Chapter 1: Indigenous America 1. Columbian Exchange- The Columbian Exchange was travel between the old and new world where things Like diseases, animals, food and crops were exchanged. This exchange was followed by the discovery of the America’s by Christopher Columbus. 2. Three Sisters- The three sisters is an agricultural method where corn, beans and squash were grown together. The three different crops were grown together because each one contributes something different to th the planting. 3. Matrilineal- Matrilineal society is one where the family lineage is traced through the maternal lines rather than paternal ones. In this system, one is said to belong to the same descent group as their mother. 4. Pre-Columbian environmental disasters- Several ecological challenges were faced causing communities to collapse and smaller communities to form. Some of the challenges that caused this transition were deforestation and overirrigation. 5. Cahokia- The Cahokia was a Mississipian settlement near present day St. Louis area. This was a key trading center home to nearly 25,000 Native Americans. 6. Native American slavery- This form of slavery was not based on owning people, the enslaved were ones who lacked kinship. Marriage and adoption were ways that slaves were able to enter a kinship and become members of the community. 7. Kinship- A kinship is a group of people related by blood or marriage. 8. Potlach- A potlach is a ceremonial distribution of property and gifts to affirm or to reaffirm social status. 9. Crusades- The Crusades were a series of religious wars started to secure control of holy sites considered holy by both Muslims and Christians. 10. Reconquista- Reconquista was the effort by Christian leaders to drive Muslims out of Spain. This movement lasted from the 1100s to the late 1400s. 11. sugar cultivation- The sugar cultivation drove slave trade, it was ruled by wealthy white landlords and slave owners. It was a profitable crop in the West Indies, Caribbean and parts of Brazil. 12. Christopher Columbus- Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator who accidentally discovered the New World in search of a more efficient route to China. 13. Encomienda- This legal system granted the spanish the land and the natives that were living on it. 14. Bartolomé de Las Casas- He was a Spaniard who fought against the enslavement and abuse of the Native Americans. 15. Tenochtitlán- This was the capital of the Aztec empire, located on an island in lake Texcoco. It had a large population of about 150,000 on the eve of spanish conquest. Mexico city was built on the ruins of this once great empire. 16. Aztecs- The aztecs had an extremely powerful empire in central mexico from around 1325-1521 CE. 17. La Malinche- La Malinche was an important figure in the conquest of the Aztecs. She was an enslaved woman who later served as an interpreter for Cortes. 18. Inca- Inca was the largest and most powerful Andean empire. It controlled the Pacific coast of South America from Ecuador to Chile. 19. Sistema de Castas- This was a racial classification system taking place in New Spain. In this system there were over 40 different classifications. 20. Virgen de Guadalupe- This refers to when the virgin mary appeared to a man named Juan Diego in 1531 in Mexico. She plays an important role in the Culture and Religion of Mexicans.