APUSH Period 1 - Heimler's History

Flashcards about Unit 1 of the AP US History curriculum

What is the big picture of Unit 1 in AP US History?

To understand the societal makeup of the Americas before European arrival and the effects of European arrival on them.

What is the main takeaway regarding Native American societies before European arrival?

Native Americans were a diverse people with diverse societies based on their environments.

Where did the Pueblo people live, and what were they known for?

Utah and Colorado; farming (beans, squash, maize), advanced irrigation, urban centers, cliff dwellings.

Where did the nomadic hunter-gatherer groups live, and what was a good example of one of these groups?

Great Basin and Great Plains (Colorado to Canada);The Ute people

How did native peoples along the Northwest and Pacific coast live?

Permanent settlements due to abundant fish, small game, and plant life (e.g., Chumash in California, Chinook in the Pacific Northwest).

Where did the Iroquois people live, and what were their homes like?

Northeast; longhouses constructed from timber.

Where did the Cahokia civilization live, and what was significant about them?

Mississippi River Valley; a large civilization (10,000-30,000 people) with a centralized government.

What changes were European kingdoms undergoinf from the 1300s to 1400s?

Political unification and stronger, more centralized states governed by monarchs.

Which country was the first European mover in establishing sea-based routes for trade?

Portugal.

What does 'maritime' mean?

Having to do with the sea.

What technologies did the Portuguese adapt and deploy?

Updated astronomical charts, astrolabe, new ship designs, lateen sail, stern post rudder.

What motivated Spain to enter the maritime game?

The desire to spread Catholic Christianity and seek new economic opportunities after the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Who was Christopher Columbus, and what did he do?

An Italian sailor who sailed west for Spain in 1492 and landed in the Caribbean, initiating European exploration of the New World.

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The transfer of people, animals, plants, and diseases from the East to the West and from the West to the East.

What foods were transferred from the Americas to Europe?

Potatoes, tomatoes, and maize.

What animals were transferred FROM the Americas?

Turkeys

What consequences resulted from the influx of wealth from the Americas into Europe?

A shift from feudalism to a more capitalistic system.

What is capitalism?

An economic system based on private ownership and free exchange.

What is a joint-stock company?

A limited liability organization in which investors pool money to fund a venture, sharing profits and risks.

What economic system did the Spanish introduce to harness agricultural ambition?

Encomienda system.

Why did the Spanish import African slave laborers?

To replace the native population, who were dying off due to disease and were escaping enslavement.

What was the casta system?

A system of social classes in Spanish America based on racial ancestry, with peninsulares at the top.

Who were the peninsulares?

Spaniards that were born in Spain.

Give examples of how Europeans and Natives adopted practices and customs from each others cultures?

The natives taught the English how to hunt in the forest and how to cultivate maize, and the natives adopted iron tools and weapons introduced by the English.

How did Europeans justify the exploitation of Native Americans?

Believing Native Americans were less than human and that they benefited from harsh labor conditions.

Who was Bartolomé de las Casas?

A priest who defended the humanity of Native Americans and persuaded the king to pass laws ending their slavery.

How did Europeans justify the exploitation of African laborers?

Through a biblical interpretation that linked black skin to the curse of Ham, claiming Africans were destined to be slaves.