APUSH TERMS FOR UNIT 1 AND 2

Bering Strait

a narrow passage between Russia and Alaska that once hosted a land bridge known as Beringia. It allowed early humans to migrate from Asia into North America during the Ice Age and is key to theories about the peopling of the Americas.

Cortés

a Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire. He arrived in Mexico in 1519 and used alliances with native groups to overthrow Montezuma II.

Pueblos

Native American groups in the Southwestern U.S. known for their adobe dwellings and complex irrigation systems. They developed communal societies with ceremonial kivas and still thrive today.

Yeoman

small landowning farmers in England who typically worked their own land. In colonial America

Crusades

a series of religious wars initiated by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control. They stimulated trade and exploration and had lasting cultural impacts.

Da Vinci

a Renaissance polymath known for his art

Mayans

civilization flourished in Mesoamerica and was known for its writing system

Pizarro

a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in the 1530s. His conquest opened the door to Spanish colonization of South America.

Mississippians

culture thrived in the southeastern U.S. and built large earthen mounds for ceremonial purposes. Cahokia was their most prominent city.

Dower

the portion of a deceased husband's estate that a widow was entitled to. It ensured financial support for women in European and colonial societies.

Black Death

a pandemic that killed one-third of Europe's population between 1347 and 1351. It led to labor shortages and social upheaval.

Michelangelo

a Renaissance artist known for his sculptures and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. His work emphasized anatomical precision and emotional depth.

Aztecs

a powerful Mesoamerican civilization centered in Tenochtitlan. They built an empire through conquest and tribute before falling to Cortés.

Hopewells

culture thrived in the Ohio River Valley and built elaborate burial mounds. They had extensive trade networks and spiritual traditions.

Cahokia

largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico and a center of Mississippian culture. It featured massive earthen mounds and complex society.

Teotihuacan

a major urban center in central Mexico known for its pyramids. It influenced later civilizations including the Aztecs.

Primogeniture

the practice of passing inheritance to the eldest son. It preserved estates but left younger sons seeking fortunes elsewhere.

Pagans

practiced polytheistic or nature-based religions outside of Christianity. The term was often used pejoratively in medieval Europe.

Renaissance

cultural revival emphasizing humanism

Machiavelli

political theorist known for The Prince. He argued that rulers should prioritize effectiveness over morality.

Tenochtitlan

Aztec capital built on an island in Lake Texcoco. It featured canals and aqueducts and became Mexico City after conquest.

Anasazi

Native Americans in the U.S. Southwest who built cliff dwellings and stone structures. Their society declined around 1300 CE.

Matrilineal

A system traces lineage through the mother’s line. It gave women influence in societies like the Iroquois.

Reformation

a religious movement that challenged the Catholic Church and led to Protestantism. It began with Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.

Henry the Navigator

he sponsored voyages along Africa’s coast and advanced navigation. He helped launch the Age of Discovery.

Hohokam

Native Americans in Arizona known for irrigation canals and platform mounds. Their society declined around 1450 CE.

Peasants

Peasants were rural laborers under feudal obligations. They formed the majority of medieval Europe’s population.

Heresy

refers to beliefs that deviate from accepted religious doctrine. It often led to persecution and trials.

Civic Humanism

emphasized active participation in public life and the common good. It was inspired by classical Roman ideals.

Guilds

associations of artisans and merchants that regulated trade and training. They provided economic stability and civic influence.

Columbian Exchange

the transfer of plants

Vasco da Gama

the first European to reach India by sea. His voyage opened direct trade routes between Europe and Asia.

Reconquista

Spain’s effort to reclaim territory from Muslim rule. It ended in 1492 and fueled overseas conquest.

Treaty of Tordesillas

divided new lands between Spain and Portugal. It shaped colonial boundaries for centuries.

Columbus

sailed for Spain and reached the Americas in 1492. His voyages initiated European colonization.

Amerigo Vespucci

realized the Americas were separate continents. The continents were named after him.

Encomiendas

A system let Spanish colonists extract labor from indigenous peoples. It led to widespread exploitation.

Mestizos

people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. They became a major social class in Latin America.

Caste System

ranked people by racial heritage. It reinforced social stratification and colonial control.

Martin Luther

a German monk who started the Protestant Reformation. He emphasized salvation by faith and scripture.

Indulgences

payments to reduce punishment for sins. Their abuse sparked the Reformation.

Predestination

the belief that God has already determined who will be saved. It was central to Calvinist theology.

Henry VIII

he broke from the Catholic Church to form the Church of England. His actions reshaped English religion.

Protestants

Christians who broke from the Catholic Church. They emphasize scripture and personal faith.

Calvinists

follow John Calvin’s teachings on predestination and moral discipline. They influenced Puritanism and Reformed churches.

Mercantilism

an economic theory favoring exports and accumulation of wealth. It justified colonial expansion.

Price Revolution

a period of inflation in Europe due to New World silver. It disrupted economies and labor systems.

Gentry

landowning elites below the nobility. They held social and political influence.

New France

the French colonial territory in North America. It focused on fur trade and alliances with Native Americans.

Huron

Native Americans who allied with the French. Their society was devastated by war and disease.

Iroquois Confederation

an alliance of Native nations in the Northeast. It played a key role in colonial diplomacy.

New Netherlands

a Dutch colony centered on present-day New York. It was seized by the English in 1664.

West India Company

managed trade and colonies in the Americas and Africa. It played a role in the slave trade.

Chesapeakes

a region including Virginia and Maryland. It relied on tobacco and enslaved labor.

Cash Crops/Tobacco

a dominant cash crop in early Virginia. It fueled colonial economies and labor demand.

Virginia Company

funded the settlement of Jamestown. It was a joint-stock company seeking profit.

Jamestown

the first permanent English settlement in North America. It struggled early but stabilized through tobacco farming.

Lord Baltimore

founded Maryland as a haven for Catholics. He promoted religious tolerance.

Church of England

formed by Henry VIII. It retained Catholic traditions but rejected papal authority.

Indentured Servants

Indentured servant worked for years in exchange for passage to the colonies. Many faced harsh conditions.

Common Law

based on precedent and judicial decisions. It shaped colonial legal practices.

Chattel Slavery

treated enslaved people as property. It became institutionalized in plantation economies.

Bacon’s Rebellion

a 1676 uprising in Virginia against colonial elites. It exposed class tensions and led to more slavery.

Freeholders

owned land outright and had political rights. They were tied to ideals of independence.

Pilgrims/Puritans

separatists seeking religious freedom. Puritans wanted to reform the Church of England.

Separatists

believed the Church of England was beyond reform. They formed independent congregations.

Mayflower

ship that carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. It marked a key colonial settlement.

Mayflower Compact

a written agreement signed by 41 male passengers on the Mayflower in 1620, establishing a self-governing body for the Plymouth Colony

Roger Williams

a Puritan minister who advocated for religious freedom and separation of church and state. He was banished from Massachusetts and founded Rhode Island as a haven for dissenters.

Salem Witch Trials

a series of hearings and executions in 1692 Massachusetts sparked by accusations of witchcraft. They revealed the dangers of mass hysteria and religious extremism.

Proprietors

individuals granted control over colonial land by the English crown. They governed proprietary colonies like Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Town Meetings

local gatherings in New England where male property owners voted on community issues. They promoted direct democracy and civic participation.

Metacom’s War

known as King Philip’s War was a conflict between New England colonists and Native American tribes in 1675–1676. It devastated indigenous communities and marked a turning point in Native resistance.

Polygamy

the practice of having more than one spouse. It was present in some indigenous and religious communities but generally opposed by European norms.

Freeholder

someone who owns land outright without feudal obligations. Freeholders had voting rights and social status in colonial America.

Joint-Stock Company

a business where investors pool resources and share profits and losses. It funded early colonial ventures like the Virginia Company.

Praying Town

settlements created by Puritans to convert Native Americans to Christianity. They aimed to assimilate indigenous people into English culture.

Manorial System

a feudal structure where lords controlled land and peasants worked it in exchange for protection. It influenced early colonial landholding.

Quakers

known as the Religious Society of Friends emphasized inner light pacifism and equality. William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a Quaker refuge.

John Locke

an Enlightenment philosopher who argued for natural rights and government by consent. His ideas influenced democratic thought and the American Revolution.

Sugar Revolution

the rapid expansion of sugar plantations in the Caribbean. It led to massive importation of enslaved Africans and transformed global trade.

Montesquieu

a French Enlightenment thinker who advocated for separation of powers in government. His ideas influenced the U.S. Constitution.

Atlantic Slave Trade

forcibly transported millions of Africans to the Americas. It fueled plantation economies and caused immense suffering.

Middle Passage

the brutal sea journey enslaved Africans endured from Africa to the Americas. It had high mortality rates and inhumane conditions.

Gentility

referred to refined manners and lifestyle associated with the upper class. Colonial elites emulated it to reinforce social status.

Bills of Exchange

financial instruments used to transfer money and settle debts across distances. They facilitated international trade.

Probate Inventory

a list of a deceased person’s possessions used to settle their estate. It provides insight into colonial life and wealth.

Salutary Neglect

Britain’s policy of lax enforcement of colonial regulations. It allowed colonies to develop autonomy and contributed to revolutionary tensions.

Land Banks

paper money backed by land to stimulate colonial economies. They helped farmers access credit but were controversial.

Radical Whigs

British political theorists who warned against tyranny and corruption. Their ideas influenced American views on liberty and resistance.

The Enlightenment

an intellectual movement emphasizing reason science and individual rights. It inspired democratic revolutions and challenged traditional authority.

Benjamin Franklin

a Founding Father and Enlightenment thinker who contributed to science diplomacy and civic life. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence.

Deism

the belief in a rational creator who does not intervene in human affairs. It rejects organized religion and divine revelation.

Great Awakening

a series of religious revivals in the 18th-century American colonies. It emphasized emotional conversion and personal faith.

Revivalism

promotes renewed religious fervor and mass conversions. It played a major role in the Great Awakening.

Pietism

a Protestant movement emphasizing personal devotion and moral living. It encouraged introspection and spiritual renewal.

French and Indian War

a conflict between Britain and France over North American territory. It ended with British victory and set the stage for the American Revolution.

George Washington

a colonial military leader during the French and Indian War and later the first U.S. president. He gained early experience at Fort Necessity.

Edward Braddock

a British general defeated near Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War. His failure exposed weaknesses in British strategy.

Fort Duquesne

a French stronghold at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. It was later captured and renamed Fort Pitt.