15th century in North American history
Encyclopedia
| Centuries: | 14th century 14th century in North American history The 14th century in North American history provides a timeline of events occurring within the North American continent from 1301 to 1400 CE in the Gregorian calendar. This time period is known as the Post-archaic period... - 15th century - 16th century 16th century in North American history The 16th century in North American history refers to the period in North America from 1501 through 1600 in the Gregorian calendar.-Events:*During the 16th century, Calusa culture flourishes in Key Marco, Florida. Their culture is known for its intricate woodcarving... |
The 15th century in North American history provides a timeline of events occurring within the North American continent from 1401 to 1500 CE in the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
. This time period (from 1000 BCE–present) is known as the Post-archaic period (Post-archaic stage). Although this timeline segment may include some European or other world events that profoundly influenced later American life, it focuses on developments within Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
communities. The archaeological records supplements indigenous recorded and oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
.
Native Americans
- 1479: Aztec Sun Stone, a monolithic calendar stone, almost 12 feet in diameter, is carved
- Athapaskan-speaking ApacheApacheApache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
and NavajoNavajo peopleThe Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
reach the American Southwest after migrating over three centuries from the Canadian prairies. - Great PlainsGreat PlainsThe Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
Indians lack horses; most live in villages and farm cornMaizeMaize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, beans, and squashSquash (fruit)Squashes generally refer to four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker...
at least part of each year. - The Native American population within the present boundaries of the United States numbers on the order of 10 million.
1490s: the Columbian Exchange
- Spanish explorers sail around the Caribbean.
- 1492: Christopher ColumbusChristopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
sails to the Bahamas and claims the New WorldNew WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
for Spain. - 1493: Columbus returns to Spain, setting sail again for the West Indies with one thousand settlers and many domesticated European horses, cattleCattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, and pigs. This exchange of goods marks the beginning of the Columbian exchangeColumbian ExchangeThe Columbian Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations , communicable disease, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres . It was one of the most significant events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in all of human history...
. - 1497: Italian navigator John CabotJohn CabotJohn Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
sails from England to Newfoundland. - 1499: Italian navigator Amerigo VespucciAmerigo VespucciAmerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer. The Americas are generally believed to have derived their name from the feminized Latin version of his first name.-Expeditions:...
sails to northern South America and recognizes the New World as a new continent.