Civilizations
What civilization built Machu Picchu?
The Inca
Which region of North America is known for its deserts and dry climate?
The Southwest
What is climate?
The long-term pattern of weather in an area.
Who were the Indigenous peoples of the Americas?
The original peoples and their descendants who lived in the Americas before European colonization.
What happened when early peoples migrated into the Americas?
People settled in different environments and developed diverse societies.
Which civilization developed a writing system using hieroglyphs?
The Maya
Which region included peoples such as the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)?
The Northeast Woodlands
Which climate is generally associated with the Arctic region?
Extremely cold, with long winters
Which Indigenous civilization was known for developing an advanced calendar system and using hieroglyphic writing?
The Maya.
What major change allowed many early societies to establish permanent settlements?
The development of agriculture.
Which civilization built its capital, Tenochtitlan, on an island in Lake Texcoco?
The Aztec
Which region was home to many nomadic bison-hunting peoples?
The Great Plains
Why was irrigation important to Southwest farming communities?
It supplied water to crops in dry areas.
What name is often used for the alliance of originally five, later six, Indigenous nations in the Northeast?
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy
What happened to Tenochtitlan in 1521?
Spanish and allied Indigenous forces captured the city.
What was the capital of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochtitlan
Which region is known for its totem poles, fishing, and large cedar houses?
The Northwest
How did the environment influence housing among Indigenous peoples? Give two examples.
Examples: Plains tipis, Southwest adobe homes, Northwest Coast cedar plank houses
Who was the Aztec ruler when Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519?
Moctezuma II
What happened to the Inca Empire during the Spanish conquest in the 1530s?
Spanish forces and Indigenous allies overthrew Inca imperial rule.
How did the Inca govern and communicate across their vast mountain empire? Name two methods.
Road networks, runners/messengers, and quipu recordkeeping
What environmental feature helped support farming and permanent villages in parts of the Southwest?
Rivers and irrigation water
How did the Andes Mountains affect Inca agriculture?
The Inca used terraces and irrigation to farm steep mountain slopes.
What was the role of a sachem in some Northeastern Indigenous societies?
A leader or chief, often responsible for political decisions and diplomacy.
What were two major consequences of European contact for Indigenous peoples?
Examples: devastating epidemics, warfare, displacement, colonization, and cultural change.