Unit 1.1 Native American Cultures (Pre-1492) and Columbian Exchange

A set of practice flashcards covering pre-1492 Native American cultures, regional subsistence patterns, key developments (like irrigation and pueblos), European contact effects, and the Columbian Exchange.

How did the First Americans reach the Americas before 1492?

They crossed via the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia.

Name key features of Meso-American Tribes.

Irrigation and water storage; written language (hieroglyphics); elaborate culture with systems of government and social classes; advances in science and mathematics.

Which region’s Native Americans combined fishing and farming as their subsistence pattern?

Northeast Native Americans.

What was the Plains Indians' primary lifestyle pattern?

Nomadic hunting due to the arid plains; also maize, beans, and squash.

What irrigation-based developments did Southwest Native Americans (Anasazi) create?

Irrigation canals to grow crops; creation of pueblos and cliff dwellings.

Where were Pueblo Indians located and what did they build?

Arizona and New Mexico; built pueblos and cliff dwellings to live in and defend against the environment.

How were Northeast Native Americans organized?

Into small clans ruled by a chief (clan elder); hunting and gathering with some permanent settlements; men hunted, women farmed.

What was the Plains Indians’ lifestyle and diet?

Nomadic; hunting provided food and supplies; also maize, beans, and squash.

What was a positive effect of European contact for Native Americans?

Introduction of horses.

What were major negative effects of European colonization on Native Americans?

Tribes were conquered; diseases wiped out large populations; some were pressured to adapt to settlers and became dependent on fur traders.

Name two similarities between Native Americans and European settlers.

Lived in village communities; shared spirituality; labor divided by gender; depended on agricultural economies.

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The transfer of goods, ideas, and diseases across the Atlantic between the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

What were the impacts of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas?

Diseases decimated Native populations; introduction of livestock and guns changed hunting and warfare.

What were the impacts of the Columbian Exchange on Europe?

New crops like potatoes and maize increased population and wealth, fueling capitalism and the decline of feudalism.

Name two diseases that spread as part of the Columbian Exchange.

Smallpox and measles (others include malaria, influenza, and typhus).

What effects did the introduction of horses have on Native American life after European contact?

Increased mobility and effectiveness in hunting and warfare (horse culture).