APUSH: Pre-Columbian Societies, European Exploration, and Early Conquests

What was the first wave of migration to America?

The first wave of people who migrated to America crossed the land bridge about 9,000-15,000 years ago, primarily motivated by survival.

What motivated the first wave of migrants to America?

Survival, in search of ice-free living areas and large game like woolly mammoths.

When did the second wave of migration to America occur?

Around 8,000 years ago, after the glaciers melted.

Who were the ancestors of the Navajos and Apaches?

The second wave of migrants who came to America around 8,000 years ago.

What characterized the third wave of migration to America?

Migrants from 5,000 years ago who were the forebearers of the Aleut and Inuit people.

What were the two great empires that emerged in America pre-Columbus?

The Aztec empire and the Inca empire.

What was the capital of the Aztec empire?

Tenochtitlán, established in 1325.

What was notable about Tenochtitlán around the year 1500?

It had a population of around 250,000 people.

What were the Aztecs known for in terms of trade?

They had extensive trade routes that facilitated the movement of tribute and wealth throughout the empire.

What was a common practice among the Aztecs?

Human sacrifices to sustain the cosmos.

What was the capital of the Inca empire?

Cuzco, established in 1325.

How high above sea level was Cuzco?

More than 11,000 feet.

What connected the Inca empire?

A dense network of roads, administrative centers, and storehouses along the Andes Mountains.

What was the role of the ruler in the Inca empire?

A king who claimed to be chosen by the gods to lead the people.

What tribes were prominent in the Mississippi Valley?

Adena, Hopewell, and Cahokia.

What unique feature did the Apalachee Indians have?

They lived in a network of towns built around mounds and fields of maize.

What was the significance of Cahokia?

It was known for its mounds and served various functions, including burials and ceremonial buildings.

What was the main agricultural product of the Mississippi Valley tribes?

Maize.

Which tribes were part of the Eastern Woodlands?

Powhatan, Algonquian, and Iroquois.

What was unique about the Iroquois Confederacy?

It was a political alliance of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations.

How did the Iroquois manage their land?

They regularly set fires to open fields and clear underbrush.

What was the matriarchal structure of the Iroquois?

Property and identity descended through women, who held influence in councils.

What was Powhatan's role in trade?

He collected wealth from his community and redistributed it, a mark of good leadership.

What was the primary means of survival for northern communities like those in Canada?

Hunting and gathering due to poor soil.

What are the Great Lakes tribes?

Anishinaabe, Ottowas, Ojibwas, Potawatomis

What was a common feature of clan identities among Native American tribes?

Different animals represented their clan identities.

How did Native Americans in the Great Lakes region trade?

They used extensive networks of rivers and lakes with birchwood canoes.

What did the Great Plains tribes use horses for?

Fighting, hunting, and travel.

Which tribes were prominent in the Great Plains?

Comanches, Sioux, Crow, Hidatsa, Mandan, Caddo, Bannocks, Paiutes, Shoshones, Utes.

What agricultural practice did some Native American tribes focus on?

Agriculture, including growing maize.

What irrigation systems did the Pueblo cultures develop?

They developed irrigation systems to support agriculture.

What is significant about the Anasazi peoples?

They were growing maize by the first century A.D., earlier than anywhere else north of Mexico.

What was a key feature of Pacific Northwest tribes?

They maintained control of smaller territories and had strong warrior traditions.

What were potlatches in Chinook culture?

Periodic festivals where wealthy residents gave away belongings.

What characterized traditional European society in the 1450s?

Authority, hierarchy, and patriarchy.

Who held power in traditional European society?

Kings, princes, monarchs, and local nobles.

What was the practice of primogeniture?

Fathers bestowed all their land on their eldest son.

What was the majority demographic in Europe in 1450?

Peasants living in small villages.

What did trade in Europe shift towards?

Expansive regional and international networks.

What was the impact of the Protestant Reformation?

It challenged Catholic dogma and led to a century of religious warfare.

What was the dominant religion in Europe during this period?

Christianity.

What happened to Christianity after Constantine's conversion?

It became Rome's official religion.

What was Venice known for during its peak?

It had a merchant fleet of more than 3,000 ships and was a major trading center.

What were the Crusades?

A series of military campaigns undertaken by Christian armies between A.D. 1096 and 1291 to reverse the advance of Islam into Europe and to win back the holy lands.

What characterized the political organization of western and central Africa at the time of discovery?

Political organization varied from vast empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai to smaller coastal ministates, with many ruled by divine kings.

What was the capital city of the Central African Kingdom of Kongo?

Banza, which held more than 100,000 people.

What was the primary avenue of trade for West Africans?

The trans-Saharan trade routes.

What goods were traded along the trans-Saharan trade routes?

Gold, slaves, salt, and copper in exchange for textiles and other foreign goods.

What significant change occurred in West African trade in the 1430s?

The arrival of Portuguese mariners introduced alternative trade routes along the coast.

Who was Mansa Musa?

The tenth emperor of Mali known for his immense wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca in 1326.

What impact did Mansa Musa's pilgrimage have on the region's economy?

His spending of gold devalued the region's money supply for more than a decade.

What was the religious life in West Africa during this period?

A blend of Islamic converts, polytheism, and animism.

What is Islam?

A monotheistic religion whose followers consider Muhammad to be God's last prophet.

What role did the city of Timbuktu play in West Africa?

It served as a legendary commercial center and a world-renowned center of Islamic learning.

What were the secret societies in West African traditional spiritual life?

The Poro for men and the Sande for women.

What did the Spanish monarchs do to solidify control in the West Indies?

They had Columbus return with more than 1,000 Spanish settlers and domestic animals.

What was the impact of European diseases on the native populations of Hispaniola?

The population plummeted from at least 300,000 to fewer than 500 within a century.

What role did the Portuguese play in early European exploration?

They were the first nation to engage in systematic overseas expansion and took a leading role in the African slave trade.

What occurred in Spain in 1492?

Spain completed the reconquista, driving Muslim Arabs from the European mainland.

Who was Christopher Columbus?

An ambitious sailor who embarked on a voyage to find a western route to Asia in 1492.

What was the result of the reconquista for Spain?

It led to a desire for expansion and exploration.

How did the Spanish conquest affect the Caribbean islands?

The Spanish invaded and brutally minimized the indigenous populations.

Who claimed the islands for Spain in 1492?

Christopher Columbus

What did Columbus name the region he discovered?

The West Indies

What year did Columbus first land in the Bahamas?

1492

Which explorer was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Who explored the coast of Florida in 1513?

Juan Ponce de León

What was the impact of the Spanish conquest on the Native American population in Mesoamerica?

It decreased from 20 million to 3 million people.

Who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire?

Hernán Cortés

What disease significantly affected the Aztec population during the conquest?

Smallpox

Who conquered Peru for Spain in 1524?

Francisco Pizarro

What was the last Inca emperor killed by Pizarro?

Atahualpa

What was the Mississippian culture known for?

Corn-farming and large towns

What was the largest city of the Mississippian culture?

Cahokia

What did the Iroquois Confederacy consist of?

Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations

What was the primary lifestyle of hunters and gatherers?

They obtained food by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants.

What is the Great Plains known for?

Hunting and gathering activities of small, dispersed groups

What is the Great Basin?

A dry area of land between the Rockies and the Sierra Mountains.

What was the purpose of the Crusades?

To reverse the advance of Islam into Europe and reclaim holy lands.

What triggered the Protestant Reformation?

Martin Luther's criticisms against the Catholic Church.

What was the Counter-Reformation?

A movement within the Catholic Church seeking internal change.

What is the plantation system?

A form of estate agriculture using slave labor.