Lecture Notes: Pre-Columbian Civilizations, Exploration, and Early Colonial Policy

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from notes on pre-Columbian civilizations, exploration, and early colonial policy.

Mayan Civilization

A highly advanced Mesoamerican civilization known for cities, astronomy, calendars, and extensive trade; declined before sustained European contact.

Aztec Empire

Mesoamerican empire centered in central Mexico; known for militaristic conquests and a tribute-based economy.

Inca Empire

South American empire in the Andes with a vast road network and centralized administration.

Mesoamerica

Cultural region from present-day Mexico to Central America home to civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs.

North American Native Diversity

Wide variety of Indigenous languages and cultures across North America, with generally sparser development than Mesoamerica.

Iroquois Confederacy

A Northeast Native American alliance of several tribes forming a collective political identity.

Pueblo (Ancestral Puebloans)

Southwestern Native American communities known for cliff dwellings and adobe settlements.

Cahokia

Mississippian mound-building center near the Mississippi River, illustrating complex pre-Columbian society.

Mississippian Culture

Pre-Columbian culture in the Mississippi Valley famed for large earthen mounds.

Cherokee

Major Southeastern Native American tribe with long-standing regional presence.

Lumbee

Native American tribe from the Southeastern U.S. (North Carolina region) noted in the notes.

Great Plains

Region of nomadic hunter-gatherers and bison culture across central North America.

Renaissance

European cultural revival that spurred scientific advances and exploration.

Gunpowder

Military technology that aided European conquest and expansion.

Caravel

A fast, maneuverable sailing ship enabling long ocean voyages during the Age of Exploration.

Printing Press

Invention that spread information and maps, accelerating knowledge dissemination.

Protestant Reformation

Religious reform movement in Europe that intensified religious competition and exploration.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe along a meridian.

Roanoke Island

Early English attempt to establish a colony in North America that ultimately failed.

Joint-Stock Company

Business organization funded by multiple investors to finance overseas ventures.

Capitalism

Economic system based on private ownership and profit-seeking investment.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system granting colonists land and indigenous labor in exchange for protection and Christianization; often coercive.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Inca Empire.

Middle Passage

Forced transatlantic voyage of Africans to the Americas with high mortality.

Asiento

Spanish license or contract to import enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Spanish Castes

Racial hierarchy in colonial Spanish society, with social categories based on lineage.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish priest who advocated Native rights and pushed reforms like the New Laws of 1542.