Key Themes in Early American History (1491-1607)

corn (maize)

A staple crop that was a significant food source for many Native American cultures.

horses

Animals introduced by Europeans that transformed Native American societies, particularly in transportation and hunting.

disease

Illnesses brought by Europeans that had devastating effects on Native American populations.

encomienda system

A labor system that granted colonists the right to demand tribute and forced labor from Native Americans.

asiento system

A system that allowed Spanish colonists to import enslaved Africans to work in the Americas.

slavery

The practice of owning individuals as property and forcing them to work without pay.

land bridge

A land connection between Asia and North America that allowed for migration of peoples.

Adena-Hopewell

A Native American culture known for its earthworks and burial mounds in the Ohio River Valley.

Hokokam, Anasazi, and Pueblos

Native American cultures in the Southwest known for their advanced agricultural practices and cliff dwellings.

Woodland mound builders

Native American cultures in the Eastern United States known for constructing large earthen mounds.

Lakota Sioux

A Native American tribe known for their nomadic lifestyle and hunting of buffalo.

Mayas

An ancient Mesoamerican civilization known for its advanced writing, mathematics, and astronomical systems.

Incas

A South American civilization known for its extensive road systems and architectural achievements.

Aztecs

A Mesoamerican civilization known for its powerful empire and complex social structure.

conquistadores

Spanish explorers and conquerors who played a significant role in the colonization of the Americas.

Hernan Cortés

A Spanish conquistador known for his conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

A Spanish conquistador known for his conquest of the Inca Empire.

New Laws of 1542

Laws issued by the Spanish crown aimed at protecting Native American rights.

Roanoke Island

The site of the first English attempt at colonization in North America, known for its mysterious disappearance.

compass

A navigational instrument that shows the cardinal directions, aiding exploration.

printing press

An invention that revolutionized the spread of information and ideas in Europe.

Ferdinand and Isabella

The Catholic Monarchs of Spain who sponsored Columbus's voyages to the New World.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that led to the establishment of Protestant churches.

Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince who played a key role in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and maritime exploration.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer credited with discovering the Americas in 1492 under the Spanish flag.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided newly discovered lands between them.

slave trade

The business of capturing, transporting, and selling enslaved individuals, particularly from Africa to the Americas.

nation-state

A political entity characterized by a defined territory and a permanent population governed by a single authority.

Algonquian

A group of Native American tribes that spoke Algonquian languages, primarily located in the Northeast.

Siouan

A family of Native American languages spoken by tribes in the Great Plains and surrounding areas.

Iroquois Confederation

A political alliance of several Native American tribes in the Northeast, known for its democratic governance.

longhouses

Traditional dwellings of the Iroquois made from wood and bark, accommodating multiple families.

John Cabot

An Italian explorer who sailed under the English flag and is credited with discovering parts of North America.

Jacques Cartier

A French explorer known for his voyages to Canada and claiming the land for France.

Samuel de Champlain

A French explorer known as the 'Father of New France' for founding Quebec.

Henry Hudson

An English explorer known for his explorations of Canada and the northeastern United States.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish priest and social reformer who advocated for the rights of Native Americans.

Valladolid Debate

A debate in Spain regarding the treatment of Native Americans and their rights.

Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda

A Spanish philosopher who argued against the rights of Native Americans in the Valladolid Debate.

Sympathy of Spaniards

Many Spaniards were sympathetic to the Native Americans.

Catholic Church's role

The Catholic Church was trying to help the Native Americans.

Impact of European diseases

European diseases were killing millions of Native Americans.

Resistance from Native Americans

The Spanish faced strong resistance from Native Americans.

Columbus's beliefs

What most set Columbus apart from other Europeans of his day were not the things that he believed, but the intensity with which he believed in them and the determination with which he acted upon those beliefs.

Columbus as a Crusader

Columbus was an especially active and dramatic embodiment of the European-and especially the Mediterranean-mind and soul of his time: a religious fanatic obsessed with the conversion, conquest, or liquidation of all non-Christians.

Columbus's expectations

Columbus expected the enormous and mysterious world he had found to be filled with monstrous races inhabiting wild forests, and with golden people living in Eden.

Distance to Quivira

The province of Quivira is 950 leagues from Mexico.

Latitude of Quivira

Quivira is in the fortieth degree of latitude.

Treatment of natives

I have treated the natives of this province, and all the others whom I found wherever I went, as well as was possible, agreeably to what Your Majesty had commanded.

Duration in Quivira

I remained twenty-five days in this province of Quivira.

Exploration purpose

I explored the country to find out whether there was anything beyond which could be of service to Your Majesty.

Absence of gold

What I am sure of is that there is not any gold nor any other metal in all that country.

Spanish efforts in Mexico

Based on Coronado's observations, Spanish efforts in Mexico in the mid-16th century involved exploring lands new to them.

Support for explorers

The activities of Coronado and other Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the Americas in the 16th century primarily depended on the support of the monarchs.

Trade in Europe (16th century)

Helped bring about the exploration and colonization of lands across the seas.

Technology in Europe (16th century)

Helped bring about the exploration and colonization of lands across the seas.

Richard Hakluyt

An English writer who expressed hope for England's colonization efforts in America.

Fertile and temperate places

Regions in America that were unpossessed by Christians and offered opportunities for colonization.

Six weeks' sailing

The time it takes to sail from England to certain parts of America.

Potential colonists for the Americas

Able men in English prisons who were hanged for small robberies.

Christopher Columbus

Expressed a desire for friendly relations with natives and to convert them through love rather than force.

Red caps and glass beads

Gifts given by Columbus to natives to foster goodwill.

Spanish monarchy

A powerful group in Spain that Columbus would appeal to in his efforts.

European policies toward Native Americans

Policies that varied between England and Spain during the period 1492 to 1607.

Diversity of American Indians (1491)

A topic that can be analyzed for causation in historical essays.

Spanish vs. English colonies

A topic that can be analyzed for causation in historical essays.

Religious beliefs and American colonization

A topic that can be analyzed for causation in historical essays.

Columbus's values

A topic that can be analyzed for causation in historical essays.

Impact of colonization on Spain

A topic that can be analyzed for causation in historical essays.