America: Vocab

Question 1

Artificial islands built by the Aztecs in Mexico by piling mud, sticks, and other materials on top of a shallow lake bed. They were used to create agricultural land and were an important part of Aztec culture.

Answer 1

Chinampas

Question 2

The capital city of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco in what is now Mexico City.

Answer 2

Tenochtitlan

Question 3

A type of grain, also known as corn, that is widely grown around the world for use as food, livestock feed, and fuel.

Answer 3

Maize

Question 4

An Inca labor system in which citizens were required to give a certain amount of their labor or goods to the government each year. Labor could be in the form of agricultural work, military service, or providing goods or services to the government.

Answer 4

Mit’a System

Question 5

A type of communication system used by the Inca civilization of South America. It consists of a set of knotted strings, or cords, with various colors, numbers, and symbols that can be used to convey messages, record information, and pass on stories.

Answer 5

Quipo

Question 6

A type of communication system used by the Inca civilization of South America. It consists of a set of knotted strings, or cords, with various colors, numbers, and symbols that can be used to convey messages, record information, and pass on stories.

Answer 6

Machu Picchu

Question 7

A traditional agricultural technique in which land is cut into flat surfaces in order to maximize land use and conserve water. Terrace farming is often used in hilly or mountainous areas and involves terraces (platforms) along a slope that are built with stone, brick, or other materials. These terraces are designed to hold and protect soil and water, and can also be used for planting crops.

Answer 7

Terrace Farming

Question 8

A staple food crop in Europe during the 1200s to 1750s. They were a cheap and reliable source of energy and nutrition, and were easy to grow in a variety of climates. Potatoes were often boiled into stews or mashed and served as a side dish.

Answer 8

Potatoes

Question 9

An infectious disease caused by the variola virus. It is characterized by a rash and fever and can be fatal.

Answer 9

Smallpox

Question 10

Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who led expeditions to conquer the people and lands of Central and South America in the 16th and 17th centuries

Answer 10

Conquistadors

Question 11

A title given to a person who governs a country or a province in the name of the ruling monarch.

Answer 11

Viceroy

Question 12

An economic system of the 16th and 18 centuries in which governments sought to increase national wealth and power through trade by controlling export and imports and accumulating gold and silver

Answer 12

Mercantilism

Question 13

A crop grown to be sold for profit rather than for personal use

Answer 13

Cash Crops

Question 14

Traditional sugar cane mills used in Brazil to process the juice of the sugar cane into sugar or rum.

Answer 14

Engenhos

Question 15

A Spanish term used to refer to a grant of land or labor given by the Spanish government to a settler in the Americas. It typically granted the holder the right to collect tribute or labor from the local Indigenous population, in exchange for protection and the introduction of Christianity.

Answer 15

Encomienda

Question 16

A large estate or landholding in a Spanish-speaking country, typically with a large house or mansion, outbuildings, and cultivated land.

Answer 16

Hacienda

Question 17

A city in Bolivia known for its rich silver mines, which were a major source of wealth for the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. It is located in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).

Answer 17

Potosi

Question 18

A form of debt bondage in which an individual agrees to work for another person for a set period of time in return for money, food, shelter, or other types of compensation. It is a form of unfree labor, similar to slavery, but with a contractual agreement in place between the worker and employer.

Answer 18

Indentured Servitude

Question 19

A system of slavery in which people are treated as the personal property of their owners, to be bought and sold, and used for labor or other purposes.

Answer 19

Chattel Slavery

Question 20

An African spiritual practice that involves the veneration of spirits and ancestors. It is also known as Voodoo and is practiced in parts of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas.

Answer 20

Vodun

Question 21

A religious title given to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The title is based on the story of her apparition in 1531 to a poor indigenous farmer, Juan Diego, in what is now Mexico City.

Answer 21

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Question 22

A term used to describe escaped enslaved people who formed independent settlements in the Americas during the period of 1200-1750. These settlements, known as maroon communities, were often hidden in remote areas and provided a refuge for freedom seekers.

Answer 22

Maroon

Question 23

A term used to describe a rural settlement in England during the period of 1200-1750. It was typically a small village, with a few houses and a few fields, and was often populated by poor and elderly people. The residents of nannytowns were often dependent on charity and the support of their neighbors to survive.

Answer 23

Nannytown

Question 24

A type of art from Mexico and Central America that depict racial and social hierarchies during the colonial period. They typically feature full-length portraits of family members arranged in a strict hierarchy, with the most powerful members of the family at the top.

Answer 24

Casta Paintings

Question 25

A term used to describe the landmass of Europe, Africa, and Asia which form a peninsula-like shape and is separated from the rest of the continent by bodies of water. It existed from 1200 to 1750 and includes regions such as the Iberian Peninsula, the Balkans, and Anatolia.

Answer 25

Peninsular

Question 26

A language that develops from a mixture of two or more languages, often spoken in a particular region or location. It normally results from the combination of a colonial language, such as French or Spanish, with an indigenous language, such as African or Native American.

Answer 26

Creole

Question 27

A term used to refer to a person of combined European and Indigenous American descent.

Answer 27

Mestizo

Question 28

A term used to describe a person who has one white parent and one black parent.

Answer 28

Mulatto