Collision of Cultures: Early Migrations, High Civilizations, and European Exploration

Flashcards covering early migrations to the New World, Native American civilizations, West African empires, and the initial Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English exploration and colonization efforts.

What are the two main theories regarding how early humans migrated to the Americas?

They either walked down an ice-free corridor through central Canada or skirted the coast in boats.

Which archaeological site in Chile provides evidence of human habitation 14,600 years ago, suggesting pre-Clovis presence in the Americas?

Monte Verde, Chile.

What evidence found in Paisley Caves, Oregon, dates to more than 14,000 years ago and indicates people reached America before the Clovis hunters?

Fossilized human faeces.

Who were the 'Clovis people' according to previous archaeological agreement, and when did they arrive?

They were believed to be the first Americans, using an inland route around 13,100 years ago.

Name three major Native American cultural groups that existed in North America before 1450 CE.

Adena-Hopewell, Mississippian Mound Builders, and Southwestern Cultures (Hohokam, Anasazi, Mogollon).

Which significant Mississippian site, active between 1000-1500 CE, is known for its large mounds?

Cahokia.

What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?

Tenochtitlan.

What was the name of the powerful alliance formed by five Native American nations around 1450 in the Eastern Woodlands?

The Iroquois League (or Great League of Peace and Power).

What was a staple crop cultivated by many Native American peoples of the Americas, as depicted in the notes?

Maize (Indian Corn).

Name three prominent empires that existed in West Africa before 1492.

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

Which major trading city was a center for learning and commerce in the Mali and Songhai Empires along the Niger River?

Timbuktu.

Who was Sundiata Keita?

The founder of the Mali Empire, also known as 'The Lion of Songolon'.

What were some key commodities traded from West Africa through the Trans-Saharan trade routes?

Gold, ivory, and slaves.

Name three key maritime technologies that aided European voyages of exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The caravel, lanteen sail, compass, astrolabe, and rudder.

Which Portuguese explorer was the first to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488?

Bartolomeu Dias.

Which Portuguese explorer established a sea route to India around Africa in 1497-1498?

Vasco da Gama.

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), and who primarily brokered it?

It was a treaty brokered by Pope Alexander VI that divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Portugal and Spain.

Which West African coastal fort, established by the Portuguese, became a significant center for the slave trade?

Elmina Castle.

Who led the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and who was the Aztec emperor at that time?

Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire, ruled by Emperor Moctezuma II.

Which Spanish conquistador led the expedition that captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa?

Francisco Pizarro.

What term refers to the severe population decline among Native Americans following European contact, primarily due to disease?

The population crash, or Native American population loss.

Who was Bartolomé de las Casas, and what concept is he associated with regarding Spanish actions in the Americas?

He was a Spanish historian and Dominican friar who advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples, associated with 'The Black Legend' of Spanish cruelty.

What was the 'Columbian Exchange'?

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas (New World) and the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Which French explorer is known for mapping the St. Lawrence River and exploring parts of Newfoundland in the 1530s?

Jacques Cartier.

Who is considered the 'Father of New France' and founded Quebec City in 1608?

Samuel de Champlain.

What economic activity was central to early French colonization strategies in North America?

The fur trade.

What were the 'filles du roi' (King's Daughters) in New France?

Young women sent from France to New France to boost the population and promote marriage and settlement.

Which English father and son explorers made early voyages to North America, notably in 1497 under King Henry VII?

John and Sebastian Cabot.

What was the name of the first English attempt at colonization in North America, which mysteriously disappeared?

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

Who were Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins often described as in relation to Spain?

English privateers or 'sea dogs' who raided Spanish ships and settlements.