Glossary
1491
A symbolic date representing the period before Christopher Columbus's arrival, acknowledging the existence of complex and diverse Native American societies across the Americas.
Example:
Studying the Americas in 1491 reveals a continent teeming with advanced civilizations like the Inca and Aztec, not an empty wilderness awaiting European discovery.
1607
The year the Jamestown settlement was founded, marking the establishment of the first permanent English colony in North America.
Example:
The founding of Jamestown in 1607 signaled the beginning of sustained English colonization efforts in North America, setting the stage for future conflicts and cultural exchanges.
Bering Land Bridge
A prehistoric landmass that connected Asia and North America, allowing nomadic hunters to migrate into the Americas during the last Ice Age.
Example:
Early humans likely crossed the Bering Land Bridge following herds of megafauna, eventually populating the vast continents of North and South America.
Cahokia
A major Mississippian settlement near present-day St. Louis, which was one of the largest and most complex pre-Columbian urban centers in North America.
Example:
The impressive earth mounds and large population of Cahokia demonstrate the advanced organizational and architectural capabilities of pre-Columbian Native American civilizations.
Columbian Exchange
The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas (the New World) and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Example:
The Columbian Exchange introduced horses to the Americas, transforming Native American hunting practices, while potatoes from the Americas became a staple crop in Europe.
Contextualization
Understanding the historical setting, events, and ideas that surround and influence a particular event or development.
Example:
To understand the American Revolution, one must consider the broader context of Enlightenment ideas and British imperial policies, which provides the contextualization for the colonists' grievances.
Disease (Impact of European Arrival)
The devastating effect of Old World pathogens, such as smallpox and measles, on Native American populations who lacked immunity.
Example:
The primary reason for the drastic decline in Native American populations after 1492 was the introduction of European disease, which wiped out entire communities.
Divergent Worldviews
The fundamental differences in beliefs, values, and societal norms between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans that led to conflict and misunderstanding during early encounters.
Example:
Conflicts over land ownership often stemmed from divergent worldviews, as Europeans believed in private property while many Native American groups viewed land as communal.
Enslavement (of Africans)
The forced transportation and subjugation of millions of Africans to the Americas, primarily to provide labor for European colonies after Native American populations declined.
Example:
The brutal system of enslavement of Africans became a cornerstone of the colonial economy, particularly in the plantation systems of the Caribbean and the American South.
European Arrival
The period beginning with Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas, initiating sustained contact between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Example:
The European Arrival in the Americas profoundly reshaped global trade routes and led to unprecedented demographic and environmental changes.
Native American Societies
The diverse and complex indigenous cultures that thrived across North and South America prior to and during European colonization, adapting to various environments and developing unique social structures.
Example:
The vast array of Native American Societies included agricultural communities in the Southwest, nomadic hunters on the Great Plains, and sophisticated mound-building cultures in the Mississippi Valley.