Early Americans

causeway

raised road made of packed earth

circumnavigate

to travel all the way around the Earth

Why is there uncertainty about the first explorers of America?

Before 1492, only the Vikings left detailed records of their exploration and interactions in the Americas.

The first cities developed because

Farmers were able to grow more food than they needed to survive

What was the main reason Columbus sailed to the Americas?

He wanted to find riches.

What caused the Portuguese to look for a route to Asia by way of Africa?

Italian and Middle Eastern merchants controlled all the Mediterranean routes.

How did the city of Mecca promote trade?

Muslim travel to the city spurred the spread of trade routes.

How did the crops of the Americas affect Europeans, Africans, and Asians?

Populations around the world increased from the change in diets.

Based on the text, how did Portugal have such a large influence on Europe's commerce?

Portugal supplied Europe with highly desired goods from many eastern regions.

What role did women have in the Iroquois tribe?

They chose clan leaders

What was a common belief among Native American tribes?

They could survive only by adapting to nature.

According to the map, how did people first arrive in North America?

They walked or paddled from Asia to North America.

What was the main reason that early settlers gradually spread across the Americas?

They were nomadic hunters and had to keep moving in search of food.

What was the purpose of a quipu?

To communicate quantities

quipu

a device made of cord or string with knots that stood for quantities

astrolabe

a navigational instrument used to determine latitude, or location north or south of Earth's equator

city-state

a political unit that controls a city and its surrounding land

Which represents an Aztec adaptation to their environment?

a system of causeways

feudalism

a system of rule by lords who ruled their own lands but owed loyalty and military service to a monarch

manor

an area ruled by a lord, including the lord's castle and the lands around it

colony

an area settled and ruled by the government of a distant land

How did the Anasazi adapt to escape threats from neighboring tribes?

by building homes along steep cliffs

In Europe during the Middle Ages, the people most likely to be able to read and write were

clergymen.

Along with luxury items such as gold, ivory, and hardwoods, Arab merchants traveled to East Africa to acquire

enslaved Africans.

surplus

extra

Which feature of Chinese civilization had the greatest impact on other civilizations?

its new technologies

Which group of people had the highest power in Maya society?

nobles

diffusion

the process of spreading ideas from one culture to another

Which physical feature most affected what people of a region ate?

the region's climate

What was the main goal of continued Spanish exploration of North and South America?

to seek riches for the Spanish crown