AP US HISTORY - Chapter 1-2

Christopher Columbus

Spanish colonizer who discovered the New World in 1492 on Hispaniola for God, glory, and gold.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of goods, people, and ideas between the New World and Europe starting in 1492 across the Atlantic Ocean.

First Americans

Groups like the Aztecs, Hopi, and Zuni who depended on intricate trade systems and hunting-gathering, migrating to the Americas 15,000 to 60,000 years ago.

First Americans - Interaction with Europeans

Natives like the Aztecs and Inca interacted with Europeans for trade and often violent reasons starting in 1492.

Spanish Exploration

Conquistadors who led conquests in the New World from 1492, primarily in Mexico, motivated by God, glory, and gold.

French Exploration

European colonizers who settled in North America, trading furs and forming alliances with Natives, starting in 1608.

English Colonization

Settlers who established colonies like Jamestown in 1607, motivated by escape from England and resource acquisition.

Jamestown

Colony in Virginia led by John Smith, who maintained order to prevent conflicts with Native Americans.

Pocahontas

Daughter of Powhatan, captured by the English and married John Rolfe, served as a mediator between her tribe and the English.

John Rolfe

English colonist who introduced tobacco to Virginia in 1622 for profit.

Tobacco

Virginia's "gold," a cash crop that increased demand for labor.

Maryland

Settlement established in 1632 for tobacco production.

Puritans

Religious group that branched off from the Church of England, believing in predestination, settled in New England after the Protestant Reformation.

Headright System

Land grant system in Jamestown giving 50 acres to colonists who paid for their own or others' passage in the 17th century.

Pilgrims

English settlers who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620, seeking religious freedom and self-governance through the Mayflower Compact.

Anne Hutchinson

Educated woman who challenged Massachusetts ministers in 1634, leading to her trial in 1637.

Halfway Covenant

1632 agreement allowing "half-members" in the church to address declining congregations in Massachusetts.

Native American Slavery

Forced labor system initiated by the Portuguese in 1492, exploiting Native tribes in the New World.

African American Slavery

Forced labor of Africans established by the Portuguese in 1498 to replace dying Native American slaves.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish priest who denounced the mistreatment of Native Americans in 1542.

Black Legend

Negative portrayal of Spain's treatment of Native Americans, promoted by Las Casas in 1542.

Indentured Servants

English emigrants who worked for a master under contract in the 16th-17th century as a labor source.

Mayflower Compact

1620 document signed by Pilgrims for self-governance in their new settlement.

Spanish-Native American Relations

Exploitative interactions with tribes like the Aztecs and Incas starting in 1492.

English-Native American Relations

Displacement of Native Americans for personal gain during the 17th century.

French-Native American Relations

Fur trading and occasional religious conversion with Canadian and Caribbean natives starting in 1608.