GSMST AP US History Summer Reading Vocab

Adena

A prehistoric Native American culture known for its burial mounds and earthworks, primarily located in the Ohio Valley.

Anasazi

An ancient Native American culture that thrived in the southwestern United States, known for their cliff dwellings and intricate pottery.

Athapascan

A group of Native American tribes that migrated from the northwestern regions of North America, known for their distinct languages and cultures.

Aztec

A Mesoamerican civilization that developed in central Mexico, known for its rich culture, architecture, and the establishment of a vast empire.

Beringia

The land bridge that once connected Asia and North America, believed to be the route taken by the first humans to migrate to the Americas.

Cahokia

A major pre-Columbian Native American city located near present-day St. Louis, known for its large earthen mounds and complex society.

Clovis

An archaeological culture characterized by distinctive stone tools, associated with some of the earliest inhabitants of North America.

Hohokam

An ancient Native American culture in the southwestern United States known for its advanced irrigation systems and pottery.

Hopewell

A Native American culture known for its earthworks and burial mounds, flourishing in the eastern United States during the Woodland period.

Inca

A powerful empire in South America, known for its advanced engineering, architecture, and extensive road systems.

Iroquois

A historically powerful group of Native American tribes in the northeastern United States, known for their political alliance and matrilineal society.

Kashaya Pomo

A Native American tribe from northern California known for their basket weaving and connection to the coastal environment.

Kwakiutl

A Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest, known for their totem poles and rich cultural traditions.

Maya

An ancient Mesoamerican civilization known for its hieroglyphic script, advanced mathematics, and impressive architectural achievements.

Mesoamerica

A historical region that includes parts of Mexico and Central America, known for the emergence of complex societies and civilizations.

Mississippian

A Native American culture known for its mound-building, agriculture, and complex chiefdoms, flourishing in the southeastern United States.

Mound Builders

Various Native American cultures known for constructing large earthen mounds for ceremonial and burial purposes.

Olmec

An ancient civilization in Mesoamerica, often regarded as the 'mother culture' of later civilizations, known for colossal stone heads.

Pueblo

A Native American group known for their adobe dwellings and agricultural practices, primarily located in the southwestern United States.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer credited with the European discovery of the Americas in 1492, sponsored by Spain.

Hernán Cortés

A Spanish conquistador known for leading the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese royal who significantly advanced maritime exploration and navigation in the 15th century.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

A Spanish missionary and historian who advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas.

New Mexico (colonial Spain)

A territory in North America established as a Spanish colony, known for its missions and interactions with Native American tribes.

New Spain

A colonial territory of the Spanish Empire in the Americas, encompassing parts of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Juan Ponce de León

A Spanish explorer known for his expedition to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth.

Taíno

An indigenous people of the Caribbean, who were among the first to encounter European explorers.

Sir Edmund Andros

An English colonial administrator known for his role as the governor of the Dominion of New England.

Nathaniel Bacon

A colonial rebel leader known for leading Bacon's Rebellion against the Virginia government in 1676.

Congregationalists

A group of Protestant Christians who believe in the autonomy of local congregations and were prominent in New England.

Dominion of New England

A short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region, established in the late 17th century.

Jonathan Edwards

A preacher and theologian known for his role in the First Great Awakening and his sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God'.

Olaudah Equiano

An African slave who became a prominent abolitionist in England and wrote an autobiography detailing his experiences.

Gold Coast

A region in West Africa known for its gold resources and significant role in the transatlantic slave trade.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan spiritual leader known for her role in the Antinomian Controversy in colonial Massachusetts.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in Virginia in 1607.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

A significant English settlement in New England, established by Puritans seeking religious freedom.

Matoaka/Pocahontas

A Native American woman known for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown and her marriage to John Rolfe.

Metacom

A Native American leader known for leading King Philip's War against English settlers in New England.

New France

A French colony in North America, primarily located in Canada and parts of the United States.

New Lights

A term used to describe a group of evangelical Protestant Christians during the First Great Awakening.

New Netherland

A Dutch colony in North America, which included parts of present-day New York and New Jersey.

Old Lights

A term used to describe traditionalist Protestant Christians who opposed the revivalist movements during the First Great Awakening.

Paxton Boys

A group of Pennsylvania frontiersmen who formed a vigilante group in the 1760s to retaliate against Native Americans.

William Penn

The founder of Pennsylvania, known for promoting religious freedom and good relations with Native Americans.

Pilgrims

A group of English settlers who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 seeking religious freedom.

Plymouth Colony

An early English settlement in North America, established by the Pilgrims in present-day Massachusetts.

Powhatan

A Native American confederation of tribes in Virginia, known for their interactions with the Jamestown settlers.

Protestant

A branch of Christianity that originated from the Reformation, emphasizing the authority of the Bible.

Puritans

A religious group that sought to purify the Church of England and established colonies in New England.

Quakers

A religious group known for their belief in pacifism, equality, and simplicity, prominent in colonial America.

John Rolfe

An English settler in Virginia known for introducing tobacco cultivation, which became a cash crop.

Separatists

A group of Puritans who sought to separate from the Church of England and establish their own congregations.

John Smith

An English explorer and leader of the Jamestown settlement, known for his role in its early survival.

George Whitefield

An influential preacher during the First Great Awakening, known for his emotional sermons and evangelism.

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister who founded Rhode Island and advocated for religious freedom and separation of church and state.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, known for his vision of a 'city upon a hill' as a model of Christian society.

Pre-Columbian Americas

The period in the Americas before the arrival of European explorers and settlers, characterized by diverse indigenous cultures.

Archaic period

A prehistoric period in North America characterized by the development of hunting, gathering, and early agricultural practices.

Clans

Social groups consisting of families that share a common ancestor, often found in various indigenous cultures.

Division of labor

The assignment of different tasks to different people or groups, often seen in early agricultural societies.

Kachina

Spiritual beings in Pueblo culture, often represented in ceremonies and believed to bring rain and fertility.

Kinship

A social structure based on family relationships, often significant in indigenous cultures for social organization.

Maize

A staple crop cultivated by many indigenous peoples in the Americas, also known as corn.

Nomadic

A lifestyle characterized by moving from place to place rather than settling permanently, often associated with hunter-gatherer societies.

Pleistocene Overkill

A hypothesis suggesting that the extinction of large mammals in North America was caused by overhunting by early humans.

Rancheria

A term used to describe a small settlement or community of Native Americans, often associated with Spanish colonialism.

Transoceanic migrations

The movement of peoples across oceans, particularly referring to the migration of humans to the Americas.

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century, used by European explorers.

Colonization

The process of establishing control over a foreign territory and its people, often involving settlement and exploitation.

Conquistador

A Spanish explorer and conqueror, particularly those who led expeditions in the Americas during the 16th century.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system that granted colonists the right to demand tribute and forced labor from indigenous peoples.

Feudalism

A social and economic system in medieval Europe characterized by the exchange of land for service and loyalty.

Mestizo

A person of mixed European and indigenous ancestry, particularly in Latin America.

Reconquista

The centuries-long campaign by Christian kingdoms to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule.

Renaissance

A cultural and intellectual movement in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century, emphasizing art, science, and humanism.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe.

Almanac

A publication that includes a calendar, weather forecasts, and various statistics, often used for agricultural planning.

Bacon's Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley's administration.

Beaver Wars

A series of conflicts in the 17th century between Native American tribes and European settlers over the fur trade.

Cash crop

A crop produced for commercial value rather than for use by the grower, such as tobacco or cotton.

Covenant Chain

A series of alliances and treaties between the Iroquois Confederacy and the English colonies.

Coureurs de bois

French fur traders who traveled into North America's interior to trade with Native Americans.

Culpeper's Rebellion

A 1677 uprising in North Carolina against the colonial government led by John Culpeper.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

Enumerated goods

Products that were required by law to be shipped only to specific destinations, particularly in colonial trade.

First Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s, emphasizing personal faith.

Frame of Government (Pennsylvania)

A constitution established by William Penn that provided for a representative government in Pennsylvania.

French and Indian War

A conflict between Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763, part of the global Seven Years' War.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

The first written constitution in America, establishing a framework for government in Connecticut in 1638.

Glorious Revolution

The 1688 overthrow of King James II of England, leading to the establishment of constitutional monarchy.

Great Migration (colonial period - Puritans)

The period during the 1630s when a large number of Puritans migrated to New England seeking religious freedom.

Half-Way Covenant

A form of partial church membership created by New England Puritans in the 1660s to increase church attendance.

Headright system

A land grant system used in the colonies to encourage settlement by giving land to settlers.

Indentured servants

Individuals who agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America.

Joint-stock company

A business entity where different stocks can be bought and owned by shareholders, often used for colonial ventures.

King George's War

The North American theater of the War of Austrian Succession, fought between 1744 and 1748.

King Philip's War

A conflict between Native American tribes and English settlers in New England from 1675 to 1676.

King William's War

The North American theater of the War of the League of Augsburg, fought between 1689 and 1697.