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Period: 300 to 800
Maya Civilization
The Mayas, reliant on corn (maize), dominate the Yucatán Peninsula (Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico). They built cities in rainforests. -
Period: 1345 to 1521
Aztec Civilization
The Aztecs, who cultivated maize, dominated central Mexico. Their capital was Tenochtitlán, which had around 200,000 people at its peak. -
Period: 1400 to 1533
Inca Civilization
The Incas, who cultivated potatoes, dominated Peru and other parts of western South America. -
Period: 1400 to
Renaissance
The Renaissance boosted innovation and culture in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe. -
1469
Marriage of Ferdinand & Isabella
Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile marry, uniting the four kingdoms of Spain. -
1491
Native American Population
The population of the Americas in 1491, a year before the arrival of Columbus, is between 50 and 100 million. -
1491
Native Americans in the 1490s
North America was probably populated by 1 to 10 million people in the 1490s. Their societies were very diverse and did not develop a shared identity as "Native Americans" until much later in history. Whereas most European languages come from one language family (Indo-European), Native American languages were members of more than 20 different language families, the most prominent being Algonquian, Siouan, and Athabaskan. -
1492
Columbus & the Reconquista
Columbus arrives in the Bahamas. Meanwhile, Ferdinand and Isabella complete the Reconquista, the retaking of Spain from Muslims, by defeating the last Moorish stronghold. -
1492
The Colombian Exchange
The transfer of plants, animals, and germs between the Old and New Worlds known as the Colombian Exchange begins. The germs aspect decimates Native American populations (population decreases up to 90% occurred within a century after European arrival in an area). -
1493
Line of Demarcation
The Pope solves territorial conflict by splitting the Americas vertically. Spain gets the land to the west, and Portugal the land to the east. -
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Line of Demarcation is shifted, ensuring Portuguese control over Brazil and Spanish control over most else. -
Period: 1500 to
Spanish Domination
The Spanish Empire is the wealthiest European empire in the 1500s and 1600s. -
1513
Florida
Florida is claimed as a Spanish colony by Juan Ponce de Leon. St. Augustine is established in 1565. Hurricanes are abundant and Native American populations decline. Additionally, the Spanish find little gold or silver. -
1517
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation begins in Europe. Various protestant groups revolt against the authority of the Pope in Rome. Religious wars between Catholics and Protestants begin. A motivation for exploration and colonization is born: escape from religious persecution. -
1521
The Fall of the Aztecs
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captures Tenochtitlán, bringing an end to the Aztec Empire. -
1533
Fall of the Incas
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro kills Emperor Atahualpa and then takes the Inca capital Cuzco, ending the Inca Empire. The Incas were already weakened by smallpox. -
Period: 1550 to 1551
Valladolid Debate
Arguments between Spanish priests Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda draw to a conclusion over the philosophical rights of Native Americans. Las Casas, advocating for better treatment, convinced the king to institute the New Laws of 1542 to halt forced labor (and the encomienda system), though it was later partially repealed. -
Period: 1570 to
English Interest in the New World
England begins to be interested in the New World. Due to issues with the monarchy and foreign conflict, England was unable to concern itself until later. -
Jamestown Settlement
The first permanent settlement in U.S. history is founded. Though settlers were looking for gold, tobacco became the true "gold" of Virginia. The English often settled in families in less populated areas with populations already diminished by disease.