Period 1 APUSH VOCAB

Algonquian

Northeastern tribes who interacted with French and English settlers through trade and resistance.

Anasazi

Ancestors of the Pueblos; known for cliff dwellings and early agriculture in the Southwest.

Lakota Sioux

Plains tribe; became skilled buffalo hunters after acquiring horses. Fought U.S. expansion.

Capitalism

Economic system driven by private ownership and profit, fueled by global trade after exploration.

Pope’s Rebellion

Pueblo revolt against Spanish in New Mexico; temporarily drove out Spanish colonizers.

Bartoleme de Las Casas

Spanish priest who advocated for Indigenous rights and criticized the encomienda system.

Christopher Columbus

Sailed for Spain (1492); began European colonization of the Americas, leading to Indigenous exploitation.

Pueblo

Southwestern Indigenous peoples known for adobe dwellings and resistance in Pope’s Rebellion.

Iroquois

Northeastern confederation of six tribes; known for their League of the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee and influence on American democracy (Constitution) through their principles of federalism. (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora)

Conquistadores

Spanish explorers like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Americas for wealth, glory, and Christianity. Led military expeditions during the 16th Century.

Mestizos

People of mixed Spanish/European and Indigenous ancestry, central to Latin American culture.

Juan de Oñate

Spanish colonizer (conquistador) & colonial governor known for brutality against Pueblo peoples (e.g., Acoma Massacre – hundreds killed). Led expedition in American Southwest in the late 1500s (late 16th Century).

Nation-state

A centralized government with shared culture and defined borders (e.g., Spain, France). Emerged in early modern period (15th-17th century/1400-1600s).

Mayans

Mesoamerican civilization known for mathematics, astronomy, and architecture. Declined around 900 CE.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of goods, ideas, and diseases between the Old World (Europe, Africa) and the New World (Americas). Examples: smallpox, horses, maize, potatoes.

Incas

Advanced Andean civilization (Peru) known for agriculture (terracing) and road systems; conquered by Francisco Pizarro (conquistador) in the 16th century.

3-sister farming

Agricultural system consisting of corn, beans, and squash. This symbiotic relationship increased yields and supported Indigenous populations, with corn providing structure for beans to climb, beans enriching soil with nitrogen, and squash spreading over the ground to retain moisture and prevent weeds.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Agreement between Spain and Portugal through the Pope, dividing newly discovered lands by drawing an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean: Spain received the west, and Portugal received the east (including Brazil), ensuring Portugal's control over Brazil and Spain's dominance over the Americas.

Encomienda

Spanish labor system that exploited Indigenous peoples under the guise of Christianization, granting colonists the right to extract labor and tribute in exchange for protection and conversion to Christianity; it resembled slavery.

Black Legend

Anti-Spanish propaganda emphasizing Spanish brutality in colonization, highlighting the exploitation of Indigenous people in the Americas. It originated from rival European powers (such as the English and Dutch) to depict Spain as cruel in its conquests.

1st & 2nd Powhatan War

Conflicts between English settlers and Powhatans (1610–1646) resulting in Powhatan defeat and displacement. The 1st War (1610-1614) ended with a truce following Pocahontas's marriage to John Rolfe; the 2nd War (1622-1646) consisted of battles due to tensions over English expansion, leading to Powhatan removal.

Aztecs

Advanced Mesoamerican civilization with a capital in Tenochtitlán (Mexico City); ruled Mexico and conquered by Hernán Cortés in 1521. Known for agriculture, architecture, and militarism, with practices including human sacrifice.