Early American History Study Guide

African Slave Trade

• Over 10 million Africans transported across the Atlantic

• Majority taken to Brazil and West Indies

• Largest forced migration in history

• Isolation of slaves as a distinct caste due to European involvement

Aztecs

• Founded capital city Tenochtitlan

• Expanded control over neighboring tribes

• Sophisticated societies, legal systems, farming techniques

• Aztec rulers invested with godlike qualities

Christopher Columbus

• Voyage in 1492 sponsored by Spain

• Mistakenly believed he reached India

• Unleashed wave of exploration, conquest, and settlement

Columbian Exchange

• Worldwide exchange of plants, animals, and culture

• Transformed diets and caused population explosion

• Transmission of infectious diseases

Conquistadors

• Spanish explorers and conquerors

• Sought riches and power in the New World

• Exploited, enslaved, and conquered indigenous peoples

Incans

• Large empire in South America

• Diplomacy, alliances, and conquest

• Fertile farms, interconnected roads

Mayans

• Developed cities, hierarchical government, farming techniques

• Advanced mathematics and astronomy

• Declined due to overexploitation and civil wars

Smallpox

• Deadly disease brought by Europeans

• Decimated Native American populations

• Disrupted tribal cohesion and resistance

Spanish Armada

• Spanish naval fleet defeated by English

• Marked the beginning of English naval supremacy

• Cleared the way for English colonization

Spanish Empire

• Created by Ferdinand and Isabella

• Extensive empire spanning Europe, Americas, Asia

• Shaped development of American society

Native Americans before conquest:

• Migration across Bering Strait

• Population growth, cultivation of plants

• Shift from nomadic to settled societies

Changing Factors:

• Economic, technological, political, geographic factors

• Motivated by God, Gold, Glory

Renaissance:

• Prosperity, centralization of political authority

• Advances in knowledge and technology

• Creation of nation states for exploration

Spain's Lead:

• Union of Ferdinand and Isabella

• Conquistadors' motivation for glory and wealth

• Columbus' voyages and Treaty of Tordesillas

New Territory and Cultures:

• Discovery and mapping of new lands

• Introduction to new cultures and societies

• New trade and settlement opportunities

Wealth and Expansion:

• Accumulation of wealth for European nations

• Expansionist movement that transformed the world

England:

• Strong navy and merchant marine fleet

• Joint-stock companies funded colonies

• Roanoke settlers sought gold, privateers used colonies as bases

France:

• Focused on fur trade, established outposts

• Cooperative relationships with Natives

• Smaller and dispersed population

Spain:

• Established settlements for trade, wealth, power

• Enslaved and exploited Native populations

• Large plantations using slave labor

**Jamestown, Virginia:**Established by London Company

• Challenging environment, disease, starvation

• John Smith's leadership and John Rolfe's introduction of tobacco

Maryland:

• Founded by Lord Baltimore for religious freedom

• Tolerated different religions, refuge for Catholics

Massachusetts:

• Pilgrims (Plymouth) and Puritans (Massachusetts Bay)

• Pilgrims seeking religious freedom, Plymouth Compact

• Puritans focused on creating a better society, Great Migration

• Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson challenged religious norms

Vasco de Gama (Portugal):

Exploration for trade routes, control of new trade ports

Ferdinand Magellan (Spain):

Proved Earth's roundness, sought riches and trade

Christopher Columbus (Spain):

Voyages sponsored by Spain, mistaken belief in India

Cortes (Spain):

Conquered Aztecs, sought gold and control

John Cabot (English):

Explored North American territory for England

Francisco Pizarro (Spain):

Conquered Inca Empire, gained riches and control

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (Spain):

Explored California, established Spanish presence