Period 1 Notes

What was the main agricultural product grown by the Mayans and Aztecs?

Corn

What advanced societies were present in Central and South America before European contact?

Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas

What type of homes did Northwest Native American tribes live in?

Longhouses

What system was created by Spain to allocate land and Native labor?

Encomienda system

What was the significance of the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)?

It divided the New World between Spain and Portugal.

What innovative farming method was used by tribes in the Southwest, such as the Hohokam?

Irrigation

What did the Columbian Exchange bring to Europe from the Americas?

Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, and syphilis.

Which Native American confederation was formed by five tribes in New York?

Iroquois Confederacy

Who argued for Native American rights and led to the New Laws of 1542?

Las Casas

What method of migration was commonly used by Great Plains nomads?

Using tepees.

What did the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and Incas lead to?

Spain becoming rich from gold and silver.

What was one effect of African slavery beginning in the 1400s?

It provided labor for sugar plantations.

How did Native American tribes react to European contact?

They initially traded with Europeans but later faced diseases and strategized differently.

List two major economic causes of European exploration.

Desire for trade (furs, ports) and the pursuit of gold/silver.

What were the values of the racial class systems set up by the Spanish?

Spaniards at the top, Native Americans and Africans at the bottom.

What were the living conditions like for most Native Americans in North America before 1607?

Most lived in small, semi-permanent villages.

Which two crops were primarily farmed by Great Plains settlers?

Corn and beans.

What negative impact did the Spanish settlements have on Native Americans?

Enslavement and loss of land.

What major religious conflict influenced European exploration?

Conflict between Catholics and Protestants.

What aspect of the Columbian Exchange negatively affected Native American populations?

Introduction of smallpox and measles.

How did the French generally interact with Native Americans?

They had good relations, trading furs and seeking allies.

What type of housing did some Native Americans in the Midwest build?

Earthen mounds.