APUSH Unit 1 (1491–1607): Indigenous North America Before Contact—Societies and Regional Diversity (copy)

Human-environment interaction

The way people adjust to and alter their surroundings, including climate, plants, animals, and geography.

Three Sisters

A set of complementary crops—corn, beans, and squash—widely cultivated in North America that exemplifies sustainable agriculture.

Culturally and politically diverse

The varied cultures and political systems of Indigenous communities in North America by 1491, reflecting complexity and adaptation.

Kinship

Social relationships based on family ties that organize inheritance, marriage, and obligations within Indigenous communities.

Confederacies

Political alliances among multiple Indigenous nations that allowed for coordinated diplomacy and defense while preserving local autonomy.

Social stratification

The organization of society into unequal social levels, such as elites, commoners, and enslaved individuals.

Trade networks

Extensive systems established by Indigenous peoples to connect distant regions for the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies.

Irrigation

A farming method involving the artificial application of water to land to assist in the growing of crops, particularly in arid regions.

Land tenure

The system governing how land is owned or controlled, which can vary greatly among Indigenous peoples, often being communal rather than private.

Agriculture and chiefdoms

A social structure in the Southeast where settled agriculture supported dense populations and centralized leadership under a chief.

Diversity of the Inidgenous peoples

The range of languages, cultures, and political identities among Indigenous societies in North America before European contact.

Seasonal mobility

A strategy employed by Indigenous groups in resource-scarce areas, involving planned movements to access food based on harvest cycles.

Mound-building

One of the cultural traditions of the Mississippian society characterized by constructing large earth mounds, often for ceremonial purposes.

Mississippi River Valley

Region known for fertile land that supported intensive agriculture, large settlements, and complex political organization prior to European contact.

Pacific Northwest

Region characterized by abundant marine resources, leading to large settlements and complex social structures based on fishing.

Cahokia

A major pre-contact urban center in the Mississippi River Valley known for its significant agricultural and political developments.

Hopi and Zuni

Indigenous groups in the Southwest known for developing irrigation farming and distinctive pueblo dwelling structures.

The Great Plains

Region where Indigenous groups often combined agriculture with hunting, particularly focused on bison and other game.

Great Basin

A dry region that encouraged smaller groups and seasonal movement to access limited resources.

Arctic and Subarctic

Regions characterized by harsh climates that necessitated advanced hunting and fishing technologies for survival.

Northeast and Iroquois Confederacy

A region known for mixed agricultural practices and a powerful alliance system that organized many Indigenous societies.