Maya, Aztec, Inca
From which earlier culture did the Mayans develop?
Olmec
Who conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521?
Hernán Cortés.
What two tools helped sailors know their direction and location at sea?
Compass and astrolabe.
What is the movement of plants, animals, and foods between the Old and New Worlds called?
Columbian Exchange.
What economic theory said a nation’s power depended on its wealth?
Mercantilism
What was the capital of the Inca Empire?
Cuzco
Who conquered the Incan Empire?
Francisco Pizarro.
What ship was designed to sail against the wind and travel long distances?
Caravel
Name two crops that came from the Americas to Europe, Asia, or Africa.
Corn and potatoes (others: tomatoes, tobacco, cacao).
Any 2 will do.
What is it called when a country sells more goods than it buys?
Favorable balance of trade.
Why did neighboring peoples form alliances with Hernán Cortés against the Aztecs?
They resented Aztec tribute and human sacrifice.
How did Renaissance ideas encourage exploration?
They promoted curiosity, learning, and innovation.
Compare how the Maya and Aztecs used writing with the Incan method of record keeping.
Maya and Aztecs used hieroglyphics; Inca used quipu (knotted strings).
Name two foods or animals brought to the Americas from Europe, Africa, or Asia.
Horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, bananas, yams, wheat.
Any 2 will do.
Why were colonies important to European nations under mercantilism? (Give two reasons.)
Provided raw materials and served as markets for goods.
How did disease contribute to the fall of both the Aztec and Incan Empires?
Smallpox killed large portions of their populations, weakening them against Spanish conquest.
Explain two reasons why the Spanish were able to defeat the Aztec Empire despite being outnumbered.
Steel weapons, horses, and guns; alliances with Aztec enemies; smallpox weakened the population.
Why was irrigation and crop breeding important for these civilizations’ survival?
They allowed food production to support large populations.
Why were corn and potatoes especially important for people around the world?
They were cheap, nutritious, and boosted population growth.
What were two reasons Europeans believed Africans were better suited for plantation labor than Native Americans?
Immunity to disease, farming experience, unfamiliar with land, skin color made escape difficult.
How was the Incan economy different from the Maya and Aztec economies?
They practiced pastoralism with llamas and alpacas instead of relying heavily on trade.
What happened in 1453 that made European land routes to Asia more difficult?
The Ottoman takeover of Constantinople.
If the Ottoman Empire had not taken Constantinople in 1453, how might European exploration have been different?
Europeans may have kept using land routes to Asia instead of searching for sea routes, delaying overseas exploration.
Evaluate how the Columbian Exchange both benefited and harmed societies around the world.
Benefits—new crops improved diets & populations grew. Harms—diseases devastated Native Americans.
How did the Atlantic Slave Trade impact both African societies and the Americas?
Africa—families torn apart, increased warfare, population loss. Americas—labor for plantations, economic growth, foundation of slavery.