Unit 1 Overview Time Period: ~1491–1607 Focus: Native American societies before European contact, European exploration, and the effects of contact (Columbian Exchange, colonization, etc.)

What are some characteristics of the Great Plains Native American tribes?

Nomadic, relied heavily on the buffalo, used tepees, and developed mobile lifestyles.

How did Native Americans in the Northeast (e.g., Iroquois) live?

Lived in longhouses, practiced mixed agriculture and hunting, and formed political alliances like the Iroquois Confederacy.

What allowed for complex Native societies in the Southwest (e.g., Pueblo)?

Irrigation systems for agriculture, especially maize cultivation.

What was the main motivation for European exploration?

God (spread of Christianity), Gold (wealth), and Glory (power/prestige).

What was the significance of 1492?

Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, beginning sustained European contact.

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The transfer of plants, animals, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old and New Worlds.

What was one major consequence of the Columbian Exchange for Native Americans?

Exposure to European diseases like smallpox led to massive population decline.

How did the Columbian Exchange affect Europe?

New crops (like maize and potatoes) increased food supply and population.

What animals introduced by Europeans transformed Native lifestyles?

Horses, pigs, and cattle.

What was the encomienda system?

A Spanish labor system that granted colonists control over Native labor in exchange for "Christianizing" them.

How did Native Americans resist European colonization?

Armed conflict, alliances, preserving culture, and fleeing.

What was the role of Bartolomé de las Casas?

A Spanish priest who criticized the mistreatment of Natives and advocated for their rights.

What is the "Black Legend"?

The idea that the Spanish only brought misery, disease, and death to the Americas.

How did the French approach colonization?

Focused on trade (especially fur), alliances with Natives, and fewer settlers.

What was a key difference between Spanish and English colonization?

The Spanish integrated with Native populations more (intermarriage), while the English were more segregated.

What was the role of African slavery during this period?

Began increasing as Native populations declined; transatlantic slave trade started in the 1500s.

What is a "joint-stock company"?

A business model used by English investors to fund exploration and colonization with shared risk/reward.

How did European contact alter Native gender roles?

European norms sometimes clashed with matrilineal Native societies, undermining women's roles.

What role did religion play in colonization?

Conversion of Natives was a major justification for colonization, especially by Spain.

Why is 1607 a turning point in APUSH?

Founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America