AP US History Flashcards: Period 1 (1491–1607) & Period 2 (1607–1754)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering major concepts, historical terms, labor systems, and events from AP US History Period 1 (1491–1607) and Period 2 (1607–1754).

Columbian Exchange

Global transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and cultures between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia post-1492.

Encomienda System

Spanish colonial labor system granting colonists control over Native American labor and tribute.

Sistema de Castas

Spanish colonial caste system ranking individuals by European, Native, and African ancestry.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

Forced migration of Africans to the Americas for labor, beginning in the 16th century.

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and conquerors, like Cortés and Pizarro, who subdued Native empires.

Smallpox

European disease that devastated Native American populations lacking immunity, with some regions losing up to 90% of their people.

Maize

Native American crop that transformed global agriculture via the Columbian Exchange.

Mercantilism

Economic system where colonies enriched European powers through trade and resources.

Caravel

Fast, maneuverable ship used by European explorers, aiding transatlantic voyages.

Cahokia

Mississippian mound city, showcasing Native American urban complexity.

Iroquois Confederacy

Democratic alliance of Northeast Native tribes representing a pre-contact political system.

Aztec Empire

Mesoamerican civilization conquered by Cortés in 1521.

Inca Empire

Andean civilization conquered by Pizarro in 1533.

Syncretism

Blending of European, Native, and African cultural practices, e.g., in religion.

Peninsulares

European-born Spaniards at the top of the colonial caste system.

Creoles

American-born descendants of Europeans, below peninsulares in the caste system.

Mestizos

People of mixed European and Native ancestry in the Spanish caste system.

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement dividing the Americas between Spain and Portugal.

Hacienda

Large Spanish colonial estate, often using coerced labor.

Three Sisters

Native American agricultural trio of maize, beans, and squash.

Repartimiento

Spanish labor system that replaced the encomienda, requiring tribute and labor from Native communities.

Pueblo Revolt

1680 conflict highlighting Native resistance to European domination.

Jamestown

First permanent English colony, founded in Virginia in 1607.

Plymouth

Puritan colony founded in Massachusetts in 1620 by Pilgrims seeking religious freedom.

Puritans

English Protestants seeking to purify the Church of England, influential in New England.

Triangular Trade

Transatlantic trade network linking the Americas, Europe, and Africa, exchanging goods and enslaved people.

Navigation Acts

British laws (1650s–1660s) regulating colonial trade to benefit England.

Great Awakening

1730s–1740s religious revival promoting individualism and challenging authority.

Plantation Economy

Agricultural system in Chesapeake and Southern colonies, reliant on cash crops and enslaved labor.

Indentured Servants

Laborers who worked for passage to the Americas, common in the Chesapeake.

Middle Passage

Brutal transatlantic journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Pequot War

1636–1638 conflict between New England colonists and Pequot tribe, resulting in Native defeat.

King Philip's War

1675–1676 conflict between New England colonists and Native tribes, devastating both sides.

Mayflower Compact

1620 agreement by Pilgrims establishing self-governance in Plymouth.

Cash Crops

Crops like tobacco and rice grown for profit in the Chesapeake and Southern colonies.

Quakers

Religious group advocating tolerance and equality, influential in Pennsylvania.

Salem Witch Trials

1692–1693 hysteria in Massachusetts, reflecting Puritan social tensions.

Headright System

Virginia policy granting land to settlers to encourage immigration.

Wampanoag

Native tribe that aided Pilgrims at Plymouth, later clashed with colonists.

Stono Rebellion

1739 slave uprising in South Carolina, highlighting resistance to slavery.

Proprietary Colonies

Colonies granted to individuals or groups by the British crown, e.g., Pennsylvania.

French and Indian War

1754–1763 war beginning at the end of Period 2 that tested colonial unity and strained ties with Britain.