Unit 1 Amsco Review

How many people lived in the Americas at the time of Columbus' arrival, and why was their culture so diverse?

An estimated 50-100 million native peoples lived in the Americas in the 1490s. Their cultures were diverse because they adapted to their different environments.

What factors enabled the Aztecs to build a large urban center?

The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, had a population of about 200,000 people (equivalent to the largest European cities). This large population made large urban centers the best way to maintain control.

What factors enabled the Incas to build a large empire with urban centers?

The Incas developed a vast empire in South America, and this vastness (like the Aztecs' large population) made large urban centers the best way to maintain control.

What limited the growth of societies in North America compared to those in the south?

The slow spread of the cultivation of corn northward from Mexico limited their growth.

Why were there more than 20 language families in North America?

Each tribe had its own unique culture and lived in different areas that allowed for different forms of communication.

Southwest region: unique characteristic and geographic influence

Tribes used irrigation systems due to the overall dryness of the land to get access to water.

Northwest region: unique characteristic and geographic influence

High mountain ranges divided the region, creating a physical barrier between people and development.

Great Plains region: unique characteristic and geographic influence

Conditions were subject to change, which promoted migration, making migration among tribes common.

Midwest region: unique characteristic and geographic influence

Its location near the Mississippi River supported agriculture and fishing, leading to permanent settlements.

Northeast region: unique characteristic and geographic influence

Descendants of the Adena-Hopewell culture (hunting and agriculture) lived there, but their farming techniques quickly exhausted the soil, forcing them to constantly move.

Atlantic Seaboard region: unique characteristic and geographic influence

Access to rivers of the Atlantic Ocean gave a rich food source, allowing tribes to build lodgings along river coasts while living sustainably.

How did the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries foster exploration?

It fostered exploration through the improvement of previous Chinese/Arab technologies like shipbuilding and mapmaking, which aided exploration.

What threats existed to the Catholic Church?

The Church was threatened externally by the Islamic Ottoman Turks and internally by the Protestant Reformation.

Why did Ferdinand and Isabella give Catholics hope?

They conquered land previously held by the Moors, uniting Spain, and they funded Christopher Columbus's first voyage.

How did the Protestant revolt foster exploration?

It caused Catholics and Protestants to want to spread their own versions of Christianity to different areas of the world like Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Why were Europeans forced to find new land routes to Asia in the 15th century?

The land route to Asia was blocked in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks took control of Constantinople.

Which route did the Portuguese seek to Asia?

They sailed south along the West African coast and east to China.

How did Prince Henry and Vasco da Gama further Portuguese exploration?

Prince Henry sponsored voyages of exploration that led to the opening of a long sea route, and Vasco da Gama was the first European to reach India using that route.

Why did the Portuguese begin using slave labor on sugar plantations off Africa?

They knew cheaper labor would allow for more profits.

How did Africans resist Portuguese slavery?

They resisted by running away, sabotaging work, or revolting.

How does the book define nation-state?

A country in which the majority of the people share both a common culture and common loyalty toward a central government.

How did Spain's development as a nation-state differ from and resemble central European nation-states?

Spain became unified through the defeat of the Moors, while central European states remained part of larger multiethnic empires like the Holy Roman Empire. Both developed strong central governments under powerful monarchs that increased unity.

How did the rise of the nation-state foster exploration?

Nation-states partially depended on trade to bring revenue to justify their right to rule.

Why did many find Columbus's voyages "disappointing" at the time?

His voyages brought little gold, few spices, and no simple path to India and China.

What was the historical significance of Columbus's voyages?

They brought about the first permanent interaction between people globally, changing the world forever.

What was the Columbian Exchange and its key impacts?

It was a transfer of plants, animals, and germs across the Atlantic. Europeans introduced horses, cattle, wheat, and deadly diseases like smallpox and measles that killed millions of Native Americans. Europeans gained valuable crops that improved diets and increased populations. The exchange also increased demand for enslaved Africans to work on plantations in the Americas.

What was the cause and effect of the Treaty of Tordesillas?

The cause was Spain and Portugal's disputes over overlapping territory claims. The effect was an agreement giving Portugal claim to Brazil and Spain claim to the rest of the Americas.

Why were conquistadors important to Spanish conquest?

They accomplished feats that established Spain's initial supremacy and increased Spain's gold supply by 50 percent, making Spain the richest and most powerful nation in Europe.

What was the encomienda system, and how did it lead to the asiento system?

The encomienda system was where the King of Spain gave grants of land and natives to individual Spaniards, exposing natives to European diseases and brutality and causing many deaths. The resulting inflated mortality rate led to the asiento system, where the Spanish paid a tax to their King on each imported slave.

Why was England unable to follow up on John Cabot's discoveries?

England had other issues to deal with, such as Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church.

What was a "Sea Dog," and who was Sir Francis Drake?

A Sea Dog was a government-supported sailor who attacked Spanish ships and settlements to steal treasure and weaken Spain; Francis Drake was one.

Why were the French slow to develop colonies in the Americas?

The French monarchy dealt with European wars and internal conflict between Roman Catholics and French Protestants.

What significant areas did France control in the New World?

Quebec and the Mississippi basin (Louisiana).

Which area of North America was controlled by the Dutch?

New Amsterdam.

Which four areas came under Spanish control in North America, and what did they have in common?

Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California; a common theme was a pre-existing group of natives already living in the area.

What factors led to a rigid class system in the Spanish colonies?

The Spanish forced natives and brought in Africans for slave labor, giving the Spanish more power than other inhabitants.

Why was Bartolomé de Las Casas important?

He was a Spanish priest who advocated for better treatment of Native Americans.

What arguments were made in the Valladolid Debate, and what did it reveal about Spanish views on race?

Las Casas argued enslavement of Native Americans was unjustified because they were fully human and morally equal to Europeans; Juan Ginés argued Native Americans were less than human and thus suited to the encomienda system. This debate showed the Spanish viewed Europeans as superior to other races.

How did English-Native relations change over time, and why?

Relations started healthy, with sharing, trading, and coexisting, but grew into conflict and open warfare because the English disrespected Native culture and took their land, forcing them to move.

Why did the French maintain better relations with natives than the Spanish or English?

The French viewed Natives as potential economic and military allies and posed less of a threat due to having fewer colonizers.

Why were Native Americans unable to resist the European advance?

They saw themselves as distinct, non-related groups rather than a unified body, so Europeans never had to face a unified response.

What strategies did natives use to try to survive European colonization?

Some allied with a European power for support, while other tribes simply migrated to new land.

What was the most important change caused by European exploration and colonization of the Americas up to 1607?

The permanent interaction of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the Columbian Exchange, which transformed economies, cultures, and populations on all three continents. Evidence: European diseases like smallpox killed millions of Native Americans, and demand for plantation labor expanded the slave trade, bringing millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas.