Unit One: 1491–1607 – Exploration, Contact, and Colonization

This deck covers the essential vocabulary for AP U.S. History Unit One, focusing on pre-Columbian Native societies, the causes and consequences of European exploration, and the early Spanish colonization of the Americas. Key terms include concepts like the Columbian Exchange, Encomienda System, and Maize Cultivation, as well as important figures and institutions such as Bartolomé de Las Casas and the Casta System. Use this deck to build a strong foundation for understanding how contact between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans shaped the Americas before 1607.

Columbian Exchange

The global exchange of plants, animals, people, diseases, and technologies between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (Americas) after 1492. It greatly impacted agriculture, ecosystems, and cultures on both sides, leading to significant social and economic changes.

Encomienda System

Definition: A Spanish labor system that gave colonists the right to extract forced labor from Native Americans in exchange for "Christianizing" them.

Maize Cultivation

Definition: The growing of corn, a staple crop first developed by Indigenous people in Mexico and Central America.was a key agricultural practice that supported the diets and economies of many civilizations in the Americas.

Casta System

Definition: A racial classification system used by the Spanish to organize colonial society based on racial ancestry.

Joint-Stock Company

Definition: A business structure where investors pooled money to fund overseas exploration and colonization, sharing in profits and losses.It allowed for the funding of expeditions through shared financial risk and was crucial in the establishment of English colonies in America.

. Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish priest and former encomendero who became an advocate for Native rights.

Animism

Definition: A spiritual belief system practiced by many Native American tribes, in which natural elements (animals, rivers, mountains) possess a spiritual essence

. “Three G’s”: Gold, Glory, God

Definition: The main motivations for European exploration and colonization of the New World.