APUSH Periods 1 + 2 Key Concepts and Events and Key People

European settlers in South, Central, and North America

Spain initially colonized the Americas.

Maize Cultivation

agricultural practices based primarily on the cultivation of maize, which is Indian corn; Supported economic development from Mexico to American southwest; Allowed social diversification and urban development; Hunting/gathering did same for Northwest

Foraging/hunting

Nomadic societies, most or all food obtained from wild plants and animals by foraging and hunting.

Iroquois

A native tribal group in upstate New York, including 5 nations - Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, Onondaga, and Oneida.

Algonquian

Among the largest Native American language groups, dominating the East Coast from Canada to Virginia. Algonquian tribal groups had women tend fields while men fought and hunted.

Columbian Exchange

the transfer of plants, animals, and disease between the American and Europe, Asia and Africa; the reason why Indian nations collapsed and European colonies thrived after Columbus’ arrival in the New World in 1492

West Africa/slave labor to the Americas

the demand for workers was soon greater than the indentured servants were willing to do, and over time the cost of slave fell, and many servants terms were up, so many turned to slave labor

Encomienda System

system in Spanish America that gave settlers the right to tax local Indians or to demand their labor in exchange for protecting them and teaching them skills; demonstrated one of the first protests against slavery and mistreatment of Natives.

Juan de Sepulveda

an outstanding example of the “Renaissance man”. A Spaniard who studied in the cradle of the Renaissance, Italy, he achieved fame as a theologian, philosopher, historian, and astronomer.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish missionary who was disgusted and outraged by the poor treatment of Native Americans especially the encomienda system. Significance: -Advocated for the rights of Native America s to King Charles of Spain.

Maroon Communities

a group of formerly enslaved Africans and their descendants who gained their freedom by fleeing chattel enslavement and running to the safety and cover of the remote mountains or the dense overgrown tropical terrains near the plantations.

Colonization

The expansion of countries into other areas where they establish settlements, control the people, and use the resources; occurs whenever there is a large-scale migration of any one or more groups of people to a colonial area.

Atlantic Slave Trade

Slave trade where Europeans enslaved Africans. Began in 700's due to labor shortages. After colonization of Americas, more slaves were needed to harvest sugarcane and other crops. African kingdoms traded slaves for European goods.

New England Colonies

English colonies that became the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire

Chesapeake colonies/North Carolina

(Southern Colonies) included Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. Had a cash crop agriculture, slavery was important, mostly illiterate, Protestant, very isolated, high death rates and unstable families. 1653, Virginians charter issued by Charles II, agricultural and riches

Southern colonies/Birtish Islands in the West Indies

Southern colonies included Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia Had a cash crop agriculture, slavery was important, mostly illiterate, Protestant, very isolated, high death rates and unstable families. Were the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire. In 1912, the British West Indies were divided into eight colonies: The Bahamas, Barbados, British Guiana, British Honduras, Jamaica (with its dependencies the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands), Trinidad and Tobago, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands

Staple Crops

Profitable market crops; corn, beans, squash were some staple crops.

Wool Act

Act that happened in 1699 that prohibited the exportation of colonial woolen cloth, but not its manufacture for local sale.

Molasses Act

a British law that imposed a tax on molasses, sugar, and rum imported from non-British foreign colonies into the North American colonies.

Pueblo Revolt

A 1680 uprising of the Pueblo Indians against the Spanish who ruled the southwest. It was caused by instability in the region.

“Atlantic World”

A vast network of connections that increased globalization. The Atlantic World was centered around the Atlantic Ocean, and included Africa, Europe, and the New World. Slaves, goods, materials, and culture were exchanged.

Anglicization

the colonial american desire to emulate English society, including English taste in foods, customs, and architecture.

Casta System

Social structure created to control the colonies and keep the Spaniards in power; a system of segregation of people who are born into a caste and stay for life regardless of ability. Affected aspects of everyday life (economics and taxation)

Mulatto

A mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent. Mulattoes were found primarily in the South, where White and African-American populations were in closer proximity and thus the odds of having a mixed-race child increased.

Metis

Children of marriages between indian women and french traders who sometimes became traders, guides, or interpreters.

Navigation Acts

This Act required that all European goods that were to be sent to any of the colonies (including the 13 original) had to go through England first, in order to make sure that all foreign imports to the colonies were paying proper taxes on those goods.

Great Awakening

This was a period of religious revival promoted by religious leaders such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. It was characterized by corporate prayer, doctrine, emotionalism, music, open air meetings, testimonies, emphasis on the Holy Spirit, and social action.

Republicanism

the ideology of governing the nation as a republic, where the head of state is not appointed through hereditary means, but usually through an election , A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people.