Unit 1 (1491-1607)

Main idea of unit: the Americas were filled with native populations and civilizations before the Europeans came. In fact, many of them were just as advanced as the Europeans. However, Europeans used their superior weapons (guns) and disease to colonize the Americas. The exploited the Native Americans in many horrible ways.

The Silk Route

A network of trade routes connecting the East and West, facilitating the exchange of goods, culture, and ideas between China, India, Persia, and Europe.

Important: Led Europeans to look elsewhere for trade routes; began the Age of Exploration in Europe

Americas before Columbus

The discovery of the Americas did not begin with Christopher Columbus

In 1491, more people lived in the Americas than Europe

Indian population in the Americas between 90-110 million

Most elaborate early civilizations emerged in South America, Central America and Mexico

Mayans

Was a advanced group of natives with their own language, writing, calendar, etc. One of the greatest civilizations in Western Hemisphere.

Located in central America

Later declined due to overpopulation and lack of resources

Aztecs

Aztecs took over once the Mayans diminished

Located in central Mexico

Most well known for city of Tenochtitlan- larger and cleaner than Paris. Had schools, public buildings, medical systems, etc.

Cahokia

Another advanced native civilization. Greatest Indian community North of Mexico. AKA “City of the Sun”

Lots of advanced things, but most well known for the Monk Mounds, which were large earthen structures used for worship.

Located in Illinois

Algonquian Tribes

Several tribes, located all over Canada and America. They were a mix of hunter-gatherers and agricultural people. Permanent settlements.

United by the same language

Valued freedom and democracy- many European colonizers left villages to join their less rigid social structure.

Iroquois Tribes

Also known as 5 Nations

Valued warfare and glory

the oldest living participatory democracy in the world

America’s political system was influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy

The Spanish and Portugal

The only two nations at the time to be engaged in world-wide exploration (before the English)

Spain was economically dominant in Europe

Christopher Columbus

Explorer for Spain

Wanted to find new route west to Asia (other way around globe) in order to acquire riches and spices

Landed in the Caribbeans instead of Indies

Taino Indians

Largest group of indigenous people in the Caribbean Islands 

They fought back against the Spanish and raided Spanish Forts.

Spanish were heavily armed & brought diseases which led to the decimation of the Taino Indians

Conquistadors

Spanish and Portuguese explorers and soldiers who, in the 15th-17th centuries, conquered vast territories in the Americas for Spain and Portugal, driven by desires for gold, land, glory, and spreading Christianity

Encomiendas

a grant of Indian labor by the Spanish Crown to a conquistador or friar to reward for services to the Crown

The receiver of the grant was to teach the Indians the Christian faith & the Spanish language

Mechanism of “labor control” – gave the illusion that Indians were still free

Native peoples were forced into hard labor & subjected to torture and extreme abuse

Bartolome de Las Casas

Advocated for Indian rights and tried to protect them from the encomienda system and the Spanish

Encouraged the use of African Americans instead, but later also relented this idea due to the terrible treatment of African Americans.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Treaty that divided the newly discovered lands between Portugal & Spain

Pope Alexander VI declared all new lands west of the line to be Spain’s

All new lands east of the line to be Portugal’s

Hernando Cortes

A well know Spanish conquistador that took over the Aztecs

Made alliances with rival Indigenous tribes to exploit internal divisions within the Aztecs

Unknowingly, the Spanish had exposed the natives to smallpox which allowed Cortes to take over the empire

Pueblo Revolt

Spanish claimed lands of the Pueblo people in present day New Mexico. They founded Santa Fe.

The Pueblos revolted against the Spanish due to forced conversion to Catholicism, destruction of native religious sites, harsh labor demands, violence, and drought.

Drove the Spanish out but they came back 12 years later to reclaim the land.

Considered the largest and most successful Native American Rebellion.

Columbian Exchange

Exchange between New World and Old World

Natives got: Livestock, plants; sugar cane and bluegrasses, steel; guns and the wheel, and disease.

Europeans got: food & plants; tobacco, potatoes, corn, beans, and disease; syphilis (not as deadly as all the diseases Europeans gave Natives.

Defeat of Spanish Armada

Cemented England's rise as a major naval power, boosted Protestantism, and marked a turning point in European dominance from Spain to England, paving the way for English colonialism and challenging Spain's vast empire

Why did Europeans want to move to Americas?

Nautical Revolution & Technological Improvements

spread of religion- Protestant Reformation, English Reformation, Puritan Separatists, etc.

Scarce land in England

Mercantilism- need raw materials for that

Asiento System

Natives died because of disease, Spanish decided to start importing West Africans for labor, paid tax to king for each slave.