Chapter 1: New World Beginnings

Vocabulary flashcards covering migration, Native American life, European exploration motivators, the Columbian Exchange, and Spanish colonization details from Chapter 1.

Ice Age Land Bridge

A land bridge exposed by falling sea levels during the Ice Age when oceans froze, connecting Asia and North America and allowing human migration across North and South America.

Three-sister farming

An agricultural method relied upon by many Native American societies, consisting of planting corn, beans, and squash.

Aztecs

A Native American civilization before European contact that worshipped their own God and performed thousands of human sacrifices to it.

Factors for European Exploration

Five key motivators: Money (direct access to Asian spices and silk), Technology (ship, navigation, and mapmaking improvements), Religious beliefs (spreading Christianity), Competition (power, wealth, and resources over rivals), and Curiosity.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, disease (especially smallpox), slaves, and goods between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Results of the Columbian Exchange

The introduction of horses and foreign plants into the Americas, the introduction of deadly diseases causing the majority of deaths among Native tribes, and the forced enslavement of Natives for settlers.

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered and looted Native American civilizations, claiming territory for Spain.

Hernan Cortes

The most famous Spanish conquistador, who stole iron, gold, and other materials from the Aztecs and eventually destroyed their empire.

Francisco

The Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire.

Encomienda

A system that gave the Spanish control over Native American labor and tribute, acting essentially as slavery of Native Americans.

Spanish Empire (1600s Extent)

The dominant European power in the majority of the New World by the 1600s, claiming large portions of land in South America, Central America, and expanding into North America such as Florida.