Fabric of a Nation: Module 1-1 Diverse American Indian Societies (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on Diverse American Indian Societies and early North American cultures.

Maize

A staple crop (corn) cultivated by many American Indian societies, enabling settled, complex civilizations.

Intensive agriculture

A farming system that increases yields and supports large populations through irrigation, terracing, and organized labor.

Horticulture

Cultivation of crops for food using simple tools and small plots; less intensive than full-scale agriculture.

Andes Mountain region

The highland area of western South America where Andean civilizations, such as the Inca, developed.

Central America

Region of the Americas where early Mesoamerican societies cultivated crops and built complex economies.

Beringia

The land bridge and surrounding area that connected Asia to North America, enabling migration.

Land bridge

A strip of land that connected continents during lower sea levels, facilitating migration.

Clovis

Early Paleoindian culture known for distinctive spear points and widespread early habitation.

Cordilleran ice sheet

A major ice sheet in western North America during the last Ice Age.

Laurentide ice sheet

A vast ice sheet covering much of Canada and the northern United States during the last Ice Age.

Tenochtitlán

Capital city of the Aztec Empire, built on an island in Lake Texcoco (c. 1325 CE).

Chinampas

Artificial floating gardens used by the Aztecs to maximize agricultural output.

Aztecs

Mesoamerican empire known for urban centers, ritual practices, maize-based economy, and human sacrifices.

Maya

Central American civilization renowned for cities, irrigation, hieroglyphic writing, and calendars.

Maya calendar

A complex calendrical system developed by the Maya for ritual and agricultural timing.

Hieroglyphic writing

Picture-based writing system used by the Maya for record-keeping and inscriptions.

Inca

Largest pre-Columbian empire in the Andes, with irrigation, terraces, potato cultivation, and precious metal mining.

Terraces

Step-like flat surfaces on hillsides used to farm and prevent erosion (Inca practice).

Irrigation

Delivery of water to fields to support agriculture in arid or uneven terrain.

Gold and silver mining

Economic activity in the Inca empire involving extraction of precious metals.

Human sacrifices (Inca)

Ritual offerings practiced by some Andean cultures, including the Inca.

Anasazi

Ancestral Puebloan culture of the Southwest known for cliff dwellings and adobe architecture.

Hohokam

Southwestern culture noted for extensive irrigation networks.

Hopewell

Late Woodland culture along the Mississippi River with extensive trade networks.

Iroquoian

Northeastern Native American groups known for maize farming and matrilineal kinship.

Mandan

Native American people of the Upper Missouri region; practiced farming and hunting.

Mogollon

Southwestern Native American culture associated with early desert/river communities (Ancestral Puebloan region).

Mississippian

Pre-Columbian mound-building culture in the Mississippi River valley.

Cahokia

Major Mississippian urban center near present-day St. Louis with extensive trade networks.

Serpent Mound

Mississippian earthwork mound in Ohio aligned with the sun’s solstice.

Pueblo

Southwestern Native American groups known for adobe houses and cliff dwellings.

Cliff Palace

A large Pueblo cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde, Colorado (built around 1200 CE).

Mesa Verde

Colorado site famous for its well-preserved cliff dwellings and Pueblo culture.

Chumash

Coastal Native American people of present-day California known for maritime culture.

Tomols

Ocean-going canoes used by the Chumash for coastal travel and trade.

Pacific Northwest

Region along the northwest coast known for abundant resources, trade, and distinctive housing.

Totem poles

Carved wooden posts representing clan lineage, beliefs, and histories in Pacific Northwest cultures.

Chinook

Pacific Northwest Native American people known for plank houses and strong trade networks.

Iroquois

Northeastern Native American confederacy with maize farming and matrilineal society.

Matrilineal

Social system in which lineage and inheritance are traced through the mother’s line.

Atlatl

A spear-throwing device that increases range and power for hunting.

Adobe

Sun-dried brick used in Pueblo architecture and habitation.

HIPP analysis

Historical context, Intended audience, Purpose, and Point of view used to analyze sources.

AP Thinking Historically

AP framework for analysis that includes comparison and evaluating sources.