Pre-colonial America-Time Period 1

Maize

corn

Cahokia

an ancient settlement of southern Indians, located near present day St. Louis, it served as a trading center for 40,000 at its peak in A.D. 1200.

Columbus

Italian navigator who discovered the New World in the service of Spain while looking for a route to China (1451-1506)

joint-stock

a company made up of a group of shareholders. Each shareholder contributes some money to the company and receives some share of the company's profits and debts.

Charter Company

an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration, and colonization

Entrepreneur

a person who organizes, manages, and takes on the risks of a business.

astrolabe

An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets

compass

an instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it.

Stern-post rudder

This along with triangular lateen sails made ships like the caravel more maneuverable and able to hold more cargo

portolan maps

Maps with lines radiating from compasses that showed routes to important ports

trade winds

Prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator

Caravels

Slender, long-hulled vessels utilized by Portuguese; highly maneuverable and able to sail against the wind; key to development of Portuguese trade empire in Asia.

God, Gold, Glory

the three main reasons for the European age of exploration

Bartolome de las Casas

A Spanish priest, who wrote about the atrocities committed by Spanish settlers in the New World.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

Encomienda System

It gave settlers the right to tax local Native Americans or to make them work. In exchange, these settlers were supposed to protect the Native American people and convert them to Christianity

Penninsulares

pure blood Spanish people born in Spain

Mestizos

People of mixed Indian and European heritage, notably in Mexico.

Mulattoes

Term commonly used for people of mixed African and European blood.

Zambos

According to Spanish and Portuguese colonizers, these are people of mixed Native American and African descent. Lowest tier of social class in colonial America.

Matriarchal Society

A society in which women carry the family name through the generations, and women govern the economic and social affairs of the community.

Henry the Navigator

(1394-1460) Portuguese prince who promoted the study of navigation and directed voyages of exploration down the western coast of Africa.

Ferdinand and Isabella

During the late 15th century, they became King and Queen of a united Spain after centuries of Islamic domination. Together, they made Spain a strong Christian nation and also provided funding to overseas exploration, notably Christopher Columbus.

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought

The Maya and Olmec

Before 1000 CE the two most influential peoples for the formation of early Mesoamerican culture were