The First Americans (Chapter 1)

Beringia

Land bridge for migration ~15,000 years ago.

Aztec Empire

Major civilization with ~250,000 population, cacao currency.

Maya Kingdoms

Civilization with ~2 million population, advanced calendar.

Inka Empire

Largest empire with ~12 million population, advanced agriculture.

Cahokia

Major urban center with 30,000 population by 1200 AD.

Three Sisters

Agricultural practice of maize, beans, squash.

Great League of Peace

Political alliance of Iroquois tribes.

Shamanism

Belief in spirits within all things.

Matrilineal societies

Inheritance and lineage traced through mothers.

Protestant Reformation

Movement challenging Catholic Church practices.

Martin Luther

Nailed 95 Theses in 1517, initiating Reformation.

John Calvin

Introduced predestination and Geneva's Consistory.

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

1572 event killing up to 30,000 Huguenots.

Edict of Nantes

1598 law granting limited religious toleration in France.

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement dividing lands between Spain and Portugal.

Christopher Columbus

Landed in Caribbean in 1492, enslaved Indigenous peoples.

Hernán Cortés

Conquered Aztecs from 1519 to 1521.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of crops, livestock, and diseases between worlds.

Spanish Empire

Colonized Mexico, Peru, Cuba, and Hispaniola.

Caste system

Social hierarchy in Spanish colonies: Peninsulares to Negros.

Pueblo Revolt

1680 resistance against Spanish rule led by Popé.

Samuel de Champlain

Founded Quebec in 1608, allied with Native Americans.

Henry Hudson

Explored New York Harbor in 1609.

New Amsterdam

Dutch settlement that became New York.

Half-freedom

Policy allowing limited rights to African slaves.

Migration timeline

Native Americans migrated from Asia 12,000-20,000 years ago.

Monte Verde

Site indicating human activity ~14,000 years ago.

Cahokia growth

Population increased nearly 500% around 1050 CE.

Cahokia decline

Population drop due to environmental changes by 1300 CE.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Critic of Indigenous mistreatment, authored significant works.