Untitled Flashcard Set

Algonquian

A large family of Native American language groups/tribes located mainly along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes region, known for decentralized villages relying on farming, hunting, and fishing.

Aztecs

A powerful Mesoamerican empire centered in the Valley of Mexico known for advanced agriculture and a complex social hierarchy.

Bartolome de las Casas

A Spanish Dominican friar who criticized Spanish treatment of Native Americans and documented abuses, leading to reforms like the New Laws of 1542.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and free markets, significant for driving European exploration during the Age of Exploration.

Compass

A navigational instrument that indicates direction, enabling long-distance ocean voyages and transatlantic exploration.

Conquistadores

Spanish soldiers and explorers who conquered territories in the Americas, establishing the foundation of the Spanish colonial empire.

Corn/Maize

A staple crop domesticated by Native Americans, significant for its role in the Columbian Exchange and diets across continents.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system that demanded labor from Native Americans in exchange for supposed protection and Christianization.

Hernan Cortes

A Spanish conquistador known for leading the conquest of the Aztec Empire, opening Mexico to Spanish colonization.

Henry Hudson

An English explorer who explored the river named after him in 1609, leading to Dutch claims in North America.

Hohokam

A Native American culture known for extensive irrigation canal systems in present-day Arizona, demonstrating sophistication in farming.

Incas

A large, organized empire in South America known for its extensive road system and centralized government, conquered by Francisco Pizarro.

Iroquois Confederacy

A political alliance of Native American nations in the northeastern woodlands that influenced later political relations.

Joint-Stock Company

A business organization that pooled capital for colonization efforts, allowing English colonies to be financed without direct government funding.

Juan Gines de Sepulveda

A Spanish philosopher who argued for the justification of Spanish conquest over Native Americans, opposing Bartolome de las Casas.

Land Bridge

The strip of land connecting Asia and North America that allowed early human migration into the Americas.

Middle Passage

The brutal voyage transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas, crucial in the triangular trade system.

Mound Builders

Various Native American cultures that constructed large earthen mounds for ceremonial and burial purposes.

New Laws of 1542

Spanish legislation aimed at reforming the encomienda system and improving the treatment of Native Americans.

Pueblos

Native American peoples known for their adobe dwellings and agricultural communities in the Southwest.

Primogeniture

An English inheritance practice that favored the eldest son, prompting younger sons to seek fortunes in colonization.

Printing Press

A device that enabled mass production of written material, spreading new ideas and knowledge rapidly across Europe.

Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century movement challenging Catholic authority, leading to the migration of religious groups to the Americas.

Samuel de Champlain

A French explorer who founded Quebec and established trading relationships with Native American groups.

Spanish Casta System

A racial hierarchy in Spanish colonial society that determined social status and rights based on ancestry.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement dividing new lands between Spain and Portugal, legitimizing European territorial claims.

Valladolid Debate

A debate in Spain over the justification of Spanish conquest and treatment of Native Americans, reflecting tensions between exploitation and reform.