Chapter 1 Flashcards
This deck is designed to allow you to better understand Chapter 1 of AMSCO.
In how many developed civilizations was the Central and South American native population (before Columbus) concentrated? Name them.
Three;
Mayas (AD 300-800)
Aztecs (several years after the Mayas)
Incas (the same time as Aztecs)
What is the capital of the Aztec empire, and how many residents did it house?
Tenochtitlan;
200,000 (equal to populations of the largest cities of Europe at the time)
While the Aztecs dominated Central and South America, who dominated South America?
The Incas (based in Peru)
What were three notable similarities between the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas?
All three civilizations…
Developed high organized societies;
Carried on an extensive trade;
And created calendars that were based on accurate scientific observations
What crops did the Mayas and Aztecs cultivate for a stable food supply?
Corn (maize)
What crop did the Incas cultivate for a stable food supply?
Potatoes
Were the native populations in what is now the United States and Canada smaller and less sophisticated than those in Central and South America? Why?
Yes;
Because the cultivation of maize spread northward very slowly from Mexico
Describe the by-Columbus’-time lifestyle of the native residents of what is now the United States and Canada.
They lived in semipermanent settlements in groups of about 300 people.
The men made tools and hunted for game.
The women gathered plants and nuts or green crops, such as corn (maize), beans, and tobacco.
Describe the diversity in language in North America.
American Indian languages made up more than 20 language families; together, these 20 families included more than 400 distinct languages.
(Goes to show how local and disconnected the tribes were)
Describe the lifestyle of the Southwest settlements of native North America.
They evolved multifaceted societies supported by farming with irrigation systems.
In large numbers, they lived in caves and multistoried buildings.
Why were native settlements in North America so different?
Different lifestyles arose from different environments.
Name some Southwest settlements in North America.
Hokokam, Anasazi, and Pueblos
Describe the lifestyles of the native Northwest settlements.
(NOTE: Northwest = modern-day Alaska and northern California)
They lived in permanent longhouses/plank houses.
They had a rich diet through their hunting, fishing, and gathering nuts, berries, and roots.
They carved large totem poles to preserve their stories.
They were separated by high mountains, which led to barried to collective development.
What are the two categories of the native Great Plains settlements?
Nomadic hunters and sedentary people who farmed and traded
What were the nomadic tribes dependent on?
Mainly buffalo, which supplied their food, decor, crafting tools, knives, and clothing
What did the nomadic tribes live in?
Tepees, which could be easily disassembled and transported
Describe the lifestyle of the sedentary tribes.
They lived permanently in earthen lodges, often along rivers.
They raised corn (maize), brans, and squash.
They traded actively with other tribes.
When did the American Indians acquire horses? What effects did this have?
17th century;
This allowed some tribes, like the Lakota Sioux, to move from farmers to hunters (since they could easily follow the buffalo).
Describe the lifestyle of the native Midwest settlements.
(NOTE: Midwest = east of the Mississippi River)
The Woodland American Indians prospered with a rich food supply supported by hunting, fishing, and agriculture.
Many of them were permanent settlements.
Name some examples of native Midwest settlements.
The Adena-Hopewell culture and the Cahokia
Describe the origins of the native Northeast Settlement.
Some descendants of the Adena-Hopewell culture in the Ohio Valley moved to New York, where they established a culture combining hunting and farming. Their farming techniques, however, exhausted the soul, so they had to move to fresh land.
Name a popular American Indian Northeast group.
The Iroquois Confederation, a political union of five tribes residing in the Mohawk Valley of New York.
Describe the lifestyles of the native Atlantic Seaboard settlements.
(NOTE: Atlantic Seaboard= New Jersey south to Florida)
They were descendants of the Woodland mound builders.
They built timber and bark lodgings along rivers.
They got their food from the rivers and the Atlantic Ocean.
What was happening in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries?
A rebirth of classical learning prompted an outburst of artistic and scientific activity known as the Renaissance
How were technological advancements made during the Renaissance?
Basically just Europeans making improvements in the inventions of others
Name the noteworthy innovations and inventions of the Europeans during the Renaissance.
- Use of gunpowder (invented by the Chinese)
- The sailing compass (adopted from Arab merchants who learned about it from the Chinese)
- Shipbuilding and mapmaking
- The printing press
Explain the Catholic Victory in Spain. (Part 1)
In the 8th century, Islamic invaders known as the Moors conquered large portions of what is now Spain. Over the next several centuries, Spanish Christians reconquered this land and established independent kingdoms.
Explain the Catholic Victory in Spain. (Part 2)
In 1469, Isabella, queen of Castile, married Ferdinand, queen of Aragon, thus uniting two of the largest kingdoms in Spain. In 1492, Spain conquered Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, and launched Columbus’s first voyage.
Why was the uniting of Spain under Isabella and Ferdinand, the conquest of Granada, and the launching of Columbus important?
It signaled new leadership, hope, and power for Christian Europeans.
Explain the Protestant Revolt in Northern Europe. (Part 1)
Certain Christians in Germany, England, France, Holland, and other northern European countries revolted against the authority of the pope. This event was known as the Protestant Reformation.
Explain the Protestant Revolt in Northern Europe. (Part 2)
This conflict caused the Catholics of Spain and Portugal and the Protestants of England and Holland to want to spread their own versions of Christianity elsewhere, incentivizing them to explore and colonize.
Explain the economic motives behind European exploration.
Exploration grew out of fierce competition among Europeans kingdoms for increased trade with Africa, India, and China. Merchants would usually travel on an overland route from Venice and Constantinople to China, but this route became blocked when the Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople in 1453.
What were the new route opportunities the Europeans looked at?
The Europeans looked at sailing either south along the West African coast and then east to China or sailing west across the Atlantic. The Portuguese, who realized that the former was shorter, sponsored Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator, who succeeded in opening a new trade route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
