The New World

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the New World, including historical events, indigenous peoples, and the impacts of exploration.

Beringia

The land bridge connecting Asia and North America during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Paleo-Indians

The various peoples who settled North America, known for being hunter-gatherers.

Mississippian Culture

Developed around the Northern Mississippi River; Cahokia was its most important center.

Columbus Exchange

A biological revolution that involved the exchange of plants, animals, and microbes between the Americas and Old World.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The importation of millions of enslaved Africans to the New World to labor on plantations.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who explored the Yucatan and conquered the Aztec Empire.

Cahokia

The largest settlement of the Mississippian Culture, located near modern St. Louis.

Smallpox

A disease that wiped out 90% of New World populations upon Columbus’s arrival.

Moundbuilders

A term for the societies in North America that built earthen mounds.

Taino

The peaceful semi-agricultural indigenous people encountered by Columbus.

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and soldiers who sought fame and wealth in the New World.

Aztecs

The most powerful civilization in Central America, famous for their empire.