Peopling the Americas & Early Native Civilizations

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts about the migration to and early civilizations of the Americas.

Bering Land Bridge

Ice-age landmass that once connected Siberia and Alaska, providing the migration route for the first Americans.

Inca

Advanced civilization of the Andes in Peru known for elaborate cities, road networks, and sophisticated society.

Maya

Mesoamerican civilization of Central America famed for mathematics, calendars, and monumental architecture.

Aztec

Powerful Mesoamerican nation-state in central Mexico noted for Tenochtitlan, empire-wide trade, and human sacrifices.

Maize (Corn) Agriculture

Staple crop first domesticated in Mexico; its cultivation fueled population growth across the Americas.

Irrigation

Water-channeling practice that allowed Southwestern peoples to sustain corn farming in arid environments.

Pueblo

Spanish word for the multistoried, terraced village structures built by Southwestern natives; literally means “village.”

Mound Builders

Pre-Columbian cultures of the Ohio River Valley that constructed large earthen mounds for burial and ritual.

Cahokia

Largest Mississippian settlement near present-day St. Louis, once home to as many as 25,000 inhabitants.

Three Sisters Farming

Intercropping system of maize, beans, and squash that produced high yields and supported dense populations.

Iroquois Confederacy

Alliance of Northeastern tribes that developed strong political organization, influencing later U.S. governance ideas.

Maize Diffusion

Gradual spread of corn cultivation from Mexico into the American Southwest and eventually northward and eastward.

Native Land Tenure

Indigenous belief in communal land use, lacking the European concept of individual land ownership.

Aztec Nation-State

Only true pre-Columbian ‘nation-state’ in North America, characterized by centralized authority and expansive empire.