Period 1 (1492-1607) Flashcards
(35 cards)
What is the historical context for the diverse Native American cultures in the 1490’s?
The different geography and climate across the Americas
What is the historical context for European exploration in the Americas from 1490-early 1600s?
- Finding trade routes to Asia
- Gold/silver mines
- Fur trading
- Plantations
What is the historical context for the interactions between Native Americans and Europeans in the period 1490-1607?
Europeans depended on Natives and enslaved Africans for labor
Maya
Located: Yucatan Peninsula
Food supply: Maize
Aztecs
Location: Tenochtitlan (the capital)
Food supply: Maize
- Size of a large European city
- POWERFUL EMPIRE!!!
Incas
Location: Modern day Peru
Food Supply: Potatoes
- Vast empire
What were some similarities between the Maya, Aztecs and Incas?
- Observed different calendars
- Extensive trade
- Highly organized societies
- Stable food supplies
What 3 motives prompted European exploration?
- Glory (fame and authority)
- God (religion)
- Gold (economy)
Protestant Reformation
A religious movement to break up the Catholic church which lead to religious conflict
- Also motivated to spread religion
Slave Trade
The Porteguese began trading for slaves in western Africa when sailing to the new world
Why? ~ Slaves were used as workers in western Africa for sugar plantations (very profitable)
Line of Demarcation
There were disagreements between Spain and Porteguese on what part of the Americas they will claim SO the Pope “drew” a vertical north to south line to settle that
Spain-> left side
Portugal-> right side
Treaty of Tordesillas
In 1494, the Spanish/Porteguese signed an agreement to shift the Line of Demarcation to the west, this was called the Treaty of Tordesillas
What technology was created in the Renaissance?
Explosives, compass and printing press
Compass
- Invented by Arab merchants / Chinese
- Motivated more exploration and better navigation
Printing Press
Aided the spread of knowledge in Europe / world
Who was Chrsitopher Columbus and what did he do?
- Sailed west from Spain (Canary Islands to the Bahamas) looking for a sea trade route to Asia but he instead discovered the Americas
- Following voyages had little success (little gold, spices and no path to Asia)
Columbian Exchange
The trade of various goods, livestock and diseases from Europe to the Americas and vice versa
Nation-States
Various European nations combined into bigger “countries” in order to find more valuable resources to trade to make themselves more notable to the Chruch
(Ex: Castile and Aragon –> Spain)
What did King Ferninand and Queen Isabella do after the Catholic Victory in Europe?
Ferninand and Isabella married to unite the Spanish empire which lead to them funding Columbus’ first voyage (at the time they didn’t know this would also lead to the discovery of the Americas)
Conquistadores
They were Spanish adventurers explorers and conquerors
Hernan Cortes
A conquistador who took over the Aztecs in Mexico
Fransisco Pizarro
A conquistador who took over the Incas in Peru
- He loaded ships with gold/silver back to Spain (Spain became the richest and most powerful empire)
- This encouraged other countries to go to the Americas
Encomienda System
Spain’s King granted natives who lived alone to the Spaniards
- He forced them to farm/work in mines and what they cultivated was given to the Spanish
Asiento System
The Spanish required colonists to pay a tax to Spanish King on each enslaved person
