1. Pre-colonial Americas and European Intervention
Why do the authors of the text write that it is better to look at early encounters between Europeans and Native Americans as “creative adaptations” rather than “exploration or settlement”?
What conditions existed fifteen to twenty thousand years ago that enabled the migration of nomadic tribes from Asia to the Americas?
What are the possible reasons for lack of such diseases as smallpox and measles among the Native population of the Americas?
What was the impact of global warming on the human and animal populations of the Americas?

2. Why was the European view of the Native American as leading a ‘static’ existence inaccurate?
Provide evidence to support the idea that the Americas contained widespread and culturally diverse populations.
Provide evidence to support the notion that Native groups shared cultural values and beliefs.
Describe the major civilizations of Central and South America.
What was the “Columbian Exchange”? Benefits? Problems?
What were some of the views early European explorers had of Natives? And Natives of Europeans?

3. How successful were European attempts to assimilate Natives?
Why did Europeans often have more success at Christianizing male Natives than females?
How did dealings with Europeans erode Native Americans’ independence?
What were the short and long term effects of early European settlement and colonization in the Americas?

4. How did Islam affect the societies of West Africa?
What was the political situation in West Africa when European traders began to explore the coast?
How did technological advancements aid in European exploration of West Africa?
What drew the Portuguese to West Africa?
Describe the relationship between the Portuguese and the native societies they encountered.
Why were the African states able to deal with the Portuguese on a relatively equal footing?

5. Roughly how many people were transported to the Americas as slaves?
Who were the first Europeans to establish settlements in North America?
Did their voyages have a significant impact on Europe?
Why did Europe become interested in overseas exploration in the 1400s?
What impact did the centralization of power have in providing support for exploration?
How did the rebirth of classical learning and the invention of the movable type printing press affect exploration?

6. What was the Reconquista?
How did it create the conquistadores?
How did Columbus come to be in command of a voyage across the Atlantic?
How successful were Columbus’ expeditions?
Explain how the Treaty of Tordesillas came to be and its purpose.

7. Who were the conquistadores?
How did Cortes manage to defeat and conquer the Aztecs?
Explain the encomienda system.
What was Spain’s primary interest in the ‘New World’ during the early stages of colonization?
How did the demographics of Spanish immigration affect colonial societies?
What challenges did the French face in their effort to explore and settle North America?
Why was the French relationship with native peoples so different from those of the English and Spanish?
How successful were the French in convincing people to immigrate to Canada?

8. Describe the events that led Henry VIII to expel the Catholic Church from England.
How did Henry VIII manage to gain support for the English Reformation?
Why was the translation of the Bible into English an important development?
Who was Martin Luther? Video
Who was John Calvin? Explain his version of Protestantism.
Who was Elizabeth I?
How did she handle the religious divide that existed after the death of her sister Mary I?
Why were England and Spain rivals in the late 1500s?

9. What happened at Roanoke? Video
What was Richard Hakluyt’s role in ‘selling’ America to potential English colonists?
Was his version of America accurate? If not- why?