Broad Trends in Native American History

The flashcards cover key concepts, estimates, historical figures, and sources related to Native American history from the late 15th century to the late 20th century.

Pre-Columbian population estimates of Northern America

Scholarly estimates range from approximately 900,000 to 18,000,000 individuals living north of the Rio Grande in 1492.

James Mooney (1910)

Anthropologist who conducted the first thorough investigation into the pre-contact population density of Northern America, estimating about 1,115,000 individuals.

A.L. Kroeber (1934)

Reanalyzed Mooney's work, estimating the pre-contact population of Northern America to be 900,000 individuals.

Henry Dobyns (1966)

Ethnohistorian who estimated between 9,800,000 and 12,200,000 Indigenous individuals in Northern America before contact, later revising this to 18,000,000.

Epidemic diseases impact on Indigenous populations

Henry Dobyns noted that introduced diseases like smallpox caused mortality rates as high as 95% during the 19th century, leading to demographic changes.

Diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds

Native American history reflects the varied cultural interactions between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, influenced by factors such as farming vs. hunting.

Sources of Indigenous history

Written accounts by Indigenous individuals are scarce; historians also use traditional arts, folklore, and archaeology to gather information about the Native American past.