The Shaping of North America (Chapters 1-2) flashcards

Flashcards covering chapters on the shaping of North America and the early English colonization, reflecting key events, figures, and concepts from the notes.

What was Pangaea?

The ancient supercontinent whose tectonic activity formed early mountain ranges.

When were the Appalachian Mountains formed?

Approximately 350 million years ago.

When did the Rockies, Sierra Nevada, and Cascades begin to form?

From about 135 to 25 million years ago.

When did the Ice Age occur?

Approximately 2 million years ago.

Name two major North American lakes formed by melting glaciers.

The Great Lakes and the Great Salt Lake.

What land bridge facilitated the migration of the first Americans to North America?

The Bering Land Bridge (Beringia), connecting Siberia and Alaska.

How did the first Americans likely arrive in North America?

Small bands of nomadic Asian hunters following migratory game.

What was the estimated population and cultural diversity in the Americas by 1492?

Approximately 54 million people, comprising over 2,000 distinct cultures.

Identify the major pre-Columbian civilizations mentioned.

Incas (Peru), Mayans (Central America), and Aztecs (Mexico).

What main crop supported large societies in the Americas?

Maize (corn).

How did the Pueblo people adapt to corn agriculture in the Rio Grande valley?

They constructed intricate irrigation systems for their cornfields.

From where did maize cultivation spread across the Americas, and what was its impact?

From Mexico, transforming nomadic groups into settled agricultural villages.

Which Southeastern tribes achieved high population densities due to agriculture?

The Creek, Choctaw, and Cherokee tribes.

Where was the Iroquois Confederacy located and what was its significance?

Located in the northeastern woodlands; it developed political and organizational strength for a lasting military alliance.

Describe the typical characteristics of many Native American settlements.

They were often small, scattered, and impermanent.

What was notable about Norse exploration?

They reached Newfoundland (Vinland) around AD 1000, but failed to establish lasting footholds.

What motivated Christian Crusaders to seek new routes to Asia?

A desire for exotic Asian goods (silk, spices) that were scarce in Europe, prompting a search for cheaper routes.

Which traveler’s stories helped spark European curiosity about Asia?

Marco Polo.

What role did the Portuguese play in the 15th century along the African coast?

They established trading posts for gold and slaves and began large-scale slave trading.

Identify two key Portuguese explorers and their achievements in finding sea routes to Asia.

Bartholomeu Dias (1488) rounded the southern tip of Africa; Vasco da Gama (1498) reached India by sea.

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

A 1494 agreement that divided newly discovered lands in the New World between Spain (west) and Portugal (east) with a Papal Demarcation line.

Which explorer is credited with crossing the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean?

Vasco Núñez Balboa (1513).

What is Magellan known for in 1519-1522?

Leading the first circumnavigation of the globe (his expedition completed by one ship returning in 1522).

Which Spanish explorer is associated with Florida and the search for the Fountain of Youth?

Juan Ponce de León.

What were the achievements of Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro?

Cortés defeated the Aztecs in Mexico (1521); Pizarro crushed the Incas in Peru (1532). Smallpox aided these campaigns.

What river did Hernando de Soto cross during his expedition (1539-1542)?

The Mississippi River.

What were the primary economic outcomes for Spain by 1600 due to its American exploits?

A huge influx of silver contributing to a modern banking system and expanded commerce/manufacturing; funding trade with Asia, but also causing massive inflation in Spain.

What was the encomienda system and what dark consequence did it lead to?

A Spanish policy granting colonists control over Native Americans in exchange for Christianizing them; effectively a form of slavery, and it led to the importation of African slaves after Native populations declined.

What strategic role did the Caribbean West Indies play for Spain?

They served as crucial bases for further exploration and as testing grounds for the encomienda labor system.

What event signaled the decline of Spanish naval dominance and the rise of English power?

The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, which marked a shift in global power towards England.

List the main motives for English colonization of the Americas.

Unemployment, enclosure (loss of farmland), desire for religious freedom, adventure and fortune, and primogeniture (younger sons seeking fortunes abroad).

What early English colony attempt is associated with Sir Walter Raleigh?

Roanoke Island settlements (1585-1590), including the mysterious 'Lost Colony'.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The vast global transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Old World (Europe, Africa) and the New World (Americas) following Columbus's voyages.

What was the most devastating effect of European contact on Native American populations?

The introduction of Old World diseases, such as smallpox and measles, to which Native Americans had no immunity, resulting in catastrophic population decline.

What negative economic impact did the influx of silver have on Spain by 1600?

Massive inflation due to the soaring prices of goods fueled by the increased money supply, which hurt ordinary Spaniards.