Unit 1: Topic 1 - Contextualizing Period 1 Flashcards
Contextualizing Period 1
What foods/resources made it possible for different native societies to exist?
Three Sisters - Corn, Beans, and Squash.
Corn was useful as it provided starches, beans provided protein, and squash provided vitamins.
Helped in meeting the nutrition of indigenous people and led to population growth.
Better agriculture meant more free time to specialize in other careers such as artisans, and soldiers.
Others were hunter-gatherers and relied on animals.
Who were the first people to inhabit North and South America?
The first people to inhabit North and South America came across The Bering Land Bridge, which connected Eurasia and North America. Nomadic Asian hunters came across the bridge looking for large animals as a source of food.
Give an example of native societies adapting to their environment.
Native American religion was very connected with nature and as a result, they adapted to their environment and developed a belief in animism.
Animism is the belief that plants and animals have a spiritual essence.
This belief would later cause conflict with Europeans who believe in one Christian God.
What were the three main reasons for European expansion into the Western Hemisphere?
The 3 G’s: Gold, Glory, God
Gold: European wanted new sources of wealth (trade with Asia).
Glory: After Christopher Columbus, other European societies also went on voyages to gain power & status.
God: convert native populations to Christianity
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The flow of ideas, people, plants, animals, technology, and diseases that took place because of Columbus’ discovery of the New World.
Few examples of exchange:
From New World to Old World: Squash, Corn, Potato, Tobacco, Pineapple, and Pumpkin.
From Old World to New World: Banana, Olive, Grape, and Livestock: Cattle, Pig and Horse, and Diseases: Smallpox and Influenza.
The Columbian Exchange was given its name by Historian Alfred Crosby
What were some of the effects of the Columbian Exchange?
Horses from Europe dramatically changed Native’s lives as they changed methods of hunting and warfare, modes of travel, and standards of wealth and prestige.
Diseases such as smallpox (from Europe) led to a massive population decline in Native societies as Natives didn’t have any immunity to European diseases.
Maize/corn (from America) led to a population increase in Europe.
Gold and silver extracted from the Americas created enough surplus to allow for the development of capitalism in Europe and China, which facilitated a global trading network.
Give some examples of the different views that Natives and Europeans had regarding issues such as religion, gender roles, family, land use, and power.
Land
- Natives - land was for common use and regarded it as a source of life, not as a commodity to be sold.
- Europeans - believed that the land should be tamed and should be bought and sold.
Gender Roles
- Natives - gender roles were fluid and the men and women did somewhat equal jobs.
- Europeans - men and women had very specific roles in a patriarchal system. Men generally did most of the field labor and herded livestock and women took care of children and household labor.
Trade
- Natives - trade was usually ceremonial or gift-giving.
- Europeans - more of a business transaction and a form of accumulating wealth.
What was the Reconquista?
- The “Reconquest” in which Spain fought to expel Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula
- Lasted almost 800 years (approximately 710-1492 CE)
- Encouraged Spain (and other European powers) to find a trade route to Asia that avoided the muslim-dominated Silk Road
- Religious intolerance and focus on conversion to Catholicism continues in exploration of the Americas (ex: “the 3 G’s”)
What were the three significant Mesoamerican Indian empires?
Three significant Mesoamerican Indian empires were:
- the Aztecs (Mexico)
- the Olmec(Mexico)
- the Maya (Mexico)
These cultures were known for their sophisticated art, architecture, mathematics, calendars, writing systems, and irrigation methods. Many people believe that though the Mayans knew the wheel, they didn’t use it for farming until Europeans introduced them to draft animals.
Where was Cahokia?
Cahokia was located on the banks of the Mississippi River, near modern-day St. Louis, and was characterized by massive burial mounds.
Cahokia was the largest urban concentration of Indians north of Mexico. Before it was abandoned in circa 1400 A.D., some 40,000 people were estimated to have lived there.
Explain how maize impacted the development of Native American Societies.
The spread of maize from modern-day Mexico to other parts of the Americas supported:
- Growth of economies
- New settlements
- Advanced irrigation
Increased social diversification
The reason why corn caused all of this to happen was because socities could focus less on food production and focus more on other tasks.
