Period 1 — Major Ideas & Events (1491–1607)

Mesoamerica

Region covering parts of Mexico and Central America where ancient civilizations like the Maya flourished.

Written Language

System of writing developed by the Maya that facilitated record-keeping and communication.

Tenochtitlán

The capital city of the Aztec Empire, established around 1300 on an island in a lake.

Encomienda System

Spanish system granting colonists the right to demand labor and tribute from Native Americans.

Cahokia

Major urban and trading center associated with Mississippian cultures, reached a population of 40,000 around A.D. 1200.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and cultures between the Old World and the New World following Columbus's voyages.

Asiento System

Spanish system that allowed merchants to supply enslaved Africans to Spanish colonies.

Papal Decree

A declaration by the Pope that established the Line of Demarcation dividing Spanish and Portuguese territories.

Valladolid Debate

Debate in Spain over whether Native Americans were fully human and capable of self-government and Christianity.

Atlantic World

The interconnectedness of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through migration, commerce, slavery, and cultural exchange.

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement beginning in 1517 that challenged Catholic authority and created divisions among churches.

Iroquois Confederacy

A powerful alliance of Native American tribes in the Northeast, including the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer who sailed for Spain, credited with initiating sustained European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer whose expedition completed the first circumnavigation of the globe.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in the 1530s.

Bartolomé de las Casas

Spanish priest who criticized the mistreatment of Native Americans and argued against their brutal exploitation.

Sir Walter Raleigh

English explorer who sponsored the Roanoke Colony, known as the