APUSH Period 1 Review

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of disease, plants, and animals between the Old World and the New World after Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.

Bering Land Bridge

A land bridge that connected Eurasia and North America, allowing the first people to inhabit North and South America to migrate across.

Encomienda System

A system in Spanish colonies where natives were forced to work on land owned by Spaniards in exchange for "care" and conversion to Catholicism.

Middle Passage

The shipping route that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas, known for its inhumane conditions and high mortality rates.

Spanish Caste System

A social hierarchy in Spanish colonies that placed pure-blooded Spaniards at the top, mixed heritage individuals in the middle, and pure Africans and Native Americans at the bottom.

Valladolid Debate

A formal debate over the roles of Native Americans in Spanish colonies, highlighting differing opinions on their treatment and rights.

English Colonization

The establishment of English colonies in North America, marked by strained relationships with Native Americans and the disappearance of the Roanoke Island colony in 1590.