Unit 1 : APUSH Terms

Pueblo

Native American people in the Southwest (New Mexico/Arizona area) who lived in permanent villages, farmed (corn especially), and built adobe houses.

maize

Native American corn crop that became the main food source in the Americas.

joint-stock company

A business where many investors pool money together to fund colonies in the New World.

Bartolome de las Casas

Spanish priest who spoke out against the mistreatment of Native Americans.

Iroquois Confederation

Powerful alliance of 5 (later 6) Native tribes in the Northeast that worked together for defense and trade.

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement started by Martin Luther in 1517 that challenged the Catholic Church and created Protestant churches.

capitalism

Economic system where trade, business, and production are controlled by private individuals for profit, not the government.

Middle Passage

Brutal sea journey that enslaved Africans were forced to take across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Mound Builders

Native American groups in the Mississippi Valley who built large earthen mounds for burial, religion, and ceremonies.

primogeniture

European system where the oldest son inherits all family land and wealth.

encomienda system

Spanish labor system where colonists got land and Native labor in exchange for “protecting” and Christianizing them (but really it was slavery).

Spanish caste system

Racial hierarchy in Spain’s colonies that ranked people by ancestry (European, Native, African).

HIPP

H: Historical Situation

I: Intended Audience

P: Purpose

P: Point of View