Module 9 European contact Flashcards
What year did Christopher Columbus first make contact with Native Americans?
1492
What was Columbus searching for when he landed on Hispaniola?
A westward ocean route to the affluent markets of Asia
What title was Columbus given by Ferdinand and Isabella?
Admiral of the Ocean Sea
What were the names of Columbus’s three ships?
- Niña
- Pinta
- Santa Maria
What was the first Spanish settlement in the New World?
La Navidad
What happened to the Spanish colony at La Navidad by Columbus’s return in 1493?
It had been destroyed, and the Spanish left there were dead
What territory did New Spain encompass?
- The Caribbean
- Mexico
- Central America
- Northern portions of South America
What was the encomienda system?
A system that granted a conquistador the right to demand tribute in the form of labor from a group of natives
How did the encomienda system affect Native Americans?
It became a form of communal slavery despite its theoretical protections
What was one of the major contributions of the Colombian Exchange?
The introduction of new plants, animals, tools, and diseases between Europe and the Americas
What animal was notably introduced to the Americas by Europeans?
The horse
Which crops originated in the Americas and were brought back to Europe?
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Cacao (Chocolate)
- Maple Syrup
What diseases devastated the Native American population after European contact?
- Smallpox
- Measles
- Mumps
What percentage of the Native American population is estimated to have died due to European diseases?
90% to 95%
What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?
An agreement that established Spanish rule over the territory west of an imaginary line in the Atlantic
Who were the two primary seafaring nations involved in the New World claims?
- Spain
- Portugal
What did Hernando Cortes accomplish between 1519 and 1521?
He conquered Mexico
What was the primary motivation for the Spanish exploration of North America?
Search for wealth, particularly the fabled cities of gold
Fill in the blank: The process of exchange that occurred between the Americas and Europe is known as the _______.
Columbian Exchange
True or False: The Spanish explorers understood the concept of germs and diseases.
False
