APUSH PERIOD 1

1491

The year before European contact; used as a reference point for pre-Columbian America.

1607

The founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Pre-Columbian Era

The period before the arrival of Columbus in 1492; includes Native American civilizations.

Maize

Corn; a staple crop that supported the development of advanced Native American societies, especially in the Southwest.

Great Basin

A dry area between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains; inhabited by nomadic tribes like the Shoshone.

Great Plains

Large grassland area where Native Americans like the Sioux used horses (after European contact) to follow bison.

Southwest

Pueblo peoples lived in complex societies with adobe houses; relied heavily on maize cultivation.

Northeast

Region home to Iroquois Confederacy; had mixed agriculture and hunting; semi-permanent villages.

Atlantic Seaboard

Eastern coastal region with Algonquian-speaking peoples; farming, fishing, and trade.

Northwest

region of Natives that relied on salmon, had totem poles, and lived in permanent wooden homes.

Iroquois Confederacy

A powerful alliance of five (later six) Native tribes in the Northeast; known for a sophisticated political system.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the Old World.

Smallpox

A deadly disease brought by Europeans that decimated Native American populations.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system where natives were "entrusted" to Spanish settlers for forced labor in exchange for supposed protection and Christianization.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish priest who criticized the mistreatment of Native Americans and advocated for better treatment.

Juan de Sepúlveda

Spanish philosopher who argued Natives were inferior and benefited from Spanish rule.

Black Legend

The idea that Spain's colonization was uniquely brutal toward Natives.

Spanish Mission System

System of religious outposts established to convert Native Americans to Christianity and integrate them into Spanish colonial life.

St. Augustine

Founded in 1565 in Florida by Spain; the oldest European-established city in the U.S.

Pueblo Revolt

1680 uprising by Pueblo Indians against Spanish rule and forced conversion; temporarily drove Spanish out of New Mexico.

Mestizo

A person of mixed European and Native American ancestry; common in Spanish colonies.

Casta System

A racial hierarchy in Spanish colonies based on ancestry.

Conquistadores

Spanish conquerors who explored and claimed large parts of the Americas.

Hernán Cortés

Conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521.

Francisco Pizarro

Conquered the Inca Empire in Peru.

God, Gold, Glory

Major motives for European exploration and colonization.

Joint-Stock Companies

Investors pooled money to fund colonization efforts, especially for English settlements.

Sextant

Navigational tool that improved European exploration accuracy.

Caravel

A small, fast ship developed by the Portuguese that aided exploration.

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal.

Maroon Communities

Communities of escaped African slaves in the Americas who preserved African traditions.

Native American Resistance

Included armed resistance, cultural preservation, alliances, and strategic adaptation.

Cultural Exchange

Blending of Native, African, and European cultures, particularly in religion, food, and language.

Christianity

The religion Europeans sought to convert Native Americans to as part of their colonizing mission.

European Justifications for Conquest

European superiority in religion, culture, and race to justify colonization and exploitation.

American Indian Diplomacy

Natives often made strategic alliances with European powers to maintain autonomy or gain advantages.

French Colonization

Focused on fur trade, alliances with Natives, and fewer settlers; often intermarried with Natives.

Dutch Colonization

Fur trade and commerce-oriented; less interested in converting Natives; New Amsterdam (later New York).

English Colonization

Focused on settlement and agriculture; less intermarriage and more conflict with Natives.

Aztec Empire

Advanced Mesoamerican civilization known for its capital Tenochtitlán, sophisticated agriculture, and human sacrifices; conquered by Hernán Cortés.

Inca Empire

Powerful South American civilization in the Andes with a complex road system and centralized government; conquered by Francisco Pizarro.

Chinook

Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest known for totem poles, permanent plank houses, and fishing culture.

Three Sisters Agriculture

Farming technique using maize, beans, and squash together to maximize yields and soil fertility.

Horses

Introduced by Europeans; transformed Native life on the Great Plains by enabling more efficient hunting and warfare.

Astrolabe

Navigation instrument that allowed sailors to determine latitude at sea; helped make transatlantic exploration possible.

Printing Press

Invention that helped spread new ideas in Europe and fueled interest in exploration and the New World.

Middle Passage

The transatlantic journey enslaved Africans took to the Americas; part of the triangular trade system.

Reconquista

The Spanish campaign to drive Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula; its completion in 1492 helped fund Columbus’s voyage.

Transatlantic Trade

System of trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, including goods, slaves, and raw materials.

Missions

Catholic religious settlements set up to convert Native Americans; part of Spain's colonization strategy.

Spanish Armada

Its defeat in 1588 marked the decline of Spanish naval dominance and allowed England to explore more freely.