JW - APUSH Period 1 & 2 Flashcards

Who were the Pueblo people?

A group of Native Americans who lived in the modern-day Arizona/New Mexico area.

What were the Plains tribes?

Nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived on the midwest plains from Texas to Canada.

What was happening in Europe in the 1500s and 1600s that led to the discovery of the Americas? (2)

1) Europe’s governments were centralizing into monarchies, which led to the creation of a wealthy noble class who wanted expensive stuff from Asia. However, the land routes were controlled by Muslims, so they wanted to find another way to get there.

2) Spain retook the Iberian peninsula from the Muslims. Their new power and sense of accomplishment led them to look for more economic opportunities

What is a trading post empire?

An empire that takes control of coastal trade routes through trading posts rather than large inland territories

Who was Christopher Columbus?

He was an Italian sailer sponsored by Spain to sail west and find another way to Asia. He landed in the Caribbean in 1492 and returned home with stories of the wealth of the inhabitants.

What was the Columbian exchange?

the transfer of people, plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and Europe

What was smallpox and why was it important?

Smallpox was a disease. Europeans unwittingly brought it to the Americas, whose inhabitants had never contacted it and were therefore extremely susceptible to it. Smallpox wiped out a large percentage of the Native American population, making it easier for Europeans to conquer them.

What was feudalism and why was it important?

Feudalism was when peasants work on a noble’s land in exchange for his protection. Due to the columbian Exchange, Feudalism in Europe eventually shifted to capitalism.

What was a joint-stock company?

A joint-stock company was when many investors pooled their money to fund something (usually an expedition). If it went well, everyone got a share of the profit, and if it went badly, nobody was too badly hurt

what was the encomienda system, why didn’t it work (2), and what were the consequences?

when the Spanish enslaved Native people to farm and mine for them. It didn’t work because the Natives knew the land better than they did and found ways to escape, and they kept dying of smallpox. This led to the increased usage of African slaves in the Americas.

What was the Caste or Casta system?

The racial higherarchy in Spanish America.

What were Mestizos?

People in Spanish America with both Spanish and Native blood.

What was the European justification for their treatment of the Native people?

They argued that Native Americans were less than human, and therefore deserved to be enslaved.

What was the European justification for their treatment of the African people?

They believed Africans were descendants of Kanan, a man in the Bible. He sinned against Noah, his father, and Noah in return cursed Kanan’s son and all his descendants to be slaves for the rest of their lives.

What were the Spanish’s main goals in the Americas, and how did they accomplish them?

The Spanish’s goals in the Americas were to find gold, make money, and spread Christianity. They achieved this by developing social structures to meet their labor needs and assert control over indigenous people

Why were the French and Dutch colonies in the Americas different from the Spanish?

The French and Dutch brought fewer people than the Spanish, and cooperated with the indigenous people rather than try and take them over.

How were the British colonies in the Americas different from the Spanish?

The British pushed out the Native Americans and moved into their spaces rather than take them over

What was the Dutch and French colonies’ source of profit?

the beaver fur trade with Native Americans

Why did British people want to move to the colonies? (4)

Social mobility, money, religious freedom, and improved living conditions

What was indentured servitude?

In exchange for passage to to the New World, you promise to work, usually for 7 years, then you get land and your freedom.

What was the Middle Passage?

The leg of the Triangular trade that carried slaves from West Africa to the British West Indies. Known for brutal conditions and the high mortality rate.

What was the Mayflower Compact?

Signed 1620; It was an agreement signed by the passengers of the Mayflower to establish a majority-rules government in the new colony of Plymouth

What was the Barbados Slave Code?

A set of laws implemented in the British West Indies to completely strip slaves and Black workers of all rights and give White planters complete control over them

What was the Triangular Trade?

A major transatlantic trade route that takes rum from the colonies to West Africa to trade for slaves, who are then transported via the Middle Passage to the British West Indies to trade for sugarcane, which is then taken to the colonies to be made into rum, and so on.

What was mercantilism and what role did the colonies play in it?

The idea that there is a limited amount of wealth in the world, and the goal in life is accumulate as much wealth as possible by maximizing exports while minimizing imports. Colonies exist entirely to provide raw materials and a finished-goods market for their mother country

What were the Navigation Acts and how did the colonists view them?

Passed 1650s-1660s, they were a set of laws that restricted how and with whom the colonies could trade. They saw it was an infringement upon their economic independence, but they also largely ignored it.

What was salutary neglect and how did it affect the British colonies?

an unofficial British policy of laxly enforcing their laws, especially the Navigation acts. Colonists largely felt independant and got used to ignoring British laws

what was the Headright system?

A land grant program originating in Jamestown to attract settlers; A planter received 50 acres of land, called a head, for himself as well as an extra 50 for every family member, servant, or slave he brought with him

what was the “starving time”?

When the settlers of Jamestown didn’t plant food enough for the winter and many starved

What was the Pequot War?

A conflict between the Pequot tribe and English settlers in New England from 1636 to 1638; began due to tensions arising over competition for land and trade. Lead to the near destruction of the Pequot tribe.

What was the “City on a Hill” as a concept?

The 'City on a Hill' is a phrase from a sermon by John Winthrop in 1630, referring to the ideal vision of a society governed by Christian values and a model for others to follow.

What was the Stono Uprising and how did it influence American planters?

1739; A group of slaves met at the Stono River in South Carolina attacked the region (burned homes, killed white people, etc.) South Carolina Militia met and crushed it. Planters became increasingly afraid that their slaves would revolt as well, and slave codes became harsher

What was Bacon’s Rebellion and what was the larger effect of it on the American Colonies?

1676, Jamestown; Land was becoming scarce, so indentured servants weren’t getting the land they were promised when they finished their contracts. They seemed to be causing trouble, so governor William Berkley suspended their voting rights. In response, some landless farmers led by Nathaniel Bacon attacked Indian settlements because they wanted the government to take a stronger stance against the Natives, then went after Berkley, who fled, but returned and crushed the rebellion after Bacon’s death. White people lost their trust in indentured servants not to revolt, which led to an increased reliance on African slave labor

What is chattel slavery?

When the slaves are considered property, like cattle

Who was Bartolomé de las Casas?

A Spanish priest who lived among Native Americans and began to see them as humans worth protecting. He convinced the king to end Native slavery, but the rich landowners soon overturned him

Who was Juan de Oñate?

A Spanish explorer and conquistador who explored the New Mexico area in the late 1500s and established Santa Fe.

Who were the 2 main leaders of the First Great Awakening?

George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards

What was the message of the First Great Awakening?

To encourage all people respond to God on a personal and emotional level rather than just through actions and words

What was the First Great Awakening and what affect did it have on the rest of American History?

The First Great Awakening was a mass religious revival in the colonies in the 1730s and 40s. It began to give Americans a sense of common identity, which helped them unify against the British 30 years later

How did the Enlightenment affect the American Colonies?

It brought the ideas of Natural Rights and the Social Contract to the Americas, which helped to create an American political philosophy.

Why are the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening so important to American History?

Because they both emphasized the power of the individual, encouraging people to view elites and authority with suspicion, which helped stir up dissent against the British crown, as well as providing a blueprint for a possible democratic society

What was the Pueblo Revolt?

1680; Due to cultural suppression by the Spanish, the Pueblo people revolted, killing Spaniards and burning churches. They drove the Spanish away and reestablished their customs. The Spanish returned 12 years later, but with considerably more leeway for indigenous beliefs.

What was Metacomet’s War/ King Philip’s War?

1675-1678; New England settlers had been inching into native land, and the Wampanoag tribe, led by Metacomet, whom the Europeans called King Philip, formed alliances with other tribes in the area and attacked New England settlements, killing a lot of people and destroying a lot of stuff. This slowed the expansion of the colonies temporarily, but also destroyed so many of King Philip’s people that he would not be able to prevent them from expanding again

What was the Spanish Mission System?

A colonial strategy employed by Spain to establish missions in the Americas for the purpose of converting indigenous people to Christianity, promoting agriculture, and expanding Spanish territorial claims. The system involved building settlements around missions and often included the forced labor of Native Americans.