APUSH Period 1 Review

Flashcards covering Period 1 APUSH topics.

Pre-Contact Native Cultures

Native American societies in North America before European contact; characterized by diverse, advanced, and unique societies culturally and politically complex. Developed in specific regions, and were influenced by geography.

Great Plains Tribes

Native American tribes in the Great Plains region; Characterized as Nomadic

Southeast Tribes

Native American tribes in the Southeast region; Characterized as Stationary because they developed agriculture

Maize

An agricultural staple used by Native American cultures where they used all parts such as the husk or even the cod to help support their societies.

Christopher Columbus

Voyages were sponsored by the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. He was originally looking for a route to the East Indies and instead he ended up in The Caribbean, which is where we get the Columbian Exchange.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of crops, germs, culture, religion, and people between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (Americas).

Old World Gains

Gained crops such as maize, tobacco, and potatoes as well as Population growth, wealth, and power

New World Gains

Gained Horses which helped with hunting and warfare

New World Losses

Diseases like smallpox and measles that decimated the native populations and what we call the great dying

Treaty of Tordesillas

Supported by the Pope and enabled Spain to dominate in the New World, taking over vast territories while Portugal is building and dominating in the African slave

Spanish Conquistadors

Went out to search for gold, god, and glory. Famous conquistador Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztecs.

Encomienda

A system under which Spanish conquerors subjugated Native Americans, forcing them to extract wealth from their land to enrich the Spaniards.

Casta System

A racial hierarchy that developed in Spanish colonies due to the mix of races.

Valladolid Debates

Debates in Spain regarding the treatment of Native Americans by the Spanish. The stars of these debates are Las Casas and Sepulveda who argue over how the Native should actually be treated by the Spanish in the New World.

Las Casas

Dominican friar and missionary who supported better treatment of Native Americans in the New World

Sepulveda

Believed natives should be converted to Catholicism, supported the encomienda system because he felt that the natives were barbaric and unintelligent and incapable of learning.