APUSH UNIT 1 Review: Period 1 (1491–1607) - Question and Answer Flashcards

A set of concise Q&A flashcards covering key concepts from Topic 1.1 to 1.7, including context for European encounters in the Americas, Native American societies before contact, European exploration, Columbian Exchange, and early colonial social structures.

What turning point did Columbus’s first voyage mark in world history?

It initiated lasting contact between people on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

Which 1607 event marked the beginning of a framework for a new nation in what would become the United States?

The founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement.

What term describes the blending of diverse cultures in the Americas due to geography, climate, and adaptation?

Cultural diversity in the Americas.

Name two major motives for European exploration in the Americas.

Spreading Christianity and seeking wealth or new trade routes (including a route to Asia).

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The transatlantic transfer of plants, animals, and germs between Europe and the Americas.

Which crops originating in the Americas revolutionized European diets?

Corn (maize), potatoes, and tomatoes.

What was a major consequence of European germs on the native populations of the Americas?

Epidemics that led to population declines, often around 90% within a century.

Who were enslaved Africans brought to the Americas to work for in the colonial system?

Low-cost labor for mines and plantations.

Which labor system in Spanish colonies granted natives to Spaniards to work on land and in mines?

Encomienda system.

What system required colonists to pay a tax on enslaved Africans imported to the Americas?

Asiento system.

How was the Spanish caste system structured in the colonies?

A hierarchical system based on heritage, with pure Spaniards at the top and mixed heritage at various levels below.

What is the Iroquois Confederation also known as?

Haudenosaunee.

Which language facts characterized Native American linguistic diversity?

More than 20 language families, including Algonquian, Siouan, and Athabaskan.

Which civilizations dominated Central America and Mesoamerica before Europeans arrived?

Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas.

What was the primary geography of the Hohokam, Anasazi, and Pueblos called?

The Southwest.

Which crops did maize cultivation enable in the Southwest and Plains regions?

A more complex society with larger, more settled populations.

What was a key effect of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas themselves?

Population decline due to introduced diseases like smallpox and measles.

Who sponsored Columbus’s 1492 voyage that led to lasting contact with the Americas?

Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.

What was the line of demarcation, and which two countries did it involve?

A Papal line dividing Spanish and Portuguese claims; later adjusted by the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494).

Which explorer’s voyages opened a sea route around Africa to India, influencing later European exploration?

Vasco da Gama (Portugal).

What early English expedition failed at Roanoke but highlighted England’s later colonial ambitions?

Sir Walter Raleigh’s Roanoke venture (1587).

What is a joint-stock company and why was it important for exploration?

A company owned by many shareholders; reduced individual risk and funded voyages.

What were Isabella and Ferdinand’s roles in Columbus’s voyage?

They funded the voyage and appointed Columbus as governor and viceroy of new lands.

Which event settled disputes between Spain and Portugal over Atlantic claims and helped Brazil come under Portuguese control?

The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494).

What were the three main reasons Europeans sought to explore and claim lands in the Americas?

Religious spread, economic gain, and new trade routes.

Which two Renaissance innovations aided European exploration and navigation?

Gunpowder and sailing compass (along with shipbuilding and mapmaking improvements).

What impact did the Great European religious conflicts have on exploration and colonization?

Motivated competition to spread Christianity and gain new lands.

What term describes the exchange of diseases, crops, and animals that reshaped populations across the Atlantic?

Columbian Exchange.

What was the significance of the 1450–1650 landmark timeline for Jamestown, Tordesillas, and exchange?

Shows key events: Jamestown 1607; Treaty of Tordesillas 1494; Columbian Exchange begins 1492.

Who introduced horses to Native Americans, and why was this transformative?

The Spanish introduced horses; they transformed mobility and hunting on the plains.

What was the Valladolid Debate about?

Whether Indians were fully human and deserving of rights or inferior.

What two key debates shaped European views of Native Americans in the 16th century?

Las Casas vs Sepúlveda; human rights vs justifications for enslavement.

What major pre-Columbian trade centers existed in the Mississippi River Valley?

Adena-Hopewell culture and Cahokia.

What was the English strategy toward Native Americans in initial settlements compared with the French?

English often displaced or fought Native peoples; French tended to trade and form alliances.

What was the significance of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán?

A powerful Aztec city-state in central Mexico with a large population.