European Encounters and Native Societies in the Americas

What year did Christopher Columbus arrive in the New World?

1492

Who were the first Europeans to reach North America before Columbus?

The Norse, who arrived around 1000.

What significant period began with Columbus's arrival in 1492?

The Contact Period.

What year marks the end of the Contact Period?

1607, the year of the first English settlement.

What was the Bering Land Bridge?

A land connection between Eurasia and North America that allowed the first people to inhabit the Americas.

How did the Bering Land Bridge become submerged?

As the planet warmed, sea levels rose, submerging the bridge and forming the Bering Strait.

What does the term 'Pre-Columbian' refer to?

The period before Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World.

What characterized the cultures of Native Americans in Pre-Columbian North America?

They had complex societies, cultures, and religions.

What cultural impacts did European settlers have on Native Americans?

They brought different cultures, religions, and technologies, leading to conflicts and misunderstandings.

What was the impact of European colonization on Native American populations?

Native American populations were greatly reduced, and their cultures were suppressed.

What economic development was supported by the spread of maize cultivation?

It supported permanent settlements and economic development in North America.

What types of communities developed along the Northwest coast and in California?

Communities that hunted whales and salmon, created totem poles, and built canoes.

What lifestyle did Native Americans in the Great Plains typically have?

They retained nomadic lifestyles focused on hunting and gathering.

What innovation allowed Columbus to undertake longer exploratory voyages?

The caravel.

What was Columbus's goal when he set sail in 1492?

To reach India.

What did Columbus rename the island where he first landed?

San Salvador.

What motivated other European explorers to sail to the New World?

The search for gold, glory, and to spread their religion.

What is the Columbian Exchange?

A period of rapid exchange of plants, animals, foods, and diseases between the Old World and the New World.

What resources did Europe have that facilitated colonization?

Resources and technology to establish colonies far from home.

What was the flow of trade during the Columbian Exchange?

It was between the Old World and the New World.

What were some consequences of conflicts between Native Americans and European settlers?

Resistance to colonization, wars, forced relocation, and assimilation policies.

What was the significance of the year 1491 in relation to Native American societies?

It marks the division between the Native American world and the world that came after European exploration.

How did the environment influence the lifestyles of Native Americans?

Different environments led to varied lifestyles, such as nomadic hunting or fixed agricultural communities.

What does the term 'Old World' refer to?

Africa, Asia, and Europe.

What were some of the goods exchanged from the Old World to the New World?

Horses, pigs, rice, wheat, and grapes.

What were some of the goods exchanged from the New World to the Old World?

Corn, potatoes, chocolate, tomatoes, avocado, and sweet potatoes.

How did the introduction of new crops to Europe impact food production?

It helped to increase food production and stimulate growth.

What is a colony?

A territory settled and controlled by a foreign power.

What event initiated a long period of European expansion and colonialism in the Americas?

Columbus's arrival.

Which colonial power dominated the Americas during the next century after Columbus?

Spain.

What actions did Spanish conquistadors take in the Americas?

They collected and exported as much of the area's wealth as they could.

How did Native Americans view the land?

As a source of life, not as a commodity to be sold.

What was the European view of land ownership?

They believed that land should be tamed and privately owned.

What were the religious beliefs of Native Americans?

They thought of the natural world as filled with spirits and some believed in one supreme being.

What was the dominant religious institution in western Europe during this period?

The Roman Catholic Church.

How did kinship affect social organization among Native Americans?

Bonds of kinship ensured the continuation of tribal customs, with the family as the basic unit of organization.

What was the focus of social organization for Europeans?

Life centered around the nuclear family (father, mother, and their children).

How was labor divided among Native Americans?

Assignments were based on gender, age, and status, with some women participating in decision-making.

What was the general division of labor for men and women among Native Americans?

Men did most of the field labor and herded livestock, while women primarily handled child care and household labor.

What was a significant impact of the flow of trade between the Old World and New World?

The exchange of crops and goods led to significant agricultural and economic changes.

What role did the pope hold in western Europe during the colonial period?

The pope had great political and spiritual authority.

How did Europeans view kinship compared to Native Americans?

Europeans respected kinship, but the extended family was not as important to them.

What was the significance of coastal towns founded by the Spanish in the Americas?

They served as centers for trade and colonial administration.

What was the impact of the Columbian Exchange on global agriculture?

It introduced new crops to various regions, enhancing food production and dietary diversity.

What marked the beginning of extensive use of enslaved Africans in the American colonies?

Colonists from the Caribbean settled in the Carolinas.

What labor sources were primarily used before the introduction of enslaved Africans?

Indentured servants and, in some cases, enslaved Native Americans.

What event highlighted the landowners' concerns about having landless, young, white males in their colonies?

Bacon's Rebellion.

What challenges did Europeans face when attempting to enslave Native Americans?

Native Americans knew the land and could easily escape; in some tribes, cultivation was considered women's work.

What impact did European diseases have on Native American populations?

Diseases wiped out 85 to 95 percent of the native population.

Why did Southern landowners increasingly turn to enslaved Africans for labor?

Enslaved Africans did not know the land and were less likely to escape.

What made enslaved Africans easier to control compared to Native Americans?

They were removed from their homelands, often unable to communicate with one another, and their dark skin made them easily identifiable.

What was the primary destination of the majority of the slave trade before the American Revolution?

The Caribbean and South America.

How many enslaved people were brought to the English colonies?

More than 500,000 enslaved people.

By 1790, how many Black people were enslaved in England's North American colonies?

Nearly 750,000.

What was the Middle Passage?

The shipping route that brought enslaved people to the Americas, part of the triangular trade route.

What were the conditions like for Africans aboard ships during the Middle Passage?

Brutally inhumane; many died from sickness or during insurrections, with about one-fifth dying on board.

What led to the end of American participation in the Atlantic slave trade?

Mounting criticism of the horrors of the Middle Passage.

When did Congress end American participation in the Atlantic slave trade?

January 1, 1808.

When did slavery itself end in the United States?

1865

Why did slavery flourish in the South?

Due to the nature of the land and the short growing season.

What labor-intensive crops were farmed in the Chesapeake and Carolinas?

Tobacco, rice, and indigo.

How was slavery practiced in the North compared to the South?

Slavery did not take hold in the North as it did in the South; it was used on farms, in shipping, and as domestic servants.

What steps did Northern states take regarding slavery after the Revolution?

They began to phase out slavery.

Who primarily owned enslaved people in the South?

Only the very wealthy plantation owners.

What was the general economic status of the majority of people in relation to slavery?

The vast majority remained at a subsistence level.

What was the treatment of enslaved people at the hands of their owners?

It was often vicious and at times sadistic.

How did slavery in the North differ from slavery in the South?

Slavery did not take hold in the North as it did in the South; it was used on farms, in shipping operations, and as domestic servants, particularly in urban households.

In which Northern states was slavery used on farms?

New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

What roles did enslaved people have in Northern shipping operations?

Enslaved people were used in shipping operations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

What was a common domestic role for enslaved people in the North?

They served as domestic servants in urban households, especially in New York City.

What steps did Northern states take regarding slavery after the Revolution?

Northern states began to phase out slavery following the Revolution.

What was the status of slavery in New Jersey at the outbreak of the Civil War?

There were still enslaved people in New Jersey.

Who primarily owned enslaved people in the North?

Only the very wealthy owned enslaved people.

What was the economic status of the majority of people in the North regarding slavery?

The vast majority of people remained at a subsistence level.

What colonial power dominated the Americas during the next century after the Spanish conquest?

Spain was the colonial power in the Americas.

What did Spanish conquistadors do in the Americas?

They collected and exported as much of the area's wealth as possible.

What was the encomienda system?

It was a system where the crown granted colonists authority over a specified number of natives, obliging them to protect and convert the natives in exchange for their labor.

How did the encomienda system resemble slavery?

It was a form of slavery as it entitled colonists to the labor of the natives.

What motivated other European nations to explore the New World after Spain's colonization?

They were motivated by wealth, resources, clerical fervor to convert Christians, and the desire for geopolitical dominance.

What opportunities did North America present to European explorers?

It offered vast expanses of undeveloped land and fertile soils for agricultural profits and mineral extraction.

What navigational advancements improved transatlantic sailing in the early 1700s?

The invention of the sextant made sailing across the Atlantic safer and more efficient.

What role did joint-stock companies play in North American exploration?

They organized intercontinental trade and aimed to settle and develop lands in North America.

Name one of the most famous joint-stock companies involved in settling North America.

The British East India Company, the Dutch East India Company, or the Virginia Company.

What was the Virginia Company's significance in American history?

It was responsible for settling Jamestown.

What led to increased conflict and prejudice in the New World?

Increased trade and development.

What were the differing views of Spanish and Portuguese thinkers regarding Native Americans?

They proposed approaches ranging from peace and tolerance to dominance and enslavement.

What was a nearly universal belief among Europeans regarding Native Americans?

The belief in European superiority.

How did some Native Americans respond to European influence?

Some resisted while others accepted it.

What was common between Spanish and French settlers and Native Americans?

Intermarriage.

How successful was Spain in converting Native Americans to Christianity?

Spain was particularly successful in converting much of Mesoamerica to Catholicism through the Spanish mission system.

What methods did explorers like Juan de Oñate use to create Christian converts?

They used violence and other means.

What became common as colonization spread in the Americas?

The use of enslaved Africans purchased from African traders.

Where did many enslaved Africans end up in the New World?

In permanent settlements for plantations in the Caribbean and Brazil.

How did Africans adapt to their new environment in the Americas?

They blended the language and religion of their masters with their preserved traditions.

What is voodoo a blend of?

Christianity and tribal animism.

What cultural expressions did enslaved people create?

They sang African songs in the fields and created art reminiscent of their homeland.

Who were the Maroon people?

They were enslaved individuals who escaped slavery and formed cultural enclaves.

What was notable about slave uprisings in the Americas?

They were not uncommon, with the Haitian Revolution being a significant example.

What characterized English colonization compared to other European powers?

The English sent large numbers of men and women to agriculturally fertile areas.

What was the nature of relationships between the English and Native Americans?

Relationships were strained, with rare intermarriage.