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US History: American Civilization Part 1
This deck covers key concepts and historical facts about early American civilization, including the interaction between Native Americans and European explorers, cultural exchanges, and the development of societies in the New World.
why is there only six thousand years of recorded history?
because that is how old the world is
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
why is there only six thousand years of recorded history?
because that is how old the world is
two worlds collided 500 years ago, what were those two worlds
the Old and New worlds
how did the Natives first get to North America?
by a land bridge called “Beringia” that connected Siberia and Alaska
what were the Nomadic hunters following when they crossed the land bridge?
they were following the migrating animals (food)
who were the last Natives to migrate and settle down?
the Inuits (Alaskan natives)
how many languages were there in North America by 1492
there were over 54 million natives and over 2000 languages
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
why is there only six thousand years of recorded history? | because that is how old the world is |
two worlds collided 500 years ago, what were those two worlds | the Old and New worlds |
how did the Natives first get to North America? | by a land bridge called “Beringia” that connected Siberia and Alaska |
what were the Nomadic hunters following when they crossed the land bridge? | they were following the migrating animals (food) |
who were the last Natives to migrate and settle down? | the Inuits (Alaskan natives) |
how many languages were there in North America by 1492 | there were over 54 million natives and over 2000 languages |
what crop changed the Nomadic lifestyle of the Natives? | maize (corn). they could finally settle down and grow their own food |
what were the three largest civilizations? | Inca - Peru; Aztec - Mexico; Mayans - Central America |
what were the “three sister crops”? | beans, maize and squash |
what were the two oldest groups in the USA | 1. the Anasazi - the “ancient ones”; 2. the Mound Builders - Mississippians |
5 Major groups (Regions) of Native Americans | 1. Northwest - Walla Walla, Nez Pierce; - totem pole (family history) - potlach (gift giving) 2. Southwest - Pueblo, Navaho, Apache - Kachina (spirits); 3. Plains - Sioux, Cheyenne - Mandela (spirit shield) - dream catchers 4. Eastern Woodland/Great Lakes - Iroquis, Mohican, Erie - peace pipe (passport, treaty) - Matriarchal; 5. Southeastern - Cherokee, Seminole - corn festival |
what the colonists left behind in Europe | royal authority, official religion, and social hierarchies |
ideals the colonists cherished in the New World | individual liberty, self-government, religious tolerance and economic opportunity |
what was the religion of the Native Americans? the one thing that they all shared | Animism - spirit worship (ancestors) + nature |
the major deities of Animism | Great Spirit - universal god/being
Father Sky - Creator
Mother Earth - sustainer of life |
name for the medical men/priests | shamans |
who were the first Europeans to step foot on American soil? | the Vikings (Norse) - Leif Erikson |
what four things sparked the Age of Exploration? | 1. Marco Polo’s travels - discovered exotic goods (spices, perfumes, tea, etc); 2. Crusades - hope to restore the Holy Land to Christendom and spread Christianity 3. Trade - open up new and less expensive trade routes 4. the rise of absolute monarchs in Europe |
who were the first explorers and who led them? | it was the Portuguese led by Henry the Navigator |
two Portuguese explorers: | 1. Bartholomew Dias - first to go around Africa; 2. Vasco de Gama - first to reach the Indies by going around Africa |
Spain monarchs of the time | Ferdinand and Isabella |
good things to come out of Christopher Columbus’ discovery | 1. greatest nation in history was created; 2. spread of Christianity; 3. opportunity for settlement; 4. world trade; 5. improved the standard of life for some |
controversial side of Columbus’ discovery | 1. European diseases; 2. introduction of slave labor; 3. the Americas natural resources were exploited |
three different continents were brought together that all supplied different things to the economic system. what were those things? | 1. Europe - provided markets and capital (money); 2. Africa - labor force; 3. Americas - raw materials |
what was the Columbian exchange? | exchange of plants, animals, microbes, and people between the old and new worlds |
things introduced to the Europeans by the Americans: | tobacco, corn, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, sugar, chocolate |
things introduced to the Americans by the Europeans: | livestock: cattle, pigs, and HORSES |
Native American way of life: | property/status - land was "communal" and gift giving led to high status (Egalitarian society); gender roles - men hunted and fished (fought), women farmed (actually had rights);
religion: Pagan - many gods and spirits/ancestors |
the Europeans thought the Native Americans were… | uncivilized brutes or noble savages |
European way of life: | property/status - land was individually owned + to be exploited. acquiring land and wealth led to a high status; gender roles - patriarchal: men owned businesses and had all the power and rights; religion - one God (Christian) |