period 1 apush notes

Native American societies

diverse cultures, economies, and social structures

Columbian Exchange

exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (the Americas)

European exploration

motivations, such as seeking wealth, spreading Christianity, and finding new trade routes to Asia

Spanish colonization

establishment of colonies in present-day Mexico, Florida, and the American southwest; impact on Native American populations

Portuguese exploration

 exploration of the coast of Africa and the establishment of trading posts

Early English Colonization

establishment of Roanoke and Jamestown; interactions with Native Americans; economic motivations (e.g., the search for gold and other resources)

French colonization

establishment of fur trade networks and settlements in Canada and the Mississippi River Valley; interactions with Native American tribes

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer commissioned by Spain to find a westward route to Asia. He instead stumbled upon the Americas in 1492, leading to European exploration and colonization of the New World.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico in the early 16th century, leading to Spanish colonization of the region

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in present-day Peru in the early 16th century, expanding Spanish influence in South America

Treaty of Tordesillas

Agreement between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between them along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, it decided how Christopher Columbus’s discoveries of the New World would be divided. It established the zone of Portuguese influence in what would become Brazil.

Encomienda System

A system established by the Spanish crown in the early colonial period that granted conquistadors the right to demand labor or tribute from Native Americans in exchange for "protection" and Christianization

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish priest and advocate for Native American rights who wrote extensively about the mistreatment of indigenous peoples by Spanish colonizers

Roanoke Colony

Also known as the "Lost Colony," it was an English settlement established in present-day North Carolina in the late 16th century. It mysteriously disappeared, and its fate remains unknown

Jamestown

The first successful English settlement in North America, established in present-day Virginia in 1607. It faced numerous challenges, including disease, starvation, and conflict with Native Americans

John Smith

English explorer and leader of the Jamestown colony who implemented strict discipline and negotiated with Native American tribes to ensure the survival of the settlement

Powhatan Confederacy

Native American confederation in Virginia led by Chief Powhatan, which interacted with the Jamestown colonists and initially provided them with food and resources

Pocahontas

Daughter of Chief Powhatan who famously intervened to save John Smith's life. Her marriage to English colonist John Rolfe symbolized early attempts at peace between Native Americans and Europeans

Joint-Stock Companies

Early form of corporation in which investors pooled their capital to fund overseas ventures, such as English colonization efforts in North America

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company chartered by King James I to establish settlements in the New World, particularly in Virginia

Mercantilism

Economic system in which nations seek to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by establishing a favorable balance of trade, usually through colonies and protectionist policies

Coureurs des bois

French fur traders and adventurers who explored and traded in the interior of North America during the colonial period

Interactions between European settlers and Native American societies (exploration, trade and alliance, conflict)

Exploration: European explorers encountered diverse Native American societies with complex cultures, economies, and social structures.

Trade and Alliance: Initially, Europeans and Native Americans engaged in trade and formed alliances, exchanging goods, knowledge, and sometimes intermarrying.

Conflict: As European colonization expanded, conflicts arose over land, resources, and competing worldviews, leading to violence and displacement of Native American populations.

Impact of European diseases on Native American populations (exchange of goods, agricultural revolution, disease)

Exchange of Goods: The Columbian Exchange facilitated the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) and the New World (the Americas), transforming ecosystems on both continents.

Agricultural revolution: introduction of new crops such as maize, potatoes, and tomatoes revolutionized agricultural practices and diets, contributing to population growth.

Disease: European diseases, such as smallpox and measles, devastated NA populations, leading to demographic collapse and societal upheaval.

Economic motives for exploration and colonization (economic, religious, and competition)

Economic: Europeans sought wealth through trade, particularly in spices, precious metals, and luxury goods from Asia.

Religious: Religious motivations, including spreading Christianity and combating Islam, drove some European explorers and missionaries.

Competition: European nations competed for power, prestige, and territorial expansion, leading to rivalries and conflicts over overseas colonies and trade routes

Development of colonial economies (Spanish colonization, Portuguese Exploration, English and French Colonization)

Spanish colonization: Spanish conquistadors established colonies in present-day Mexico, Florida, and the American Southwest, exploiting Native American labor and resources.

Portuguese Exploration: Portuguese explorers established trading posts and colonies along the coast of Africa and in Brazil, focusing on the lucrative slave trade.

English and French Colonization: English settlers established early colonies the Roanoke and Jamestown in search of wealth and religious freedom, while French traders established fur trade networks and settlements in Canada and the Mississippi River Valley.

Cultural exchanges and conflicts between European settlers and Native Americans

Cultural Exchange: European colonization brought new technologies, crops, and ideas to the Americas, while Native American cultures influenced European cuisine, medicine, and survival techniques. .

Conflicts: Cultural misunderstandings, territorial disputes, and competition for resources fueled conflicts between European settlers and Native American tribes, leading to warfare and displacement.

Three Sisters

Three staple crops (corn, beans, and squash) favored by many native tribes in North America. Their collective name references their interdependence: the cornstalks provided a structure for the beans to grow up, and the squash held moisture in the soil for all three.

Great League of Peace (Haudenosaunee)

A political confederation of five (later six) Iroquois tribes, which sought to coordinate collective action. Each tribe maintained its own political system and religious beliefs. Believed to have formed around 1450.

Amerigo Vespucci

Italian explorer and cartographer. His 1499–1502 trip along the South American coast determined that the New World was a distinct continent from Asia

Columbian Exchange

The transmission and interchange of plants, animals, diseases, cultures, human populations (including slaves), and technologies between the New World and the Old World. Greatly benefited Europe and Asia while simultaneously bringing catastrophe to American Indian populations and cultures

Jacques Cartier

French explorer. Cultivated a fur trade with American Indians. Dubbed the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and its surroundings as “the Country of Canadas,” a term derived from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word for village/settlement.

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer. Known as the “The Father of New France.” Founded Quebec in 1608. Made the first accurate maps of what is modern-day Eastern Canada

Spanish Requirement of 1513

Spain asserted its divine right to conquer the New World, stating that its main concern was to rescue the natives from hedonism

Vasca Nunez de Balboa

Spanish explorer and conquistador. In 1513, he led the first overland expedition by Europeans to reach the Pacific, specifically crossing the Isthmus of Panama

Juan Ponce de Leon

Spanish explorer and conquistador. Led the first European expedition to Florida in 1513, an area which he named. Commonly said to have been hunting for the Fountain of Youth, although that motivation is considered a myth.

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer. From 1519 to 1522, he led a Spanish expedition that was the first to circumnavigate the Earth. Magellan died in battle in the Philippines in 1521, and command was transferred to Juan Sebastián Elcano

Conquistadores

Generalized term for soldiers and explorers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires. Colonized what became Latin America in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries.

Sir Walter Raleigh

English polymath. One of the most important figures of the Elizabeathan era. Granted permission by Queen Elizabeth I to explore and colonize the New World in exchange for one-fifth of all the gold and silver this venture obtained. Founded Roanoke.

Roanoke

Nicknamed “the Lost Colony.” First attempted English colony in the New World. Founded in 1585 by Sir Walter Raleigh on an island off the modern-day North Carolina coast. By 1590, its inhabitants had vanished for reasons that still remain unknown.

Virginia Company

The collective name for two joint stock companies (one of London, the other of Plymouth) that had identical charters but different (if overlapping) territorial claims. Chartered in 1606 by King James I in order to settle the North American eastern coastline.