APUSH Unit 1 exam

Maize Cultivation

The cultivation of _______ by Indigenous peoples in the Americas, serving as a staple crop for sustenance and agricultural economies.

Great Basin Anasazi

A subgroup of the Ancestral Puebloans, part of the prehistoric Native American civilization in the southwestern United States, specifically inhabiting the Great Basin region.

Spanish vs Portuguese exploration

Exploration efforts during the Age of Discovery, with Spain focusing on the Americas and Portugal initially seeking sea routes to Asia, leading to the discovery of Brazil.

English vs French exploration

Exploration activities during the same period, with England focusing on North America's eastern coast and France exploring areas like present-day Canada and the interior of North America.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system in the Americas where conquistadors controlled Indigenous communities, extracting labor and tribute in exchange for protection and Christianization.

Iroquois Confederacy

A powerful alliance of Native American tribes in the northeastern United States, including the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations, established for mutual defense and cooperation.

Mississippian Valley Mound Builders

Indigenous cultures in the Mississippi River Valley and southeastern United States that constructed earthen mounds for various purposes between 800 and 1600 CE.

Three Sisters Farming

A Native American agricultural system involving the simultaneous planting of maize, beans, and squash, with each crop complementing the others.

Conquistadors

Cortes and Pizarro:Spanish conquerors of the 16th century who led expeditions to conquer the Aztec Empire (Cortés) and the Inca Empire (Pizarro).

Black Legend

A historiographical term depicting Spain and Spaniards as exceptionally cruel in their colonization of the Americas, often propagated by rival European powers.

Pueblo Revolt

A coordinated uprising of Puebloan peoples against Spanish colonial rule in present-day New Mexico in 1680, led by the religious leader Popé.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages in 1492.

Joint Stock Companies/Colony

Business entities formed by investors pooling capital to fund colonial ventures, playing a significant role in establishing English colonies in North America.

Caste system

A hierarchical social structure in Spanish American colonies, with Peninsulares, Criollos, mestizos, and Indigenous peoples occupying different societal levels.

Plantation System

An agricultural production system based on large-scale landownership and forced labor, particularly African slaves, to cultivate cash crops.

Aztec, Mayan, and Incan Civilizations

Advanced pre-Columbian civilizations in Mesoamerica and South America known for achievements in various fields before European arrival.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 treaty between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe to prevent conflict over territorial claims in the New World.