Period 1 (1491 - 1607)

Question 1

Bering

Answer 1

The land bridge that connected Asia to North America during the last Ice Age, allowing the migration of early humans into the Americas around 15,000 years ago

Question 2

Hohokam, Anasazi, and Pueblos

Answer 2

These were advanced Native American cultures in the Southwest. The Hohokam were known for their irrigation systems, the Anasazi for their cliff dwellings, and the Pueblos for their multi-story adobe houses

Question 3

Adena-Hopewell

Answer 3

These are mound-building cultures in the Eastern Woodlands, known for their burial mounds and earthworks, which were prominent around 1000 BCE to 500 CE

Question 4

Mayas

Answer 4

A highly advanced Mesoamerican civilization known for its sophisticated writing system, architecture, and astronomical knowledge, flourishing from around 250 to 900 CE in present-day Mexico and Central America

Question 5

Aztecs

Answer 5

An empire located in central Mexico, known for its complex social structure, religious practices, and the capital city of Tenochtitlan. They were at their height during the early 16th century

Question 6

Incas

Answer 6

A powerful civilization in South America, primarily in modern-day Peru, known for their extensive road systems, agriculture, and impressive architectural feats, including Machu Picchu

Question 6

Maize

Answer 6

A staple crop for many Native American societies, maize (corn) was vital for sustenance and agricultural development in both North and Central America

Question 7

Algonquian

Answer 7

A large group of Native American tribes in the Northeast, characterized by their semi-nomadic lifestyle, reliance on fishing and hunting, and the use of the wigwam as housing

Question 8

Siouan

Answer 8

A linguistic family that includes various tribes in the Great Plains, known for their buffalo-hunting cultures and semi-nomadic lifestyles

Question 9

Longhouses

Answer 9

Large communal dwellings used by some Native American groups in the Northeast, particularly the Iroquois, made from wood and bark and housing multiple families

Question 10

Iroquois Confederation

Answer 10

A political alliance of five (later six) Native American tribes in the Northeast, known for their sophisticated governance and influence on later democratic ideas in the U.S

Question 11

Woodland Mound Builders

Answer 11

Various cultures in the Eastern Woodlands who constructed earth mounds for ceremonial and burial purposes, such as the Adena and Hopewell

Question 12

Atlantic Trade

Answer 12

The trade networks that developed between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, facilitating the exchange of goods, including enslaved people and raw materials

Question 13

Gunpowder

Answer 13

A technological advancement that enhanced military capabilities during the Age of Exploration, contributing to European conquests

Question 14

Sailing Compass

Answer 14

A navigational tool that improved maritime exploration, allowing European explorers to navigate open seas more effectively

Question 15

Printing Press

Answer 15

Invented by Johannes Gutenberg, it facilitated the spread of information and ideas, including religious and political texts, significantly impacting European society during the Reformation

Question 16

Isabella and Ferdinand

Answer 16

The Catholic Monarchs of Spain whose marriage unified Spain and sponsored Columbus’s 1492 voyage, leading to the European discovery of the Americas

Question 17

Christopher Colombus

Answer 17

An Italian explorer who in 1492, under Spanish patronage, completed four voyages across the Atlantic, mistakenly believing he had found a new route to Asia but instead encountering the Americas, initiating widespread contact between the Old and New Worlds

Question 18

Henry the Navigator

Answer 18

A Portuguese prince who played a key role in the early days of the Portuguese Empire, promoting exploration and the study of navigation in the 15th century

Question 19

Treaty of Tordesillas

Answer 19

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between them, with the line of demarcation established in the Atlantic

Question 20

Roanoke Island

Answer 20

The site of the first English attempt to establish a colony in the New World in 1585, which mysteriously disappeared, known as the “Lost Colony”

Question 21

Protestant Reformation

Answer 21

A 16th-century religious movement that challenged Catholic Church authority and influenced European attitudes toward colonization and religious missions

Question 22

Nation-states

Answer 22

Political entities characterized by defined borders and centralized governments that emerged in Europe during the late 15th and early 16th centuries

Question 23

Horses

Answer 23

Introduced by Europeans, horses transformed Native American cultures, particularly the Plains tribes, enhancing their mobility and hunting capabilities

Question 24

Diseases

Answer 24

European colonization brought new diseases to the Americas, to which Native populations had no immunity, resulting in significant population declines

Question 25

Smallpox and Measles

Answer 25

Contagious diseases that devastated Native American populations after contact with Europeans, contributing to the dramatic decline of indigenous societies

Question 26

Capitalism

Answer 26

An economic system that began to develop in Europe during this period, characterized by private ownership and investment in trade and industry, shaping colonial economies

Question 27

Encomienda

Answer 27

A Spanish labor system that granted colonists the right to demand labor from indigenous people in exchange for protection and Christianization

Question 28

Asiento

Answer 28

A system established by Spain for the importation of enslaved Africans to the Americas, marking the beginning of large-scale African slavery in the New World

Question 29

Conquistadores

Answer 29

Explorers and conquerors who were significant in the colonization of the Americas, often driven by the pursuit of wealth and glory

Question 30

Hernán Cortés

Answer 30

A Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521, claiming Mexico for Spain

Question 31

Francisco Pizarro

Answer 31

Spanish conquistador known for his conquest of the Inca Empire in the 1530s, greatly expanding Spanish territory in South America

Question 32

Slave Trade

Answer 32

The forced transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas, which became a significant part of the Atlantic economy and impacted demographics and society

Question 33

Middle Passage

Answer 33

The horrific sea journey taken by enslaved Africans from West Africa to the Americas, marked by brutal conditions and high mortality rates

Question 34

New Laws of 1542

Answer 34

Regulations from the Spanish crown aimed at protecting indigenous peoples from exploitation and abuse in the Americas, limiting the encomienda system, though enforcement was often weak

Question 35

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Answer 35

A Spanish Dominican friar and missionary who advocated for the rights of Native Americans and criticized the encomienda system

Question 36

Valladolid Debate

Answer 36

A debate in 1550-1551 in Spain over the treatment of indigenous peoples in the Americas, involving figures like Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, exploring the morality of colonization

Question 37

Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda

Answer 37

A Spanish philosopher who justified the colonization and enslavement of indigenous peoples, arguing they were natural slaves. He debated Bartolomé de Las Casas on indigenous rights