Period 1 APUSH Vocab

Corn (maize)

A weed domesticated by the Native Americans. It was the primary agricultural resource for many native societies, and allowed for civilizations to grow. (America to Europe in Columbian Exchange)

Horses

Brought to the Americas by the Spanish, then traded with the Native Americans (mostly to Great Plains). Improved movement and hunting for the natives. (Europe to America in Columbian Exchange)

Disease

America to Europe: Syphilis

Europe to America: Measles, smallpox, and others

Killed up to 90% of the Native American population.

Encomienda System

Plantation-based agriculture in which the Native Americans were used as slaves, while the Spanish "tried to convert them". The natives were treated very harshly, many died. The downfall of this lead to African slavery.

Asiento System

The Spanish used this system to import slaves to the Americas from West Africa. A tax had to be paied to the Spanish crown each time a slave was imported. The start of African slavery in the Americas.

Slavery

The process of enslaving someone for labor. Encomienda and Asiento Systems were a form of slavery for the Native Americans and Africans. Was contiunued in the colonies for a while.

Land Bridge

Formed during the ice age. Sea levels dropped and exposed the land connecting Siberia and Alaska. The land bridge is how the first people were believed to come to the Americas.

Adena-Hopewell

Prehistoric native culture of the midwest (current day Ohio). Famous for extensive the large earth mounds that they built, and an extensive trade network.

Hokokam, Anasazi, and Pueblos

Southwestern native cultures who had advanced irrigation systems to support their crops (corn, beans, and squash). They lived in large buildings, or in caves or under cliffs. Encountered the Spanish.

Woodland Mound Builders

Native culture in the Mississippi Valley, famous for their cerimonial mounds (some of which were up to 100ft long). They were able to live longer due to their cultivated food.

Lakota Sioux

Native culture found in the Great Plains. After acquiring horses they shifted from farming to hunting buffalo, and tended to be nomadic hunters.

Mayas

Native Central/South American culture, built their cities in the Yucatan Peninsula. Corn was their staple crop, regularly practiced human sacrifice.

Incas

Native South American culture in Peru. Had a system of roads and bridges to connect the empire, potato was staple crop.

Aztecs

Native Central Amerian culture in Mexico and Central America. Regularly practiced human sacrifice, corn was their staple crop, capital of Tenochtitlan.

Conquistadores

Early Spanish explorers and conquerors, who helped Spain expand its empire into the New World. Their arrival lead to the deaths of many natives due to desease and the conquering of thier societis.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who toppled the Aztec empire, and started Spain's conquest in the Americas.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Inca empire, and continued Spain's conquering of the New World.

New Laws of 1542

Ended Native American slavery and sterted to end the Encomienda system. Lead by Spanish priest Bartolome de Las Casas.

Roanoke Island

First attempted English settlement in North America by Walter Raleigh. The colony failed after all of its inhabitants dissapeared. Known as the 'Lost Colony"

Compass

Navigational insturment used for sea and land exploration and navigation.

Printing Press

Invented in the 1540's, allowed for the spread of knowledge and ideas throughout Europe.

Ferdinand and Isabella

King and Queen of Spain, were devoted Catholics. Funded several expeditions for Spain.

Protestant Reformation

Started by Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. Many throughout Europe challenged the Roman Catholic Church, which they saw as currupt.

Henry the Navigator

Prince of Portugal who sponsored many voyages of exploration and improved sailing tools and maps. Established a trade route around Aftrica.

Christopher Columbus

Explorer sponsored by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain to find a new sea route to Asia, and rediscovered the Americas. This lead to further exploration and the Columbian Exchange.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Treaty between Spain and Portugal that split up South America between the two countires with Portugal getting part of what would become Brazil, and Spain the rest of the continent.

Slave Trade

The trade of Native Americans and Africans as slaves. Slaves became crucial to the colonies and development of America.

Nation-State

The idea that the world is governed by independent nations or nation-states. Cultures were the majority of people shared common culture and loyalty twoards a centeral government

Algonquian

The Native American that lived on the land on which Jamestown was built, one of the largest tribes in the north east.

Siouan

One of the largest Native American tribes in the Great Plains.

Iroquois Confederation

A group of five Native American tribes (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca) in the American north-east who united to form an alliance.

Longhouses

The houses in which the Iroquois lived, they housed several families at once and were up to 200ft long.

John Cabot

Sailed under Henry VII of England in 1497, claimed land in North America for England.

Jacques Cartier

French sailor who lead voyages from 1534 to 1542 found modern day Montreal and Quebec. Led to the start of French land claims in the New World.

Samuel de Champlain

Set up the first permanent French Settlement of Quebec in 1608. People came to settle there due to the fur trade.

Henry Hudson

An english sailor who was hired by the Dutch government. He sailed up the Hudson River (named after him) and claimed the land that would later become New Amsterdam for the Dutch.

Bartolome de Las Casas

Wrote about how cruly the Spanish were treating the Native Americans, and eventually his campaigning against this treatment lead to the New Laws of 1542.

Valladolid Debate

Formal debate ( in 1550-1551) between Las Casas and de Sepulveda about the treatment and role of the Native Americans in the Spanish colonies.

Juan Gines de Sepulveda

Argued that the Native Americans were less than human in the Valladolid debate against Las Casas.