Indigenous America and Early European Colonization Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering Native American societies pre-1492, European exploration and conquest, cultural collisions, and early English colonization.

Beringia / Bering Strait

Land bridge connecting Asia to Alaska.

Pre-Columbian

Time period before Columbus arrived.

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Nomadic groups moving near food.

Agricultural Revolution

Shift from hunting to farming.

Maize

Corn that fueled large civilizations.

Mesoamerica

Home of advanced Maya, Inca, and Aztec empires.

Clans and Bands

Small, family-based tribal groups.

Tenochtitlan

Massive capital of the Aztec Empire.

Southwest Pueblos

Tribes using irrigation systems in dry climates.

Northwest cultures

Tribes relying on ocean resources and fishing.

Great Plains cultures

Nomadic hunter-gatherers chasing buffalo.

The Mississippians

Civilization known for building burial mounds.

Cahokia

Largest Mississippian trade city.

Eastern Woodlands People

Forest tribes including Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Muskogean.

Iroquois League

Powerful alliance of Northeast tribes keeping peace.

Renaissance & Humanism

European cultural rebirth sparking curiosity.

Age of Exploration

Era of global mapping and travelers.

Caravels

Fast, maneuverable ocean-going ships.

God, Glory, Gold

Three main motives for exploration.

The "New World"

European term for the Americas.

Ferdinand & Isabella

Spanish rulers who funded Columbus.

Christopher Columbus

Explorer who reached Hispaniola in 1492.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Pope's line dividing land between Spain and Portugal.

Roman Catholicism

Spain's religion forced onto Natives.

Protestant Reformation

Religious split causing intense national rivalries.

Conquistadores

Spanish conquerors with superior weapons.

Hernan Cortes

Conquistador who crushed the Aztecs.

Francisco Pizarro

Conquistador who defeated the Incas.

Columbian Exchange

Global transfer of crops, livestock, and diseases.

Encomienda system

Brutal system of forced Native labor.

African slavery

Replacement labor after Native populations plummeted.

New Mexico

Spain's northern outpost for mining and missions.

New France

French colonies based on the fur trade.

New Netherlands

Dutch colonies centered on trade hubs.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada

1588 naval battle clearing England's path.

Joint-Stock company

Investors pooling money for colonial profit.

Virginia Company

Business that funded Jamestown.

Jamestown

First permanent English colony (1607).

Pilgrims

Religious separatists seeking freedom.

Mayflower

Ship that carried the Pilgrims.

Mayflower Compact

Agreement for simple, local self-government.