US History 1013 Midterm Vocab

Agricultural Revolution

the transition from nomadic hunting and gathering societies to settled agricultural communities, leading to food surplus, population growth, and the rise of civilizations.

Adena

a prehistoric Native American culture known for its earthworks and burial mounds, primarily located in the Ohio Valley.

Ancestral Puebloans

a Native American culture that developed in the Four Corners region of the United States, known for their cliff dwellings and advanced agricultural techniques. Urban center Chaco canyon was a significant site for trade and cultural exchange.

the Atlantic World

the interconnected network of trade, cultural exchanges, and interactions between Europe, Africa, and the Americas from the late 15th century onward.

Atlatl

a tool used by prehistoric peoples to throw spears or darts with increased force and distance.

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo

a prominent African figure and heir to a kingdom who was captured and sold into slavery, later gaining freedom and returning to England, where he advocated for abolition.

Beringia

a land bridge that once connected Asia and North America, facilitating the migration of peoples during the last Ice Age.

Cahokia

the largest pre-Columbian Native American city located near present-day St. Louis, known for its large earthen mounds and complex social structure.

cherokee creation story

A traditional narrative explaining the origins of the Cherokee people. Began with a brother and sister, the sister birthed someone every 7 days, which was then limited to once a year.

columbian exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Columbus's voyages.

david george

Slave → preacher → africa, who established churches and spread Christianity among Africans in Sierra Leone.

Delaware

A Native American tribe originally inhabiting the Delaware River basin, known for their role in early American history and interactions with European settlers.

Diffusionists

Followers of the theory that cultural traits and ideas spread from one society to another, profoundly influencing social and cultural development.

Disenclavement

The process of removing boundaries or barriers, often referring to the integration of previously isolated communities into broader economic or cultural systems.

Great Serpent Mound

A prehistoric effigy mound located in Ohio, shaped like a serpent, believed to have been built by indigenous peoples for ceremonial or astronomical purposes.

Iroquois Confederacy

A historical alliance of six Native American nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and later the Tuscarora), formed for mutual defense and collective decision-making, playing a significant role in pre-colonial and colonial North America.

John Smith

An English soldier and explorer, known for his role in establishing the Jamestown colony in Virginia, and for his relationships with Native American tribes, including Pocahontas.

Kachinas

Spirit beings in Hopi culture, representing ancestors and natural elements, involved in religious rituals and ceremonies.

Kivas

Ceremonial structures used by Puebloan peoples for religious rituals and community gatherings.

Little Turtle

A prominent Native American leader of the Miami tribe, known for his resistance against US expansion and involvement in the Northwest Indian War.

Longhouse

A traditional dwelling used by various Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly the Iroquois, characterized by its elongated shape and construction of wood and bark. It often housed multiple families and served as a center for community and cultural activities.

Mississippian

pertaining to the cultural period characterized by advanced agricultural societies, large earthen mounds, and complex chiefdoms in the Southeastern United States.

Mourning Wars

Conflict among Indigenous tribes in North America aimed at revenge or to capture prisoners, which often involved rituals of mourning and memorialization.

Oceanic Revolution

A significant shift in maritime navigation and exploration that occurred during the Age of Exploration, leading to the discovery of new trade routes and lands.

Paleo Indians

The earliest inhabitants of North America, who were primarily hunter-gatherers and migrated across the Bering Land Bridge during the last Ice Age.

Philadelphia

A historic city in Pennsylvania, known for its pivotal role in American history, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Powhatan

The name of a Native American confederacy and its leader in Virginia during the early 1600s, known for encounters with English settlers, notably at Jamestown.

Sipapu

A ceremonial gateway or symbol used by some Native American cultures, representing a place of emergence or passage into the world.

Squanto

A Native American from the Patuxet tribe who helped early English colonists in Massachusetts by teaching them agricultural techniques and acting as an interpreter.

trans-saharan slave trade

A historical trade network involving the forced transportation of enslaved Africans across the Sahara Desert to North Africa and beyond, primarily active from the 8th to the 19th centuries.

Vasco de Gamma

A Portuguese explorer known for being the first European to reach India by sea, significantly contributing to the age of exploration.

Winnebago Creation Story

A Native American narrative explaining the origins of the Winnebago people and their relationship with the world, often involving themes of nature and spirituality.

Upper Guinea Cultural Zone

A region in West Africa from the Sengal river to Liberia. Mostly Islam.

lower guinea cultural zone

A cultural region in West Africa located south of the Upper Guinea. Common trade language = Yoruba. Northern edge is Islamic, while the southern part features traditional African beliefs and practices.

Angolan cultural zone

A cultural area in West Africa, from the Congo into the interior, home to various ethnic groups, primarily influenced by traditional African beliefs and practices, where languages like Kimbundu and Kikongo are prevalent.

Mali

A historical Islamic empire in West Africa that thrived from the 13th to 16th centuries, known for its wealth, trade in gold, and centers of learning such as Timbuktu.

Mansa Musa

The ninth emperor of the Mali Empire, Mansa Musa is renowned for his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, which showcased his immense wealth and solidified the empire's influence in the Islamic world. He is also credited with promoting education and architecture in Timbuktu.

Igbo peoples

lives in autonomous communities organized around common family lineages, a stateless society in Africa.

Book of common prayer

the first religious service book written entirely in English.

book of martyrs

A work by John Foxe, detailing the persecution of Christians in England, it documents martyrdom for faith throughout history.

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century, used by European explorers for long voyages.

Catherine of Aragon

The first wife of King Henry VIII of England, whose marriage was annulled after she failed to produce a male heir.

Elizabethan Settlement

The Church of England emerged as a Protestant church that retained many Catholic ceremonies, as a way to satisfy both halves.

Ferdinand and Isabella

Spanish teenagers that were married to strengthen and centralize the monarchical authority in Spain, especially significant as to limit the power of competing nobles and drive out Muslims and Jews in the Spanish Inquisition.

Guanche

The indigenous people of the Canary Islands, failed to resist the conquer of the Spanish.

Henry VII

Stripped nobles of their land and power, centralizing the English Tudor dynasty.

Henry VIII

King of England, known for his six marriages and taking control of the Church so that he could divorce his wife and sold Church land and property, making a fortune.

lancados

Portuguese trading officials, who were important and powerful intermediaries in trade between Europeans and Africans, took African wives and adopted African cultural practices.

Martin Luther

German monk who challenged Catholic Church practices, initiating the Protestant Reformation.

Mary Tudor

Queen of England, daughter of Henry VIII, known for her attempt to restore Catholicism and her persecution of Protestants.

moveable type

A printing technology developed in the 15th century that enabled the mass production of books, significantly influencing literacy and the spread of information.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince who significantly advanced early maritime exploration and education. He sponsored voyages along the West African coast and was instrumental in developing new navigational techniques.

Ptolemy

A 2nd century Greek astronomer whose ideas were popularized during the Renaissance. His Geography was widely available so that everyone knew the Earth was round, but it was his misjudgment of the circumference of the earth that sent Columbus on his way to discover the Americas.

Puritans

A group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England from Catholic practices. They played a significant role in the settlement of New England.

Race-Based Plantation Slavery

The Use of skin color to dehumanize and enslave groups of people, creating religious divisions and prejudices.

Renaissance

A period of revival in art, literature, and learning in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century, marked by a renewed interest in classical antiquity and humanism.

Spanish Inquisition

A powerful tribunal established in 1478 by Spain to maintain Catholic orthodoxy, infamous for its severe persecution of Muslims and Jews.

Alhambra decree

An edict issued in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, ordering the expulsion of all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. Amer

Amerigo Vespucci

An Italian explorer and navigator known for demonstrating that Brazil and the West Indies were not part of Asia, but rather a separate continent, which was later named America in his honor.

Bartolome de Las Casas

A Spanish Dominican friar and historian who advocated for the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Americas and criticized the encomienda system.

Black Legend

A propaganda narrative that demonized Spain's colonial practices, portraying them as particularly cruel and exploitative, especially towards Indigenous peoples.

Cabeza de Vaca

A Spanish explorer and chronicler known for his extensive journey across the Americas, particularly in what is now the southwestern United States, where he experienced and documented interactions with various Native American tribes.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer credited with the European discovery of America in 1492. He made four voyages across the Atlantic, seeking a direct route to Asia.

Encomienda

A system used during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, where Spanish settlers were granted the right to demand labor and tribute from Indigenous peoples in exchange for protection and religious instruction.

Erik the Red

A Norse explorer known for founding the first Norse settlement in Greenland and for being the father of Leif Erikson, who is credited with reaching North America.

Francisco Pizarro

A Spanish conquistador known for leading the expedition that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru and for founding the city of Lima.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

A Spanish explorer who led an expedition through parts of the southwestern United States in search of the Seven Cities of Gold and is known for his extensive exploration of present-day Arizona and New Mexico.

Hernan Cortez

A Spanish conquistador famous for leading the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire and for claiming Mexico for Spain.

Hernando de Soto

A Spanish explorer and conquistador known for his expedition through the southeastern United States, famously ranging through regions that are now Florida, Georgia, and along the Mississippi River.

Lief Ericsson

A Norse explorer believed to be the first European to set foot on North America, landing in present-day Newfoundland around the year 1000.

Pope (leader of Pueblo Revolt)

A leader of the Pueblo people who played a pivotal role in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 against Spanish colonization in the American Southwest, seeking to expel the Spanish missionaries and settlers.

Presidio

A fortified military outpost established by the Spanish in colonial North America to provide protection and support for missions and settlers.

Montezuma

A ruler of the Aztec Empire who was in power during the Spanish conquest led by Hernán Cortés. He is known for his encounters with Cortés and the subsequent fall of Tenochtitlán.

Reconquista

The period in history when Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule, culminating in the capture of Granada in 1492.

Repartimiento

A labor system instituted by the Spanish in the Americas, requiring indigenous communities to provide a certain number of laborers for mining and agricultural work.

Requerimiento

A declaration by the Spanish crown asserting the right to conquer and claim lands in the Americas, requiring indigenous peoples to accept Christianity or face war.

Skraelings

The term used by Norse explorers to describe the indigenous peoples they encountered in North America, believed to primarily refer to the Inuit and other native groups.

Spanish Armada

The fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 to invade England, marking a significant conflict during the Anglo-Spanish War.

Taino

A group of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, notably found in present-day Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico, known for their early contact with Christopher Columbus and the Spanish.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal, signed in 1494, that divided newly discovered lands between the two countries along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Azores.

Virgin of Guadalupe

A religious icon of the Catholic Church in Mexico, representing the Virgin Mary, who is said to have appeared to Juan Diego in 1531, and is considered a symbol of Mexican identity and faith.

Courriers du Bois

French fur traders and trappers in North America who lived among and traded with Native American tribes, instrumental in developing the fur trade.

coverture

A legal doctrine that married women had no separate legal existence from their husbands, limiting their rights and independence.

Discourse of Western Planting

A pamphlet written by Richard Hakluyt in 1584, advocating for the establishment of English colonies in North America to promote trade and spread Christianity.

fort caroline

A 16th-century French settlement established in what is now Florida, significant as one of the early attempts by France to colonize North America.

francis drake

An English sea captain and privateer who circumnavigated the globe from 1577 to 1580. He is known for his raids against Spanish ships and settlements in the Americas, playing a key role in England's naval dominance.

Garacontie

A Native American leader of the Mohawk tribe, known for his diplomacy and negotiations with French colonizers during the 17th century.

Giovanni da Verrazano

An Italian explorer who sailed under the French flag, he is best known for his 1524 voyage along the North American east coast, mapping areas that are now part of the United States.

Grand Banks

A group of underwater plateaus located off the coast of Newfoundland, known for their rich fishing grounds, particularly cod. They were crucial to North America's fishing industry and European trade during the 16th to 19th centuries.

Henry Hudson

An English sea explorer and navigator, he is best known for his explorations of Canada and parts of the northeastern United States, particularly the Hudson River, which was named after him.

Huron

A group of Native American tribes originally residing in what is now Ontario, Canada, known for their role in early European colonization and trade.

Jacques Cartier

A French explorer credited with the discovery of the St. Lawrence River and significant exploration of Canada in the 16th century, he claimed the region for France and is often considered the founder of New France.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, founded in 1607 in Virginia. Jamestown was crucial in the early development of the American colonies and faced many challenges, including starvation and conflicts with Native American tribes.

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order founded in the 16th century, known for their missionary work and educational contributions, particularly in North America.

John Cabot

An Italian explorer who sailed under an English flag in the late 15th century, he is credited with being the first European to reach the North American mainland since the Vikings, landing in present-day Canada.

John Calvin

A Protestant theologian and reformer in the 16th century, John Calvin played a significant role in the development of Calvinism and emphasized the sovereignty of God, predestination, and the authority of Scripture in Christianity.

John White

An early English settler and governor of the Roanoke Colony, John White is known for his attempts to establish a permanent English presence in North America during the late 16th century. He famously returned to find the colony had vanished, leading to the mystery of the lost colony of Roanoke.

L’Anse aux Meadows

An archaeological site located in Newfoundland, Canada, L’Anse aux Meadows is recognized as the first known European settlement in North America, established by Viking explorer Leif Erikson around the year 1000 AD.

Log Cabin

A simple, one-story structure made from logs, often associated with early American settlers in frontier regions, symbolizing self-sufficiency and pioneer life.

lost colony

Refers to the Roanoke Colony, which disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the late 16th century after John White's return.