Key vocabulary
Define civilization
Culture including cities, governments, social classes, and record keeping
What were two ways the first Americans may have arrived from Asia?
Landbridge or Coastal route theory (boat)
How does geography influence culture?
people have to adapt to the conditions of their environment
What was the purpose of the crusades?
To gain control of the Holy land, Palestine (Israel)
What did Columbus report regarding the Taino people he had encountered?
Promised they could be easily converted to Christianity or used as slaves
Define culture region
A region in which people share a similar way of life
What did people begin to do that led to permanent settlements?
Farming
How did Hohokam people adapt to their physical environment?
They built a network of ditches to irrigate the desert
List one important invention of the Renaissance period
Moveable type
What was the first Spanish colony in the Americas?
Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola
Define renaissance
burst of learning and technological innovation in Europe
How did the Maya modify their environment to grow food?
Cleared rainforests and drained swamps to create farmland
What was the purpose of the Iroquois League?
To limit conflict between the five nations and create an alliance working towards a common goal
What happened as a direct result of feudalism?
warfare declined and trade began to grow
What were the goals of Spanish exploration?
Wealth, gold and silver, spread Christianity, and colonization
Define circumnavigate
to sail completely around the world
How did the Inca modify their environment to grow food?
Created terraces out of mountainsides to farm
What were the common themes of religion among early American Indian groups?
Connection to nature, prayers/ceremonies, honoring spirits, and beliefs related to food
What connected West and North Africa?
trade routes
What is one consequence of the Columbian exchange?
Farming, mining, and disease changed the physical environment and killed many American Indians. Slavery.
Define Columbian exchange
exchange of animals, plants, humans, diseases, food, government, and technology
What did early civilization study, and how did it relate to farming?
Studied astrology (stars, sun, moon), it allowed them to track season changes and more accurately decide when to grow or harvest crops
How did mound builders exhibit complex religion?
They built mounds to bury their dead
What allowed trade across Europe, Africa, and Asia to occur?
Improvements in travel, shipbuilding, etc.
What is one positive consequence of the Columbian exchange?
Voyages brought together continents that previously had no contact