AP US History Period 1 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key Native American societies, European exploration, colonization systems, key historic figures, and intercultural exchanges in Period 1 AP US History.

Mayas

Central American civilization that flourished between AD 300 and 800, built cities in the rain forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, and survived off corn cultivation.

Aztecs

Powerful civilization in central Mexico whose capital held a population of 200,000; they survived off corn, dominated surrounding settlements, and practiced human sacrifice to delay the destruction of their society. Cap. City Tenochtitlan

Incas

South American empire based in Peru with a population of 11 million under Ruler Atahualpa; they were the first to cultivate potatoes, raised llamas and alpacas, and suffered a civil war in 1532.

Atahualpa

Incan ruler who governed an empire of 11 million people; he was captured and executed by Francisco Pizarro despite paying a massive room-filling ransom of gold and silver.

Adena-Hopewell culture

Pre-Columbian culture centered in Ohio, famous for the large earth mounds it constructed across the Midwest.

Cahokia

One of the largest Midwest Native American settlements near the Mississippi River, holding a population of approximately 30,000 people.

Iroquois Confederation

A political union of 5 independent Native American tribes located in the Mohawk Valley of New York, where matrilocal families lived together in longhouses up to 200 feet long.

Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century revolt by Northern European Christians against the authority of the Pope, leading to religious wars and adding a religious motive to European exploration and colonization.

Nation-states

Countries that replaced fragmented kingdoms in 15th-century Europe where the majority of people shared both a common culture and common loyalty to a central government.

John Cabot

Italian sea captain who sailed under King Henry VII, establishing England's earliest territorial claims in the Americas.

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer who established Quebec in 1608, the first permanent French settlement in North America.

Henry Hudson

Explorer hired by the Dutch in the 1600s who sailed up the Hudson River while searching for a northwest passage, establishing Dutch claims to New Amsterdam.

Columbian Exchange

The permanent biological and cultural transfer between the Old and New Worlds that introduced European animals, weapons, and diseases like smallpox to the Americas, while crops like corn, potatoes, and tobacco went to Europe.

Encomienda system

A Spanish colonial labor system giving conquistadors the right to exact forced labor and tribute from a specified number of Native Americans in exchange for providing protection and religious instruction.

Asiento System

A Spanish tax system requiring colonists to pay a fee to the Spanish king for every enslaved African imported to the Americas.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal that moved the Pope's original line of demarcation west, securing Portugal's claim to Brazil and Spain's claim to the rest of the Americas.

Valladolid Debate

A formal 16th-century debate over the moral and legal rights of Native Americans under Spanish rule, featuring opposing arguments by Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish missionary and author of 'Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies' who defended Native Americans as human equals and successfully lobbied for the New Laws of 1542.

Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda

Spanish theologian who argued during the Valladolid Debate that Native Americans were less than human and benefited from serving Spanish masters.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who invaded Mexico in 1519 with 600 men and conquered the Aztec Empire by 1522, establishing New Spain.

Marina

Enslaved Native woman who spoke four languages, converted to Christianity, and served as an indispensable interpreter and advisor to Hernán Cortés during his conquest of the Aztecs.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who landed in South America in 1532, defeated the Incas within three years, and executed Atahualpa after receiving a room filled with gold and silver ransom.

New Laws of 1542

Spanish legislation advocated by Bartolomé de Las Casas that officially banned Native American forced labor under the encomienda system.

Southwest Settlements

• Farming w/ irrigation systems, lived in caves and under cliffs, also multi-storied buildings

• Many died of extreme drought

• Ex. Hokokam, Anasazi, Pueblos

Athabaskan

Northwest Settlements

• Lived in permanent longhouses or plank houses

• Diet based on fish, hunting, nuts, berries, roots, carved totem poles

• High mountain ranges isolated tribes so there was limited development

Great Plains settlements

• Nomadic hunters or sedentary people who farmed and traded, survived on hunting buffalo (food and decor)

• Crafted tools and knives and clothing, lived in tepees (easily picked up, nomadic)

• Farming tribes hunted buffalo but were permanently settled on earthen lodges along rivers (grew corn, beans, and squash)

• When Native Americans acquired horses from stealing those from Spanish were able to hunt buffalo easier

• Horses = tribes able to move away from each other

Siouan

Midwest Settlements

• Woodland Native Americans hunted, fished and farmed settlements in MS river and OH river valley

• Adena-Hopewell culture: centered in OH, famous for earth mounds it created, two interconnected pre-Columbian societies

• One of largest settlements in Midwest was Cahokia (30,000 people)

Northeast Settlements

• Some descendants of AH-culture, both hunting and farming

• Farming techniques exhausted soil easily so had to move often

• Iroquois Confederation: union of 5 independent tribes in Mohawk Valley, NY

  • Multiple families related through 1 mother

  • Lived in longhouses upwards of 200 ft

Algonquian

Atlantic Seaboard Settlements

• NJ south to FL, descendants of Woodland mound builders

• Built timber and bark lodging along rivers

Religious Conflict

• Spain v. Ottoman Turks

• Roman Catholic Church losing influence by Ottoman Turks

• 18th century Islamic invaders from N Africa conquered Spain(Moors)

  • Over next few centuries, Spanish Christians reconquered and set up indep. Kingdoms 

  • 2 of the largest were brought together when Isabella and Ferdinand married

  • Under rulers, Spain conquered City of Granada, last moorish stronghold

  • Monarchs in same year funded Columbus’s voyage

Protestant Revolt

• Christians in N European countries revolted against authority of Pope (Protestant Reformation)

  • Led to religious wars and led to Catholics of Spain and Portugal (N Europe) to want to spread own versions of Christianity to colonies in Africa, Asia, Americas

  • NOW A RELIGIOUS MOTIVE FOR EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Had to find new trade routes because…

Land route to Asia that merchants from Venice traveled on became blocked in 1453 when Ottoman Turks got control of constantinople

New Routes to trade in Asia

sail south along west African coast east to China(Vasco de Gama-Portugal) or attempt to go west across Atlantic Ocean(Columbus-Spain)

Slave Trading

• 15th century, Portuguese began trading for slaves from W Africa

  • Slaves worked sugar plantations on Madera & Azores islands

  • African Americans resisted

• 15th century, Roman empire breaking up + kingdoms

  • Result is nation states (countries where majority of people shared both common culture and common loyalty to central gov)

  • Monarchs of nation states depended on trade to bring in $ and church to give power

  • Used power to search for riches abroad and spread Christianity 

English Claims for Exploration

• Earliest claims to territory in Americas due to John Cabot (Italian sea captain who sailed under King Henry VII) 

• Under Queen Elizabeth I, England challenged Spanish shipping in A & P oceans

• Sir Francis Duke took gold & silver from Spanish ships & attached settlements

• Sir Walter Raleigh attempted & failed to settle Roanoke Island NC

French Claims for Exploration

• During 1500’s, French slow to develop colonies across Atlantic Ocean due to wars

• Voyage by Italian navigator Giovanni de Verranzano (goal to find northwest pathway through Americas to Asia)

• Explored N Americas east coast (NY harbor) & Jacques Cartier explored St. Lawrence River

• First permanent French settlement est. by Samuel de Champlain 1608 @ Quebec

• Louis Jaillet, Jacques Marquette explored MS river, Rob de la Salle explored MS basin (LA)

Dutch Claims 1600s for Exploration

• Henry Hudson to find passage through N America to Asia, sailed up Hudson River, voyage gave Dutch claims to New Amsterdam (York)

• Granted a private company Dutch West India Comp. right to control

Spanish Settlements 

• Florida- St Augustine(oldest city) 

• New Mexico- Sante Fe(Pueblo Revolt 1680)

• Texas- resistance to French efforts to explore the lower mississippi river

• California- response to Russia’s exploration from Alaska, San Diego and San Francisco

• Father Junipero Serra founded 9 settlements along CA coast

Pueblo Revolt of 1680

a successful uprising of Indigenous Pueblo people that drove Spanish colonizers out of present-day New Mexico for twelve years.

European Treatment of NA

• Viewed NA as inferiors, could be used for economic gain, converted to Christianity and used as military allies

• Spanish Policy:

  • MX & Peru, natives mostly died of diseases but ones who remained forced to do labor

  • Limited settlers came from Spain so Spanish intermarried with natives and African Americans

English Policy with NA

• Settled in areas w/ out NA empires for workforce

• Colonists came in families not single men so marriage w/ Natives less often

• Initially co-existed, but soon warfare bc English had no respect for cultures and took land

• English forced them to move from coast inland

French Policy with NA

• Viewed Natives as allies, looked for furs and spreading Catholicism

• Wanted to control fur trade so created fur trading posts through St. Lawrence Valley, Great Lakes Region and MS River

• @ posts, exchanged French goods for beaver pelts/furs

• Fewer colonists and towns so less threat to Natives, assisted Huron people in fighting Iroquois

Tech advantages from Europe

• Printing press, spread of knowledge quickly

• Mapmaking, shipbuilding, sailing compass, gunpowder, long distance navigation,compass

Spanish brought…

• Horses

• Steel weapons

• Written communication

• Natives had no immunity to the diseases brought from Europe->disease spread fast

• New domesticated animals