Columbian exchange
Definition?
transfer of plants, animals, people and diseases between the old and new world
How did trade networks function among Native American groups?
Extensive trade routes allowed exchange of goods, ideas, and culture across regions.
What was the encomienda system?
A system where Spaniards forced Native Americans to work in exchange for protection and conversion.
How did Europeans and Native Americans initially interact?
Through trade, alliances, and sometimes conflict.
What technological advancements made exploration possible?
The compass, astrolabe, and improved ships like the caravel.
What goods were transferred from america back to europe
Crops like maize, potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco.
What were the main characteristics of societies in the Eastern Woodlands?
They practiced agriculture (corn, beans, squash), lived in permanent villages, and had complex political systems.
Why did African slavery expand in the Americas?
Native populations declined and Africans were seen as a stable labor source.
What caused conflicts between Native Americans and Europeans?
Competition over land and resources.
Why did Spain lead early exploration efforts?
Strong monarchy, desire for wealth, and competition with Portugal.
What animals were introduced to the Americas?
Horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep.
How did environmental factors influence the development of Native American societies before European contact?
Geography and climate shaped how societies lived. For example, tribes in the Southwest (like the Pueblo) developed irrigation and permanent settlements, while those in the Great Plains relied on hunting (especially bison) and were more nomadic. Access to resources determined diet, housing, and social structures.
What was chattel slavery?
A system where enslaved people were treated as property for life
How did Christianity spread in the Americas?
Through missionaries and forced conversions.
What role did religion play in exploration?
Europeans aimed to spread Christianity, especially Catholicism.
How did disease impact Native Americans?
Diseases like smallpox caused massive population decline.
What role did kinship play in Native American societies?
Kinship determined social structure, inheritance, and political leadership.
How did plantation economies develop?
Large-scale farming of cash crops like sugar required intensive labor.
What were the effects of cultural exchange?
Blending of traditions, languages, and practices.
How did the Reconquista influence Spanish exploration?
It fostered a spirit of conquest and religious expansion.
What was the environmental impact of the Columbian Exchange?
It altered ecosystems through new species and farming practices.
how did the societies of the Southwest differ from those in the Great plains
southwest->settled farming, adobe homes
Great Plains->nomadic, tipis, buffalo-based economy
What role did the Atlantic slave trade play?
It transported millions of Africans to the Americas for forced labor.
How did European colonization impact Native American societies?
Loss of land, population decline, and cultural disruption.
How did Spain´s goal in the New World differ from those of france and the netherlands
Spain->conquest, gold, large empires
French/Dutch->trade (fur), fewer settlers