a significant role in the early years of the Jamestown colony.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia.

Anthony Johnson

An African American landowner in Virginia who was one of the first to gain freedom.

tobacco

A cash crop that became the foundation of the Virginia economy.

Pilgrims

English settlers who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 seeking religious freedom.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement made by the Pilgrims to govern themselves in Plymouth Colony.

William Bradford

The governor of Plymouth Colony and a key figure among the Pilgrims.

Squanto

A Native American who helped the Pilgrims survive by teaching them agricultural techniques.

Wampanoag

A Native American tribe that interacted with the Pilgrims in Massachusetts.

Massasoit

The leader of the Wampanoag tribe during the time of the Pilgrims.

Plymouth Plantation

The settlement established by the Pilgrims in present-day Massachusetts.

Puritans

A religious group that sought to purify the Church of England and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Massachusetts Bay Company

A joint-stock company that established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a leading figure among the Puritans.

Freeman

An individual who is not a slave and has the rights of a citizen, particularly in colonial America.

Nathanial Fish

A colonial figure associated with the early governance of Massachusetts.

Roger Williams

A religious dissenter who founded Rhode Island for religious freedom.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman who challenged the religious authorities in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

John Eliot

A Puritan missionary known for translating the Bible into the Algonquian language.

William Penn

The founder of Pennsylvania, known for promoting religious tolerance.

Rice

A staple crop that became significant in the Southern colonies.

Nathanial Bacon

A colonial leader known for leading Bacon's Rebellion against the Virginia government.

Governor Berkley

The colonial governor of Virginia during Bacon's Rebellion.

Metacomet

Also known as King Philip, the leader of the Wampanoag during King Philip's War.

James Oglethorpe

The founder of Georgia, established as a colony for debtors and the poor.