American History (Unit 1)

Historiography

The study and interpretation of historical writings.

Social History

The history of the average person, especially in terms of demographic groups.

Mesoamerica

Geographic area stretching from the north of Panama to the desert of central Mexico.

Empire

A set of various states unified under a single authority, usually defined by military expansion, a unified economic system, and a supreme ruler.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztec ruler Moctezuma and claimed the city of Tenochtitlán for Spain in the 16th century.

1492

The year Columbus sailed.

Amerigo Vespucci

Italian explorer who navigated the South American coastline between 1499 and 1502 for the Portuguese crown.

Ferdinand and Isabella

King and Queen of Spain who ruled during the Reconquista and promoted New World exploration, including the voyages of Christopher Columbus, in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

632

(Date) Islam spreads out from the Arabian Peninsula, reaching Spain by the 700s.

1000–1100

(Date) Norse settlements are established in modern-day Canada.

1095–1291

(Date) The Crusades lead to cultural exchanges between Europe and civilizations to the east.

1400–1500

(Date) Portuguese sailors explore and colonize the west coast of Africa and various Atlantic islands.

1469

(Date) Catholic Spain is unified with the marriage of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

1492

(Date) Spanish Reconquista expels remaining Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula; Christopher Columbus, with funds from Spain, sails west and lands on Hispaniola.

1494

(Date) The Treaty of Tordesillas divides the Americas between Spain and Portugal.

1499–1502

(Date) Amerigo Vespucci, funded by the Portuguese crown, explores the coast of South America.

1507

(Date) Martin Waldseemüller makes a map using the name "America" for the first time.

Globalization

The ever-increasing interconnectedness of the world.

Commodification

The transformation of something—for example, an item of ritual significance—into a commodity with monetary value.

Columbian Exchange

The movement of plants, animals, and diseases across the Atlantic due to European exploration of the Americas.