Native American Cultures, European Exploration, and Colonial Foundations

Nomadic groups

First peoples to arrive in the Americas (~33,000 years ago) who crossed the Bering Land Bridge.

Diverse Native American cultures

Developed due to adaptation to different environments (climate, resources, geography).

Pueblo civilization

Developed in the Southwest.

Mississippian civilization

Developed in the Mississippi River Valley (Cahokia).

Maize

Important crop that supported larger populations, permanent settlements, and complex societies.

Environmental adaptation

Led to distinct cultures, social structures, and technologies among Native tribes.

Plains tribes

Lived by following buffalo, in tipis, and were highly mobile.

Columbus's motivation

Sailed in 1492 motivated by God, Gold, and Glory.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old World and New World.

Economic benefits of Columbian Exchange

Europe gained new crops (maize, potatoes, tobacco) leading to population growth; Americas received horses, cattle, and sugar cultivation.

European diseases

Caused massive demographic collapse among Native populations due to smallpox, measles, and other Old World diseases.

Exploration focus of Spain and Portugal

Concentrated on South America; Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) divided territory between them.

Triangle Trade

The interconnected system of Europe, Africa, and the Americas involved in trade, migration, and cultural exchange.

Jamestown

The first permanent English colony established in 1607.

John Rolfe

Saved Jamestown economically by introducing tobacco cultivation.

Pilgrims

Settled in Plymouth (1620) seeking religious freedom and created the Mayflower Compact for early self-government.

Puritans

Religious reformers who wanted to purify the Church of England and established 'City upon a Hill' (John Winthrop) in Massachusetts Bay.

Key early Spanish settlements

Included St. Augustine (1565), Santo Domingo (1498), and San Juan, Puerto Rico (1521).

William Penn

Founded Pennsylvania in 1681 as a Quaker colony promoting religious tolerance.

Encomienda System

Led to forced Native labor, exploitation, population decline, and contributed to mestizo culture.

Labor systems in English colonies

Included indentured servants and African slavery.

Bacon's Rebellion

Led to the shift from indentured servants to African slavery due to instability of poor settlers and high labor demand from tobacco plantations.

Middle Passage

Brutal transatlantic journey transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Social hierarchy in the South

Consisted of plantation elite, small farmers, landless whites, and enslaved Africans.

New England society

Characterized by family-centered communities, town meetings, longer lifespans, patriarchal structure, and less disease.

First Great Awakening

Religious revival in the 1730s-1740s led by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

Impact of the Great Awakening

Created new denominations, emphasized personal faith, and challenged established authority.

Benjamin Franklin

Writer, scientist, inventor who promoted libraries, science, and Poor Richard's Almanack.

Education's role in colonial society

Institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton promoted literacy, intellectual growth, and political and civic awareness.

French & Indian War opponents

French and Indian allies vs. British, colonial, and some Indian allies.

Start of the French & Indian War

Began in 1754 over the Ohio River Valley dispute.

George Washington

Led Virginia militia at Fort Necessity and surrendered to the French.

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin's proposal for colonial home rule, rejected by colonies and London.

Change in colonial-British relations

Post-war, ended Salutary Neglect, leading to increased British control and taxation, causing colonial resentment and a path to Revolution.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Resulted in France losing North American territories, Britain becoming dominant, and Spain receiving Louisiana.

Pontiac's Rebellion

Native resistance to British policies after the French loss in 1763.

Proclamation of 1763

Closed lands west of the Appalachians, ignored by settlers, undermining British authority.