An explorer who landed in the Bahamas in 1492 while seeking a route to Asia.
Who was Christopher Columbus?
Who did Columbus encounter in the Caribbean?
The taino people.
What was the capital of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochtitlan
Where was the Inca Empire located?
Along the Andes Mountains in South America
What was the deadliest factor affecting Indigenous populations?
European diseases
A Spanish conquistador who encountered the Aztec Empire in 1519.
Hernan Cortes
Why did conflict develop between Columbus and the Taino?
Columbus wanted gold, established forced labor, and demanded tribute.
What advantages did the Spanish have over the Aztecs?
Weapons, horses, military tactics, and Indigenous allies.
What weakened the Inca Empire before Pizarro arrived?
A civil war between Atahualpa and Huascar
When did the last independent Maya city fall?
1697
The Aztec emperor who initially welcomed Cortés.
Moctezuma II
What caused the dramatic decline of the Taino population?
Disease, violence, and forced labor
When did the Aztec Empire fall?
1521.
What happened to Atahualpa?
Pizarro captured and executed him
What was one major similarity among the Spanish conquests?
Disease, military advantages, Indigenous allies, and forced labor systems helped the Spanish conquer Indigenous peoples.
A Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire.
Francisco Pizarro
What European disease devastated Indigenous peoples?
Small Pox
What happened to Aztec religion after the Spanish conquest?
Indigenous religions were suppressed and Christianity was imposed.
How were the Maya different from the Aztecs and Incas?
The Maya lived in separate city-states rather than one empire.
How did European exploration and conquest change the Americas?
It caused population decline, cultural changes, and the creation of Spanish colonies.