APUSH - Period 1 (1491-1607)

Native American Societies

Indigenous populations in North America developed distinct and complex societies by adapting to and transforming their environments through innovations in agriculture, resource use, and social structure.

Maize Cultivation

The spread of maize cultivation from Mexico northward supported economic development, settlement, advanced irrigation, and social diversification among Native American societies.

European Exploration Motives

European exploration of the Americas was driven by the search for new sources of wealth, economic and military competition, and the desire to spread Christianity.

Maritime Technologies

Technological advances in shipbuilding, mapmaking, and the use of gunpowder and the sailing compass facilitated European exploration of new lands.

Joint Stock Companies

Dutch East India Company and English East India Company were joint stock companies that helped finance overseas exploration and colonization by sharing risks and resources.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe, the Americas, and Africa resulted in significant social, cultural, and political changes on both sides of the Atlantic.

Spanish Colonization

Spanish colonization led to demographic, economic, and social changes through the encomienda system, the introduction of new crops and animals, and the development of a caste system.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Portugal and Spain that divided the New World territories between the two nations, establishing Portugal's claim on Brazil and Spain's claim on the rest of the Americas.

Encomienda System

A forced labor system in Spanish colonies that aimed to support plantation agriculture and extract resources from Native American populations.

Slave Trade Impact

The demand for labor in the New World led to the development of the slave trade, with Africans being forcibly brought to the Americas as slaves, becoming a valuable commodity for European traders.

Valladolid Debate

A debate that arose regarding the treatment and role of Native Americans in Spanish colonies, with Bartolomé de las Casas arguing for their equality and Juan Gines de Spuleda advocating for their enslavement.

Bartolomé de las Casas

A European who opposed the mistreatment of Native Americans, leading to the advocacy for better treatment and the institution of new Laws for the Indians in 1542.

Encomienda System

A system in Spanish colonies where Spanish colonists were granted a number of Native Americans who would provide labor and tribute in exchange for protection and religious instruction.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

English Colonization

English policy towards Native Americans involved initial coexistence and trade, followed by land acquisition, displacement, and conflict.

French Colonization

French policy towards Native Americans focused on trade, alliances, and spreading Catholicism, utilizing them as economic and military allies.

Native American Response

Native Americans interacted with Europeans through trade, alliances, and migration, adapting to the changes brought by European colonization.