Key Terms from Lecture on Early American History APUSH UNIT 1

A collection of vocabulary flashcards relevant to early American history, focusing on terms associated with European exploration, colonization, and Native American societies.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of crops, animals, people, technology, and disease between the Old World and New World after 1492; led to massive Native population decline due to disease.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system that granted colonists control over Native labor and tribute in exchange for 'protection' and religious instruction.

Maize Cultivation

The farming of corn; key to the development of complex Native societies, especially in the American Southwest.

Joint-Stock Company

A business entity that allowed investors to pool money to fund colonization (e.g., the Virginia Company).

Mercantilism

Economic system where colonies exist to provide raw materials and markets for the mother country’s benefit.

Spanish Casta System

Rigid racial hierarchy in colonial Spanish America; ranked people based on ancestry (Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattoes, Natives, Africans).

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

Native uprising in New Mexico where the Pueblo people expelled the Spanish for over a decade; challenged Spanish control.

Bartolomé de las Casas

Spanish priest who criticized the mistreatment of Native Americans and the encomienda system.

Mestizo

Person of mixed Native American and European descent; common in Spanish colonies.

Sextant / Caravel

Navigational technology and ship design that made long-distance sea travel and exploration possible.

Three-Sister Farming

Native farming technique that grew corn, beans, and squash together for mutual benefit.

Animism

Native spiritual belief that nature (animals, rivers, etc.) has spiritual power.

Gold, God, Glory

Motivations for European exploration: wealth, religious spread, fame/national pride.

Reconquista

Spanish reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslims (1492); tied to religious zeal.

Protestant Reformation

Break from Catholic Church; increased competition among European powers for influence overseas.

Casta System

Racial hierarchy in Spanish America: Peninsulares > Creoles > Mestizos > Natives/Africans.

Black Legend

Idea that Spanish were especially cruel colonizers; used by rivals (like England).

Maroon Communities

Settlements formed by escaped slaves, often with Native American allies, especially in the Caribbean and South America.

Iroquois Confederacy

Powerful alliance of Native tribes in the Northeast; maintained independence and influence in colonial diplomacy.

Spanish Mission System

Network of religious and military outposts used to convert and control Native populations.

Great Basin / Great Plains Tribes

Mobile Native groups that adapted to arid conditions and, later, used horses for buffalo hunting.

Atlantic World

The interconnected web of trade and cultural exchange between Europe, Africa, and the Americas during colonization.

Zambo

Person of mixed African and Native American ancestry in the Spanish colonial caste system.

Maize Cultivation

Corn farming developed by Indigenous peoples in present-day Mexico; supported population growth

Southwest Tribes

Pueblo, Hopi; desert farming societies; built irrigation systems

Great Plains Tribes

Sioux, Cheyenne, and Comanche; nomadic societies known for buffalo hunting and tepee dwelling.

Northeast Tribes

Iroquois Confederacy; mixed agriculture/hunting; longhouses; early political alliances

Mississippian Culture

Pre-Columbian Native American culture centered in the Mississippi River Valley, known for mound building, agriculture, and complex societies.

Three Sisters Farming

A sustainable agricultural practice involving the cultivation of maize, beans, and squash together, promoting mutual growth and efficiency.

Animism

Native spiritual belief that nature (animals, rivers, etc.) has spiritual power

Gold, God, Glory

Motivations for exploration: wealth, religious spread, fame/national pride

Caravel

New sailing ship with better maneuverability; helped exploration

Compass & Astrolabe

Navigational tools that improved accuracy for sea voyages

Reconquista

Spanish reconquest of Iberian Peninsula from Muslims (1492); tied to religious zeal

Protestant Reformation

Break from Catholic Church; increased competition among European powers for influence overseas

Nation-states

Centralized monarchies (Spain, France, England); funded exploration

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese royal who funded exploration and naval education

Diseases (Smallpox)

killed up to 90% of Native population; biggest factor in Spanish conquest success

New World Crops

Agricultural products native to the Americas, such as maize, potatoes, and tomatoes,

Old world crops

Agricultural products native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, such as wheat, rice, and sugar.

horses

domesticated animals brought by Europeans that transformed Native American transportation and warfare.

Enslaved Africans

Brought through transatlantic slave trade (Middle Passage); replaced dying Native labor force

Encomienda System

Spanish crown gave colonists Native laborers in exchange for "protection" and Christianization

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Spanish priest who spoke out against mistreatment of Natives; promoted African slavery instead

Juan de Sepúlveda

Argued Natives were inferior; supported harsh treatment; opposite of Las Casas

Black Legend

Idea that Spanish were especially cruel colonizers; used by rivals (like England)

Mestizo

Mixed race (Spanish + Native); part of caste system

Casta System

Racial hierarchy in Spanish America: Peninsulares > Creoles > Mestizos > Natives/Africans

Mission System

Spanish built churches to convert Natives and control the land

Pueblo Revolt

Native uprising led by Popé; kicked Spanish out of New Mexico for 12 years