Period 1: 1491–1607

Key Concepts:

1. Native American Societies Before European Contact:

• Pueblo: Native American group living in the Southwestern United States (modern-day New Mexico and Arizona). They were known for their complex adobe dwellings and sophisticated agricultural systems.

• Iroquois: A confederacy of Native American tribes in the northeastern U.S. (including the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca). They had a powerful political system and were known for their longhouses and matrilineal society.

• Algonquian: A group of tribes in the northeastern U.S. and Canada. They were known for their reliance on hunting, fishing, and farming, and they spoke the Algonquian language.

2. Spanish Exploration and Conquest:

• Christopher Columbus: An Italian explorer sponsored by Spain who made landfall in the Caribbean in 1492, mistakenly thinking he had reached Asia. His voyages initiated widespread European exploration of the Americas.

• Hernán Cortés: A Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico. He took advantage of internal divisions within the Aztec Empire and used superior weaponry, diseases, and alliances with other tribes to defeat the Aztecs.

3. The Columbian Exchange:

• This was the exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (the Americas) after Columbus’s arrival. It transformed societies on both sides of the Atlantic. Crops like maize, potatoes, and tomatoes were brought from the Americas to Europe, while horses, cattle, and diseases like smallpox were introduced to the Americas.

4. Early British and French Settlements in the Americas:

• Roanoke: An English settlement established in the late 16th century in what is now North Carolina. The colony mysteriously disappeared, with the only clue being the word “Croatoan” carved into a post.

• Jamestown: The first permanent English settlement in North America, founded in 1607 in Virginia. It survived through the leadership of John Smith and the cultivation of tobacco.

• Quebec: The first French permanent settlement in North America, founded in 1608 in what is now Canada. The French focused on fur trading and formed alliances with Native American tribes like the Algonquians.

Important Dates:

• 1492: Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas, marking the beginning of European exploration and colonization in the New World.

• 1607: The establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America.

Key Figures:

1. Christopher Columbus:

• Columbus is credited with “discovering” the Americas for Europeans, though he believed he had found a new route to Asia. His voyages paved the way for the Spanish colonization of the Americas and set the stage for the Columbian Exchange.

2. Hernán Cortés:

• Cortés is known for leading the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, which was a major turning point in the colonization of the Americas. His victory over the Aztecs facilitated the spread of Spanish influence in the Americas.

3. John Smith:

• John Smith was a leader of the Jamestown colony. His leadership and interactions with Native Americans, including Pocahontas, helped the colony survive its early years. He famously said, “He who will not work, will not eat,” emphasizing the importance of hard work for survival.

4. Pocahontas:

• Pocahontas was a Native American woman from the Powhatan Confederacy who played a key role in the early years of the Jamestown colony. She is famous for her association with John Smith, though the details of their relationship are debated. Later, she married John Rolfe, which helped establish peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan people.

Key Terms:

1. Columbian Exchange:

• The exchange of goods, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (the Americas). It had profound effects on both sides, including the spread of crops, livestock, and diseases like smallpox that devastated Native American populations.

2. Encomienda System:

• A Spanish labor system that granted colonists authority over indigenous people, forcing them to work on plantations or mines. In exchange, the colonists were supposed to provide protection and religious conversion, though it often led to exploitation and abuse of Native Americans.

3. Joint-Stock Company:

• A business venture where investors pooled their money to fund overseas colonies. This system was used by the English to fund colonies like Jamestown. If the colony succeeded, the investors would share in the profits, but if it failed, they lost their investment.

4. Powhatan Confederacy:

• A group of Native American tribes in the eastern Virginia area, led by Chief Powhatan. They interacted with the Jamestown settlers, sometimes cooperating but often in conflict. Pocahontas was part of this group.