Unit 2: Interactions Between American Indians and Europeans (AP US History)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Unit 2: Interactions between American Indians and Europeans.

caste system (Spanish America)

A hierarchical social order based on racial ancestry that placed Indigenous peoples near the bottom and shaped labor and status in Spanish colonies.

Santa Fe (1610)

The capital of the Spanish province of New Mexico established in 1610, serving as a center for colonization and administration.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

A Pueblo Indian uprising against Spanish coercive religious conversion and rule; temporarily expelled Spaniards before they returned years later.

Encomienda system

Spanish labor system that forced Indigenous peoples to provide labor and tribute, often under brutal conditions, in exchange for supposed protection and Christianization.

Coercive religious conversion

Spanish efforts to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity through force or intimidation, contributing to resistance like the Pueblo Revolt.

Spanish subjugation of Indigenous peoples

The Spanish practice of subduing and exploiting Native populations through labor, conversion, and governance structures.

English land encroachment

Expansion of English settlements into Native lands, leading to displacement and conflict with Native communities in the Northeast.

Metacom / King Philip

Wampanoag leader who united several tribes to resist English encroachment; English called him King Philip.

King Philip’s War (1675)

Conflict sparked by English expansion and Native alliances; widespread attacks on colonial settlements and eventual death of Metacom.

English displacement of Native peoples

The process by which English settlers moved into and displaced Native tribes from traditional lands, often through force or removal.

French-Native alliances

Generally cooperative relations where the French viewed natives as trading partners and allies, often marrying into tribes to secure trading rights.

Fur trade posts

French (and to some extent other Europeans) established trading posts rather than large settlements to facilitate the fur trade.

Huron–Iroquois alliances/conflicts

French alliance with the Huron against the Iroquois, illustrating Native political maneuvering and proxy warfare during European colonization.

Mutual exchange: goods and knowledge

Dutch/English provided manufactured goods and tools to Native peoples, while Native groups taught Europeans farming, hunting, and survival techniques.

Intermarriage with Native groups

Spanish and French more likely to intermarry with Native communities to secure alliances; English settlers less inclined to marry Indigenous people.

Diversity of Native groups and resistance

The extensive variety of Native nations and cultures meant there was rarely a unified Native front against European colonization.