APUSH - Period 1

Important Vocab for Period 1

Black Legend

A style of historical writing that demonizes the Spanish Empire, often used by rivals to damage its reputation

Colombian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered much of the Americas and Asia for the Spanish Empire

Bartolome De Las Casas

A 16th-century Spanish friar known for his advocacy for the rights of indigenous peoples and criticism of the encomienda system

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system that rewarded conquerors with the labor of particular groups of indigenous people

Vasco De Gama

A Portuguese explorer who reached India by sea, opening up direct trade between Europe and Asia

Maize

A staple crop of indigenous peoples in the Americas that supported large populations and complex societies

Pueblo (Pope’s) Rebellion

An 1680 uprising of the Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico

Three-Sister Farming

An agricultural system where corn, beans, and squash are grown together to maximize yields

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal aimed at settling conflicts over lands newly discovered or explored by Columbus

Hernán Cortéz

A Spanish conquistador who led to the defeat of the Aztec empire

Aztecs

A powerful Native American empire in central Mexico that was conquered by Hernán Cortéz in 1521

Agricultural Revolution

Major shift from hunting to farming, allowing for growth and civilizations

Caravel

Portuguese sailing ship used for long distance travel

Samuel De Champlain

French explorer who founded Quebec, the first permanent French colony in America