8th Georgia Studies OneSheet
Standard Georgia Geography Date:
SS8H1 Evaluate a. Describe the characteristics of American Indians living in Georgia at the time of European contact; to
the impact of include culture, food, weapons/tools, and shelter.
European
exploration and b. Explain reasons for European exploration and settlement of North America, with emphasis on the
settlement on interests of the Spanish and British in the Southeastern area.
American c. Evaluate the impact of Spanish contact on American Indians, including the explorations of Hernando
Indians in DeSoto and the establishment of Spanish missions along the barrier islands.
Georgia.
Inquiry and Seminar
Vocabulary: draw a line matching each word to its definition. Use the reading.
Word Draw Line Definition
Chiefdom *garden cultivation
Earthen mounds *churches
Wattle and Daub *the first known European explorer in Georgia
Horticulture * structures dedicated to religious and social activity, some served as cemeteries
Maize * soldiers that take over an area by force
Creek & Cherokee *corn
Conquistadores *a hierarchical society made up of a small number of elites and a majority of commoners
Mercantilism * the economic policy in which a country seeks to export more than it imports
Hernando De Soto *reorganized peoples, descendent of Mississippian peoples, into historic tribes of Georgia
Missions * walls built out of sticks and covered with mud or clay
1. Prior to Georgia’s “founding” who occupied the land? _________________________________________________
2. What is the date for Georgia’s official founding? ______________________________________________________
Impact of European Exploration and Settlement in Georgia
Indians in Georgia
The ___________________ ___________________________ were living in Georgia when the Europeans, specifically
the________________, arrived in the mid-1500’s.
Mississippians organized themselves into a ____________ _________________ society.
The Mississippians created large towns near rivers that featured a________________________,
_______________________ and ___________________________.
The focus of the plaza was the earthen mounds, dedicated to_____________ and ___________________________.
Trading goods consisted of _________________, pottery with abstract images, and ___________________________.
Mississippians practiced horticulture, and their dominant crop was __________________.
Mississippians relied on __________________ and _________________ to contribute to their diet.
Human conflict in the 1500’s led to ________________ and _________________________.
European Exploration
____________________ was the primary cause for Europeans exploring North America.
They desired to build a large empire that would create __________________ and ____________ dominance.
Spain was interested in the ______________ ________________.
Three G’s = _____________, Gold, and ____________.
Converting the American Indians to_______________, filling the Spanish King’s treasury with __________, and seeking
personal _______________and __________ were the goals of Spanish conquistadores.
________________ desired to create permanent colonies in North America to support the economic policy of
mercantilism.
Other reasons for creating colonies included a desire for _____________ _________________ and a ______________
___________________.
Spanish Exploration and Hernando De Soto
Hernando DeSoto was directly responsible for _____________ and _____________ vast amounts of American
Indians.
DeSoto and his men moved from ______________ into southwest Georgia in their search for gold, because
American Indians lied about gold more North to _______________________________.
DeSoto’s expedition ________________. His men never found gold and he died near the ____________________
_______________________.
The most successful Spanish colonization attempt was during the __________________ __________________.
Spanish built missions on the ________________ islands and along the ______________________.
British influence from other colonies often encouraged American Indians to _________________the missions.
By the 1680’s, coastal missions were ___________________by the Spanish.
Conflict and Change During European Exploration of North America
1. Why did Mississippians later reorganize into the historic tribes of the Creek and Cherokee?________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How did the motives for European Exploration differ between the Spanish and the English?________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How did the Spanish conflict have an impact on the culture of American Indians in Georgia?________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why did DeSoto and his men end up in Georgia? __________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How did the Indians respond to the Spanish colonies and coastal missions? Who influenced their actions? ____________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Draw a picture in each box below that represents each reason for Europeans to explore the new world.
God Gold Glory
