Period I– 1491-1607

Aztecs

Civilization with 300k people, known for Tenochtitlan.

Mayan

Civilization in Yucatan, known for large cities.

Inca

Civilization in Andes, population of 16 million.

Maize

Nutritious crop cultivated by all major civilizations.

Pueblo People

Sedentary Native Americans living in adobe homes.

Yute People

Nomadic group relying on hunting and gathering.

Hopewell Peoples

Traded heavily in Mississippi River Valley.

Cahokia

Largest settlement with 10

Iroquois

Northeast group known for maize cultivation.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of food, animals, and diseases between continents.

Smallpox

Disease that decimated Native American populations.

Mercantilism

Economic policy emphasizing governmental control of trade.

Encomienda System

Labor system granting land and Native labor to Spaniards.

Caste System

Hierarchical classification based on race in Spanish America.

Peninsulares

Spanish born in Spain, top of caste system.

Creoles

Spanish born in America, second in caste hierarchy.

Mestizos

People of mixed Spanish and Native ancestry.

Mulatto

People of mixed Spanish and African ancestry.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who promoted maritime exploration.

Caravels

Advanced ships used for exploration by Europeans.

Astrolabe

Navigational instrument for determining latitude at sea.

Stern Post Rudder

Improved steering technology for ships.

Columbus

Explorer who mistakenly discovered the Americas in 1492.

Requiremento

Spanish document asserting rights over Native lands.

Bartolome de la Casa

Advocate for Native rights, criticized encomienda system.

Middle Passage

Brutal sea journey for enslaved Africans to Americas.

Mission System

Spanish effort to convert Natives to Christianity.

Cultural Interactions

Exchange of tools, crops, and ideas between groups.

Economic Shift

Transition from feudalism to capitalism in Spain.