Early Migration & Civilizations
What land bridge did early peoples use to cross from Asia to North America?
Beringia
What is a push factor?
Something that makes people leave their home (like war or famine)
What year did Christopher Columbus first reach the Americas?
1492
What is a mission?
A settlement where priests tried to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The exchange of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old World and the New World
Name one reason early people migrated to new lands.
Search for food or better climate/resources
What is a pull factor?
Something that attracts people to a new place (like fertile land or safety)
What were the Three G’s of Spanish exploration?
Gold, God, and Glory
What is an encomienda?
A system where Spanish settlers could make Indigenous people work for them
Name one crop that went from the Americas to Europe.
Potatoes, corn, tomatoes, or tobacco
What development allowed early people to build permanent settlements?
Farming/agriculture
Give one example of a push factor for early migration.
Climate change or lack of food
Who conquered the Aztec Empire?
Hernán Cortés
What is a hacienda?
A large Spanish farm or estate
Name one animal that came from Europe to the Americas.
Horses, pigs, or cattle
Name one major civilization in the Americas before Columbus.
Maya, Aztec, or Inca
Give one example of a pull factor for early civilizations.
Fertile soil, good climate, resources
Who conquered the Inca Empire?
Francisco Pizarro
Who was at the top of the social hierarchy in Spanish colonies?
Peninsulares (people born in Spain)
How did the Columbian Exchange affect Europe’s diet?
New foods improved nutrition and population growth
Explain how geography affected the way early peoples lived.
They adapted to their environments—e.g., farming, hunting, building homes with local materials
How do push and pull factors still influence migration today?
People move for jobs, safety, and opportunity, just like early humans
Explain one positive and one negative effect of Spanish exploration.
Positive: new goods exchanged; Negative: diseases, loss of Indigenous culture
How did Spanish colonization change Indigenous culture?
Introduced new religion, language, and labor systems; destroyed native traditions
How did European diseases affect Indigenous populations?
Killed millions; some communities were wiped out entirely