Early American History: Native Cultures, European Exploration, and Colonial Systems

Great Basin

Dry region between the Sierra Nevada & Rockies, where the Natives (Shoshone) hunted/gathered with few resources.

Great Plains

Flat grasslands; Natives (Sioux) hunted bison, became nomadic after horses.

Columbian Exchange

the transfer of plants, diseases, people, and resources between the Americas and Europe/Africa

Joint-stock Companies

Businesses with many investors sharing risk/profit; funded colonization (e.g., Virginia Co.).

Encomienda System

Spanish forced Native labor in return for 'protection' & conversion; often abusive.

Caste System

Spanish colonial social hierarchy based on race; Spaniards on top, Natives/Africans on bottom.

Reasons for Exploration

Europeans wanted trade, wealth, land, Christianity → 'God, Gold, Glory.'

Diseases

 European diseases like smallpox devastated Native American populations further leading to its collapse and aiding European conquest.

Horses

Brought by Spanish; revolutionized Plains Native life, hunting, and warfare.

Slave Trade

The forced transport of Africans to the Americas, fueling the economy, and increasing racial inequality.

Mestizo

Person of mixed European & Indigenous ancestry.

Bartolomé de las Casas

Spanish priest who opposed Native enslavement and defended Indigenous rights.