European Exploration and Native Societies in the Americas

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the lecture on Native American societies and European exploration.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World after Columbus's voyages.

Encomienda System

A labor system in the Spanish colonies that granted land and Native Americans to Spanish colonists for labor.

Iroquois Confederation

A political union of five independent tribes in the Mohawk Valley, New York, which formed a significant force from the 16th century to the American Revolution.

Cahokia

The largest settlement in the Midwest near present-day St. Louis, Illinois, known for its large earthen mounds.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish Conquistador who led the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal, established in 1494, that divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between them.

Spanish Policy toward Native Americans

Policies that involved forced labor and a rigid class system dominated by pure-blooded Spaniards, leading to the exploitation of Indigenous populations.

Native American Reaction to European Settlement

Initial interactions involved trade and cultural exchange, but led to conflict, displacement, and adaptation following disease and violence.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish Dominican friar and historian who advocated for the better treatment of Native Americans and challenged the encomienda system.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that led to the creation of Protestantism and was significant for its economic, religious, and political impact in Europe.