Answer Key Chapter The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492

Answer Key Chapter: The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492 1. Which of the following Native peoples built homes in cliff dwellings that still exist? a. Anasazi b. Cherokee c. Aztec d. Inca 2. Which culture developed the first writing system in the Western Hemisphere? a. Inca b. Maya c. Olmec d. Pueblo 3. Which culture developed a road system rivaling that of the Romans? a. Cherokee b. Inca c. Olmec d. Anasazi 4. What were the major differences between the societies of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya and the Native peoples of North America? 5. The series of attempts by Christian armies to retake the Holy Lands from Muslims was known as ________. a. the Crusades b. the Reconquista c. the Black Death d. the Silk Road 6. ________ became wealthy trading with the East. a. Carcassonne b. Jerusalem c. Rome d. Venice 7. In 1492, the Spanish forced these two religious groups to either convert or leave. a. Jews and Muslims b. Christians and Jews c. Protestants and Muslims d. Catholics and Jews 8. How did European feudal society operate? How was this a mutually supportive system? 9. Why did Columbus believe he could get to the Far East by sailing west? What were the problems with this plan? 10. The city of ________ became a leading center for Muslim scholarship and trade. a. Cairo b. Timbuktu c. Morocco d. Mali 11. Which of the following does not describe a form of slavery traditionally practiced in Africa? a. a system in which those in need of supplies or protection give themselves in servitude b. a system in which debtors repay those whom they owe by giving themselves in servitude c. a system in which people are treated as chattel—that is, as personal property to be bought and sold d. a system in which people are enslaved permanently on account of their race Critical Thinking Questions 12. The Inca were able to control an empire that stretched from modern Colombia to southern Chile. Which of their various means for achieving such control do you think were most effective, and why? 13. How did the Olmec, Aztec, Inca, Maya, and North American Natives differ in their ways of life and cultural achievements? How did their particular circumstances—geography, history, or the accomplishments of the societies that had preceded them, for example— serve to shape their particular traditions and cultures? 14. What were the lasting effects of the Crusades? In what ways did they provide opportunities—both negative and positive—for cross-cultural encounters and exchanges? 15. Was race identified with slavery before the era of European exploration? Why or why not? How did slavery’s association with race change the institution’s character? 16. What are the differences between the types of slavery traditionally practiced in Africa and the slavery that developed in the New World? How did other types of servitude, such as European serfdom, compare to slavery? Answer key 1. a. Anasazi 2. b. Maya 3. b. Inca 4. The major differences between the societies of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya and the Native peoples of North America include differences in cultural practices, societal organization, technological advancements, and geographical location. The Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations were located in Mesoamerica and South America and had complex urban societies with advanced agriculture, monumental architecture, and centralized political systems. In contrast, Native peoples of North America had diverse cultural practices and lived in various environments, including hunter-gatherer societies, agricultural societies, and nomadic tribes, with less centralized political structures. 5. a. the Crusades 6. d. Venice 7. a. Jews and Muslims 8. European feudal society operated under a system of reciprocal obligations between lords and vassals. Lords provided land (fiefs) and protection to vassals, who, in turn, provided military service and loyalty. This system was mutually supportive as it ensured the maintenance of order and security in a decentralized manner, with loyalty and protection exchanged for land and labor. 9. Columbus believed he could reach the Far East by sailing west due to his miscalculation of the Earth's circumference, underestimating the distance to Asia. The problems with this plan included the vast distance of the Atlantic Ocean, the lack of knowledge about the existence of the Americas, and the lack of understanding regarding the size of the Earth. 10. b. Timbuktu 11. d. a system in which people are enslaved permanently on account of their race Critical Thinking Questions: 12. A variety of tactics, including a centralized bureaucracy, vast road networks for communication and transportation, military and administrative centers placed strategically throughout the empire, a system of tribute and labor obligations (mit'a), and the imposition of the Inca religion and language, allowed the Inca to establish control over their vast empire. Their highly developed administrative structure, strong communication networks, and the wellplanned locations of their military and administrative hubs were perhaps the most successful of these strategies. 13. A number of variables, including geographic separations, historical advancements, and interactions with adjacent communities, contributed to the cultural achievements and ways of life of the Olmec, Aztec, Maya, Inca, and Native Americans of North America. Due to the impact of its surroundings, available resources, and past experiences, each civilization created its own distinctive cultural practices, technology, and socioeconomic systems. For instance, the Inca built vast road networks and colossal structures, while the Maya had a highly developed writing system and calendar. Each society's unique conditions molded its customs and cultures, with geography having a big impact on social structure, trading routes, and agricultural methods. 14. The Crusades left a lasting legacy of increased trade in products, ideas, and technology, weakened Catholic Church authority and feudalism, and increased intolerance and bloodshed throughout Europe and the Middle East. Through trade, diplomacy, and cultural dissemination, they offered chances for cross-cultural interactions and exchanges, but they also brought about disputes, persecution, and the growth of religious intolerance. 15. Prior to the age of European discovery, slavery was not always associated with race. Slavery was not based on race but rather on social standing, debt, or conquest in many pre-modern countries. However, the transatlantic slave trade and the emergence of racist ideologies that supported the enslavement of Africans based on their race contributed to the rise in the popularity of the link between slavery and race during the European colonization of the Americas. 16. The sorts of slavery that were customarily practiced in Africa included those that permitted upward mobility or ultimate liberation and were frequently contingent on variables like debt, conquest, or social standing. On the other hand, Africans who were enslaved in the New World were frequently treated as property for life, and their offspring would also acquire this status. While serfdom was a type of forced labor, it was different from slavery in Europe since serfs had limited rights and protections and were legally bound to the land.