Pre-European America and European Exploration

Flashcards about Pre-European America and European Exploration.

Mayans

300-800, located in Latin America. They had extensive trade.

Aztecs and Incas

Located in America and Peru. Highly advanced civilizations that formed centuries after the decline of the Mayans. They were very powerful and populated.

North American Societies

Generally sparser and less developed due to slow cultivation of corn. Had huge diversity, especially in language, with 720 language families.

Settlements

Hunter-fishers in the Northwest.

Great Plains Natives

Nomadic group in the Great Plains due to the dry climate.

Southwest Natives

Monokom and Pueblos who lived in cave/cliff houses.

MLA

Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippi cultures known for large mounds.

Cahokia

A large mound settlement of the Mississippi culture.

Iroquois

A confederation of tribes in the Northeast.

Atlantic Seaboard Natives

Cherokee and Lumbee tribes located on the Atlantic Seaboard.

Key Motivators of Exploration

Motivators for exploration include technology (Renaissance, sailing, printing press, compass, gunpowder, shipbuilding innovations), religious conflict, fierce competition for trade with Asia, and the implementation of slaves in sugar plantations.

Politics in Europe

Smaller kingdoms transitioned into multiethnic empires and nation-states. European powers competed for land to colonize.

Spain & Portugal

Were the first to colonize America and split the New World via the Treaty of Tordesillas.

England

Challenged Spain's colonies and established the failed Roanoke Island settlement.

France

Too invested with European affairs but had the best relations with Natives.

Economics

Transitioned from feudalism (control of land) to capitalism (control of capital).

Joint-Stock Company

Business backed by multiple investors.

Hernan Cortes

Conquered the Aztecs.

Francisco Pizarro

Conquered the Incas.

Encomienda System

Coerced labor system where Natives were given land and protection in exchange for labor.

Asiento system

Colonist pays tax per imported slave.

Native-European Conflict

Lasted for a long time due to stark differences between Natives and Europeans.

Native Beliefs

Polytheistic belief system of the Natives.

European Beliefs

Monotheistic belief system of the Europeans.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Advocated for better Native rights and instituted the New Laws of 1542, which ended Native slavery and the encomienda system.

Juan Sepúlveda

Argued Natives were less than human.

English Policy

Unlike the Spanish, they settled in areas without large Native populations and expelled Natives rather than subjugating them for forced labor.

French Policy

They had fewer colonies and sought fur trade, viewing Natives as trade partners.

Native Survival Strategies

Include allying with Europeans or moving west, which often led to clashes with existing tribes.

Africans

Contributed to the development of rice, music, and language.