Early Modern Convergence: Europe, Africa, and the Americas (Video Notes)

Flashcards cover key people, places, and ideas from the notes on early modern convergence among Europe, Africa, and the Americas, including Isabella of Castile, Tecuichpotzin, Njinga, Cahokia, Iroquois, West African empires, and explorations and cultural interactions that shaped the Atlantic world.

Which three women symbolize the convergence of Europe, Africa, and the Americas in the early modern period?

Isabella of Castile, Tecuichpotzin (Aztec princess, daughter of Moctezuma II), and Njinga, Queen of Ndongo (Angola).

What role did Isabella of Castile play in the Reconquista and Atlantic expansion?

She sponsored Columbus’s voyages and, after uniting Castile and Aragon, pressed to expel Muslims and Jews to enforce Catholic conformity, aiding Spain’s later Atlantic ventures.

Who was Tecuichpotzin and why is she significant in this history?

An Aztec noblewoman (Moctezuma II’s daughter) who later became part of Cortés’s circle, married into Spanish life, bore seven children, and became a pioneer of mestizaje (racial mixing) in Mexico.

Who was Njinga and what did she do in the context of European expansion?

Njinga (born ~1582) was the Queen of Ndongo in present-day Angola who fiercely resisted Portuguese slave traders and fought to defend her realm’s independence, becoming a heroic figure in Angolan history.

What does the term mestizaje refer to in this chapter?

The mixing of races resulting from intermarriage between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, as illustrated by Tecuichpotzin’s life.

What was Cahokia, and why is it historically significant?

A mound-building urban center near modern-day East St. Louis, Illinois, with a population possibly around 150,000 and serving as a major trade hub with monumental earthworks.

What architectural and geographic features of Cahokia illustrate its celestial orientation?

The central plaza and mound layout were oriented on a north-south axis to facilitate observation and alignment with celestial bodies.

Name the three West African empires discussed and their general timeframes.

Ghana (5th–11th centuries), Mali (notably under Mansa Musa, 13th–16th centuries), Songhai (dominant mid-15th to 1591).

Who was Mansa Musa and why is he famous?

A devout Muslim king of Mali who undertook a famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, which elevated Timbuktu as a center of wealth and learning.

What freed West Africa from Ghana’s dominance and led to a new era of empire?

The rise of the Mali Empire under rulers like Mansa Musa, which expanded territory, trade, and Islamic influence (Timbuktu’s prominence).

What happened to the Songhai Empire at the end of its peak?

It declined after Morocco conquered Timbuktu and Gao in 1591, signaling the end of its preeminent regional power.

What was Cahokia’s role in trade, and what kinds of goods did it connect?

Cahokia was a crucial crossroads linking distant regions, trading salt, obsidian, copper, furs, and other goods, demonstrating extensive long-distance networks.

What are kivas and which people used them?

Kivas are subterranean ceremonial and religious rooms used by the Pueblo peoples in the Southwest.

Which Native American group formed the Iroquois Confederacy, and what was its impact?

The Iroquois (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Senecas) formed a cohesive political confederacy that stabilized villages and projected power in dealings with outsiders.

How did European and Native American views of land ownership differ?

Europeans viewed land as private property to be owned and inherited; Native Americans typically held land communally or as rights to use rather than private ownership.

What characterized Iroquoian gender roles and political life in contrast to Europe?

In matrilineal Iroquoian societies, elder women appointed chiefs and retained political influence, while men hunted and negotiated; European societies largely excluded women from formal politics.

What were the major features of the agricultural revolution in the Americas and its timeline?

Around 5000 BCE, Indigenous peoples began domesticating crops (e.g., maize and squash in the Tehuacán Valley), leading to settled village life, population growth, and complex social organization.

What is the significance of the Pueblo and Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) settlements in the Southwest?

They developed planned villages with multi-storied, terraced buildings, irrigation systems, kivas, and sophisticated ceramics and textiles, resembling some European and Asian practices.

What were the explorations and navigational innovations that enabled Portugal to expand westward along Africa?

Advances included the quadrant for measuring latitude, lateen-rigged caravels for sailing against winds, early mapmaking, and improved ships, led by Henry the Navigator.

What event in 1492 symbolizes the completion of the Reconquista and the opening of a new era of expansion for Spain?

The surrender of Granada, ending Muslim rule in Spain, which preceded Spain’s later Atlantic ventures.

What is the significance of the Tehuacán Valley in the context of the Americas’ pre-Columbian history?

It is a key site where archaeologists identify the domestication of maize and squash and the beginnings of agricultural societies in central Mexico around 5000 BCE.

What does the Keller figurine from Cahokia depict, and why is it important?

A carved stone figure depicting a woman performing a corn ceremony, illustrating the central role of women and agricultural ritual in Cahokia’s society.