Period 1: 1491-1607

Southwest Native Settlement

Regions such as New Mexico today. Tribes like the Navajo, Hopi, and Apache lived in adobe or stone housing such as pueblo villages and cliff dwellings.

Great Plains Native Settlement

Communities in middle of country. Tribes lived in homes such as tepees made from animal skins and poles. Hunting was main way of life.

Mississippi River Valley Native Settlement

Refers to Native American communities near largest river in country. Had diverse agriculture and permanent settlements. Created large mounds in landscape.

Northeast Native Settlement

Indigenous communities in New England region who engaged in agriculture, hunting, fishing, and trade. Long houses

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases from one side of the Atlantic to the other, changed the entire world.

Effects of Diseases on Natives

Wiped out the Native population which was heavily used for labor, leading to Spanish using African labor

Joint Stock Company

Allows investors to buy shares in the company, owning part of it while limiting their financial risk to their investment in a colony

Encomienda System

A Spanish colonial labor system where settlers were given control over land and native tribes in exchange for protection and Catholic conversion.

Spanish Caste System

Organization of Spanish Colonies based on people's ancestry and race. Top was Pureblood Spaniards and at the bottom were indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans

de Las Casas debates Sepulveda

Discussions in the 16th century about the treatment of indigenous peoples. de Las Casas argued for their humane treatment, while Sepulveda defended their subjugation based on Catholic teachings