Period One: 1491-1607 Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing key vocabulary and concepts from the period of 1491-1607 in APUSH (Advanced Placement United States History).

Pre-Columbian Societies

Societies that existed in the Americas before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Maize Cultivation

A crop first cultivated in Mexico that spread northward into the American Southwest, supporting economic development, settlement, irrigation, and social diversification among societies.

Three Sister Technique

The practice of planting squash, corn, and beans together to maximize harvest, used by some indigenous peoples in North America.

Mercantilism

An economic system prevalent in Europe during the 16th to 18th centuries, emphasizing governmental regulation of trade to create national wealth and power.

Encomienda System

A system in which Spanish colonial economies utilized Native American labor to support plantation-based agriculture and extract resources.

Mestizos

People of mixed European and Native American ancestry.

Mulatos

People of mixed European and African ancestry.

Columbian Exchange

A widespread exchange of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, disease, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries

Caravelle

New ship design that improved maneuverability for European explorers

Sextant

Instrument that allowed explorers to determine latitude