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Early American History Study Guide

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CHAPTER 1: NEW WORLD BEGINNINGS 
Ice Age exposed land bridge between Eurasia + America that allowed nomadic hunters (Siberia) to cross; when Ice 
Age ended, sea level rose, land bridge buried. 
What were some of the native tribes and how did they flourish? Aztecs (Mexico), Incas (Peru) - thrived on agriculture 
(esp. maize, corn); Pueblo people (Rio Grande) - irrigation systems for cornfields; Anasazis - corn cultivation 
Discuss the wide range of levels of development of various native groups. Pueblo people - complex irrigation 
systems; Iroquois Confederacy - developed military; Cahokia, Anasazi settlements - lesser population, declined 
significantly by 1300 
motives for European exploration: sought direct route to East Indies (indirect transportation of Eastern goods = 
expensive, travels of Marco Polo were legendary) 
How were the Europeans finally prompted into Africa? Sought new route to East, tried to sail south along Africa, but 
prevented by winds - eventually, Portuguese managed to establish trading ports along Western African coast with 
help of caravels 
What did Europeans (esp. Portuguese) seek in Africa? gold, slaves (work on sugar plantations; became major 
business in fifteenth + sixteenth centuries) 
Series of explorations around end of fifteenth century, including those by Vasco da Gama, Bartholomew Dias, 
Christopher Columbus 
As Spain began to take part in overseas conquest, the Spaniards and Portuguese established the Treaty of 
Tordesillas in which Spain lay claim to all of Columbus’s discoveries 
Europe adopted mercantilism through triangular trade between Africa, Europe, colonies 
Describe the Columbian exchange. Series of effects of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. Europeans brought Old 
World crops + animals to New World, planted sugar (esp. West Indies), accidentally brought disease (smallpox, 
jaundice, malaria, etc.) to Native Americans.  
In what ways did the natives try to resist the advancing Europeans? Spiritual resistance - tainted European bread with 
blood, unknowingly ended up introducing syphilis to Europe; direct combat - noche triste, Battle of Acoma, Pope’s 
Rebellion (all largely unsuccessful) 
Europeans engaged various methods of forcing natives to submission (ex. encomienda, noche triste) 
Columbian exchange impacted not only Spanish and natives - drew English into rush for colonization (sent John 
Cabot) 
What was the Black Legend? Criticism of Spanish conquest exaggerated Spanish brutality towards the natives 
   

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TERMS

Canadian Shield: first North American landmass above sea level

Aztecs: Mexico-based tribe that was well-known for a territory structured much like a nation-state, ultimately

conquered by Cortes

Incas: Peru-based tribe that was ultimately conquered by Pizarro

maize: crop similar to corn

Anasazis: southwestern tribe

Iroquois Confederacy: “military” union of a series of tribes, originated by the Iroquois

Cahokia: Mississippian settlement of Native Americans

Marco Polo: European explorer who allegedly reached Eastern Asia, returned with stories describing value + glory of

East

caravel: ship invented by Portuguese that could sail into wind

Vasco da Gama: ultimately reached India, 1498

Bartholomew Dias: rounded southern tip of Africa, 1488

Christopher Columbus: credited with discovery of the Americas on behalf of Spain

Treaty of Tordesillas: treaty between Spain and Portugal dividing the colonies

mercantilism: economic system in which all financial transactions are for the purposes of amassing bullion for the

nation as a whole, not for individual gain

Columbian exchange: series of impacts of Columbus’s arrival in Americas on the world

noche triste: legendary attack by the Aztecs on the Spaniards which nearly drove out the settlers until eventually laid

siege to Tenochtitlan

Battle of Acoma: battle between natives and Spaniards after which one foot of each surviving Native American was

severed - display of brutality

Pope’s Rebellion: Pueblo people burned down every Spanish Catholic church in protest of being forced to convert,

eventually crushed

encomienda: system in which natives were “commended” to settlers, forced into labor + conversion

John Cabot: explorer sent by England to northeast US

Black Legend: series of criticisms that exaggerated brutality of Spaniards towards Native Americans

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CHAPTER 1: NEW WORLD BEGINNINGS Ice Age exposed land bridge between Eurasia + America that allowed nomadic hunters (Siberia) to cross; when Ice Age ended, sea level rose, land bridge buried. What were some of the native tribes and how did they flourish? Aztecs (Mexico), Incas (Peru) - thrived on agriculture (esp. maize, corn); Pueblo people (Rio Grande) - irrigation systems for cornfields; Anasazis - corn cultivation Discuss the wide range of levels of development of various native groups. Pueblo people - complex irrigation systems; Iroquois Confederacy - developed military; Cahokia, Anasazi settlements - lesser population, declined significantly by 1300 motives for European exploration: sought direct route to East Indies (indirect transportation of Eastern goods = expensive, travels of Marco Polo were legendary) How were the Europeans finally prompted into Africa? Sought new route to East, tried to sail south along Africa, but prevented by winds - eventually, Portuguese managed to establish trading ports along Western African coast with help of caravels What did Europeans (esp. Portuguese) seek in Africa? gold, slaves (work on sugar plantations; became major business in fifteenth + sixteenth centuries) Series of explorations around end of fifteenth century, including those by Vasco da Gama, Bartholomew Dias, Christopher Columbus As Spain began to take part in overseas conquest, the Spaniards and Portuguese established the Treaty of Tordesillas in which Spain lay claim to all ...
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Tags: Early American History Planting of English America Northern colonies American Life in The Seventeenth Century colonial society