2025 HUSH Theme 1 Study Guide

How and when did the first people arrive in the Americas?

• first humans arrived in NA from Asia ~ 15,000 - 17,000 ya

• Bering Land Bridge Theory

• Ltr followed by more migrations

• led to a diversity of distinct cultures from Alaska to Patagonia

What issues do historians and archaeologists face in understanding the history of Native Americans?

• Most relied on oral tradition; few developed record keeping

• European diseases killed off millions of Native Americans

• Most used decomposable building materials

• Subsequent culture intentionally/unintentionally destroyed artifacts

• we have to rely on scientific methods, like carbon-14 dating, which can be broad

What were the dominant Native groups at time of European arrival?

• affiliation through language

• both inter- and intra- group fighting

• The Iroquois Confederacy

• The Algonquian peoples

• The Sioux

• Aztec (mexica) empire

• Inca Empire

Bering Land Bridge Theory

proposes that the first humans migrated from Asia to the Americas across a vast landmass, called Beringia, that existed between Siberia and Alaska during the Ice Age

Oral Tradition

the cultural practice of transmitting knowledge, stories, and beliefs through spoken word

• scholars’ struggles with understanding Native cultures

The Iroquois Confederacy

• ~15th c. - present

• New York State area

• Matriarchal society; longhouses, agriculture;

• powerful mil./pol. alliance enemies of Algonquian 

The Algonquian Peoples

• ~15th c. - present

• Canda, Great Lakes, New England, East Coast US

• “First contact” with English; agriculture, enemies of Iroquois

The Sioux

• ~14th c. - present

• Great Plains USA

• Horseback buffalo hunters; fierce anti-US resistance

Aztec (Mexica) Empire

• ~ 14th c. - 1521 (defeated)

• central mexico

• pol. and mil. all are; monumental stone, architecture, glyphic

Inca Empire

• ~ 13th c. -1572 (defeated)

• Andean South America

• Monumental Stone architecture; knot based record keeping

When and why did European nations begin exploring the world?

• Age of Exploration

• God, Gold, Glory

• Major Eur. nations involed: Portugal, Spain, England, France

How did the “discovery” of the New World affect the Old World and the New World?

• Eur. colonization of the NW was largely benefical to Eurpoe, but disastrous for indigenous and aficans

• Columbian Exchange

• Old World = Eurpore, Asia, Africa

• New World = Americas

Age of Exploration

from 1400s - 1600s European nations explored the world

God

to spread their religion AND/OR to find places to practice their faiths w/ out interference

Gold

to make money, either through mining of gold + sliver or by finding resources that could be sold for profit

Glory

explorers could become famous by discovering new routes or resources and claiming “new” lands for their “mother country”

What came from the OW to the NW in the Columbian Exchange?

• cattle, horses, pigs, wheat, rye 

• sugar, rice

• Small pox 

• Malaria, yellow fever

What came from the NW to the OW in the Columbian Exchange?

• Maize, potatoes, tobacco, beans, squash, peppers, cacao

• cassava, manioc

• syphilis 

What were the effects to the OW.

• NW plants resuled in improved Eur. diet —> longer life expectancy

• NW Gold and Sliver made Eur. nations wealthy 

• NW raw resources enables increased manufacturing

• death of the NW population led to Trans Atlantic slave trade by way of the middle passage

What were the effects to the NW.

• 95% of NW population killed by OW diseases

• Aztec and Inca conquerced and subjugated by spain (A: Cortés I: Pizarro)

• Euros. enslaved and displaced NW  population

• Intro to horses changed lifestyle of NW population

• Euros. and the RCC imposed Xianity, largely destroying indigenous religion

Trans-Atlantic Slave trade

the forced movement of African people across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, lasting from the 15th to the 19th centuries

Middle Passage

the brutal transatlantic voyage that enslaved Africans endured being forcibly transported as part of the Triangle Trade

What role did religion play in the colonization of North America?

• religious freedom motivated many of the early European settler in North America

• The Protestant Reformation

• Some groups saw the “NW” as a place to practice their religions freely

• In, England, Aglicanism became the state religion, others were persecuted

• The crown supported these groups emigrating to and colonizing the NW

• Religious freedom was interpreted very differently by different groups

Puritan/Pilgrims

New England

Quakers

Pennsylvania

Catholics

Maryland

How did different the Pilgrims and MBC interpret religious freedom?

• Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, 1620

• Wrote Mayflower compact

• Here to spread Christianity

• sweat to make a government that follows the law

• Led by William Bradford, John Winthrop

• Colonial gov’t enforced strict laws based in Christian religion

Why did colonial gov’t enforce strict laws based in Christian religion?

MBC was religiously intolerant

Evidence:

• Roger Williams

• Anne Hutchinson

• Mary Dyer

• Salm Witch Trials

Roger Williams

• radical minister who called for

  • separation of church and state

  • rel. toleration

  • fair dealing with NAs

• exiled from MBC

• est. Rhode Island, 1636

• made first synagogue 

Anne Hutchinson

• believed ANYONE (even women) could interpret the bible, not just ministers

  • arrested, tried, convicted adn exiled

  • fled to RI

• Killed by NAs

Mary Dyer

• converted to quakerism

  • arrested, tried, and exiled by MBC

  • returned to MBC to be w/ other Quakers 

• Hanged by MBC 1660

How did Pennsylvania interpret religious freedom?

• Settled in 1682 by Quaker William Penn

• Known as “city of brotherly love”

• believed in fair trade w/ NA

• tolerant: home to the quakers, amish, mennonites, huguenots, etc. 

How did Maryland interpret religious freedom?

• Settled in 1632 by Catholic Lord Baltimore

• Became refugee for Catholics

• Toleration Acts

Toleration Act

protected rights of Christians to practice freely

How did Southern Colonies interpret religious freedom?

• Founding primarily motivated by desire to make profit, not religious freedom

• most = anglicans

• Jamestown (VA)

• 1619 - first ensalved africans

• Cash crop argriculture 

Jamestown (VA)

1607, first permanent English settle ment led by John Smith

Cash Crop agriculture

farm products grown to be sold for money

• dominant: first tobacco, then cotton

Protestant Reformation

a 16th-century religious movement that challenged the authority and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, leading to a schism in Western Christianity and the emergence of Protestantism. Led by Martin Luther

Martin Luther

the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism

Mayflower Compact

first Eur. written form of gov’t in NA

State religion

a religion officially recognized and endorsed by a country's government

sect/denomations

Sect: a religious group that diverges from a mainstream denomination

• EX: the Pilgrims and Puritans

Denominations: a larger, more recognized subset of a religion that operates with broader acceptance within the religious framework, tolerating more diversity in doctrine and practice

• EX: Anglicans, Puritans, Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, and Presbyterians

What was mercantilism?

How?

• 16th - 18th  c. - most Eur. Nations practiced mercantilism 

• Mercantilism is an economic system inn which…

  • goal =  accumalte of gold/sliver

  • how? by establishing a “favorable balance of trade” by exporting finished goods

• Mother Countries (MC) devs. industry to create finished products

What was mercantilism?

• 16th - 18th c. - most Eur. Nations practiced mercantilism

• Mercantilism is an economic system in which…How?

by establishing a “favorable balance of trade” by exporting finished goods

• Mother Countries (MC) devs. industry to create finished products

What was mercantilism?

problem?

MC needs more raw materials

What was mercantilism?

• 16th - 18th c. - most Eur. Nations practiced mercantilism

• Mercantilism is an economic system in which…

Solution?

MC creates colonies in regs. rich in natural resources

• banned colonies from trading w/ other countries

How did mercantilism affect England?

• cols. in N. America, S. Asia

• cols. provide raw materials: fur, oil, timer, tobacco, indigo, cotton, tea

• Eng. industrialized to more process raw materials into finished products

• Eng. exported finished products to the colonies, other countries for profit

• enacted Navigation Acts

• Eng → industrial powerhouse

Navigation Acts

• cols. can only supply Eng.

• cols. must buy from Eng. 

How did mercantilism affect Spain?

• cols. in N. and S. America 

• cols. provided, gold, sliver

• Sp. used wealth to import finished products 

• Sp. never industrialized

• Sp. → declined as a world power

What role did companies play in the col. of NA?

• joint stock companies

• Monarch issued a Charter (permission) to companythe 

  • could tax colonists, trade

  • new raw resources for industry

• EX: Virgina Company & MBC

• Eng. cols. provided raw materials that enables Eng. mercantilism and industrialization

Joint Stock Company

form a company (corporation) and contribute $$ to fund voyage and settlement; earn dividends froom col.subsequent trade

• limited individual financial risk

Virgina Company

• 1606 - share holders = Anglican London Merchants

  • given a charter by King James I

  • goal: open land, profit

  • 3 boats, 104 settles (including John Smith)

  • est’d. Jamestown 1607

  • Exports: corn, tobacco

  • cash crop agriculture led to rural expansion

MBC

• 1629 - shareholder = puritans

  • inspired by success of separatists (pilgrims) at Plymouth

  • goal: profit AND religious freedom

  • led by John Winthrop

  • 1630s - ~ 20k immigrated

  • exports: whale oil, timber, fish

  • maritime industries led to coastal urbanization

Whats a charter?

• could tax colonists, trade

• new raw resources for industry

Triangular Trade

system of trade from NW → Eur → Africa moving raw, finshed products, and slavery

What came from N. Amer. to Africa? (Tri Trade)

• rum, iron, gunpowder, tools

What cam from N. Amer to Europe? (Tri Trade)

• whale oil, lumbar furs, rice, silks, indigo, tobacco

• sugar, molasses, wood

What came from Africa to Europe? (Tri Trade)

• gold, ivory, spices, hardwoods

What came from Europe to Africa? (Tri Trade)

• guns, cloth, iron, beer

What came from Africa to N. Amer.? (Tri Trade)

• enslave people

What came from Europe to N. Amer?

• manufactured goods, luxuries

shareholders

an owner of shares in a company

corporation

a legal business entity, separate from its owners, offering limited liability and perpetual existence

dividends

a distribution of a portion of a company's earnings to its shareholders

Industrialization

the development of industries in a country or region on a wide scale

What does H.A.P.P.Y stand for?

• Historical Context

• Audience (intended)

• PoV (author’s)

• Purpose (author’s)

• Y is it significant