Chapters 1-5 Some Key Terms APUSH

Canadian Shield

First part of North America to emerge from water; shows how geography shaped Native development long before Europeans.

Incas

Powerful Andean civilization; demonstrates advanced agriculture (terrace farming) and empire-building before Spanish conquest.

Aztecs

Mesoamerican empire known for corn cultivation and tribute system; fell to Cortes, marking shift to Spanish dominance.

Pueblo

Southwestern Native group using irrigation; resisted Spanish rule (Pueblo Revolt, 1680), showing Native agency.

Maize/corn

Staple crop from Mesoamerica; fueled population growth, urbanization, and enabled complex societies in the Americas.

Cahokia

Mississippian mound city near St. Louis; exemplifies pre-Columbian urban centers and trade networks.

Three-sister farming

Maize, beans, squash grown together; supported population density (esp. in Southeast tribes).

Iroquois Confederacy

Powerful Native alliance in Northeast; balanced diplomacy between Europeans, showing Native adaptability.

Caravel

Portuguese ship that enabled Atlantic exploration; key to Age of Discovery and global trade.

Plantation

System of large-scale agriculture using coerced labor; model spread from Atlantic islands to the Americas.

Christopher Columbus

1492 voyage opened transatlantic contact; began Columbian Exchange and European colonization.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of crops, animals, people, and disease; reshaped global population, economies, and environments.

Smallpox

European disease devastating Native populations; enabled conquest, major demographic collapse.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Divided New World between Spain and Portugal; reflects Europe’s rush for empire.

Encomienda system

Spanish labor system exploiting Natives; justified by conversion, early model of coerced labor.

Hernán Cortés

Conqueror of Aztecs; illustrates Spanish conquest and blending of cultures (mestizos).

Mestizos

Mixed Spanish-Native population; shows cultural blending and hierarchy in New Spain.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

Native uprising in New Mexico against Spanish suppression; rare Native victory, forced Spain to compromise.

Black Legend

Idea that Spain only brought death/oppression; partly propaganda, but reflects brutality of conquest.

Protestant Reformation (1517)

Martin Luther’s break with Catholic Church; fueled religious rivalries that shaped colonization.

Spanish Armada (1588)

Defeat of Spanish navy by England; marked rise of English colonization efforts.

Primogeniture

English law giving inheritance to eldest son; pushed younger sons to seek fortune in colonies.

Joint-stock company

Investors fund colonies (e.g., Virginia Company); lowered risk, key to English settlement.

Jamestown (1607)

First permanent English colony; struggled early, but tobacco made it profitable.

John Rolfe

Introduced tobacco to Virginia; tied Chesapeake economy to plantation slavery.

House of Burgesses (1619)

First representative assembly in colonies; step toward self-government.

Maryland Act of Toleration (1649)

Protected Christians, but not all religions; early example of religious conflict/compromise.

Barbados Slave Code (1661)

Harsh laws controlling enslaved Africans; model for mainland colonies’ slave codes.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

Pilgrims’ agreement to self-rule; early example of colonial self-government.

Puritans

Religious reformers seeking “city upon a hill”; shaped New England’s social, political, and religious life.

Great Migration (1630s)

Wave of Puritans to Massachusetts; built stable, family-centered society unlike Chesapeake.

Anne Hutchinson

Challenged Puritan authority; shows early push for religious dissent and gender roles.

Roger Williams

Advocated separation of church/state; founded Rhode Island as tolerant colony.

Pequot War (1637) & King Philip’s War (1675)

Conflicts with New England Natives; devastated tribes, expanded English control.

Navigation Acts

Laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England; early seeds of colonial resentment.

Glorious Revolution (1688)

Overthrow of James II; led to “salutary neglect,” allowing colonies self-rule for decades.

William Penn/Quakers

Founded Pennsylvania on religious toleration and good Native relations; attracted diverse settlers.

Chesapeake vs. New England

Chesapeake: cash crops, slavery, instability; New England: family, religion, commerce; contrast shaped regional identities.

Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)

Poor settlers vs. elite in Virginia; exposed tensions over land, labor, and led to shift toward African slavery.

Atlantic Slave Trade/Middle Passage

Forced migration of Africans; central to colonial labor systems and global economy.

Half-Way Covenant (1662)

Allowed partial church membership; reflected declining piety and attempt to maintain influence.

Salem Witch Trials (1692)

Religious and social tensions exploding; decline of Puritan influence.

Great Awakening (1730s–40s)

Religious revival (Edwards, Whitefield); emphasized emotion, challenged authority, fostered unity.

Old Lights vs. New Lights

Division over revivalism; shows impact of Great Awakening on colonial society.

John Peter Zenger Trial (1735)

Established precedent for freedom of press; step toward democratic rights.

Colonial assemblies

Elected legislatures grew powerful; set foundation for colonial resistance to royal governors.

Triangular Trade

Economic system linking colonies, Africa, and Europe; tied colonies into Atlantic economy, expanded slavery.

Salutary neglect

England’s loose enforcement of laws; let colonies develop autonomy, later made imperial control harder.