Midterm Review

Import Crop: Maize, Societies seem to have been built around this crop, sustaining them enough to expand past southern Mexico throughout central America.

Native American Groups

In Central Mexico: Aztec Empire, Tenochitlan- Profited from corn maize cultivation

TL;DR, Native Americans became really diverse througout the years before American colonization

European Arrival

Colombian Exchange: Trade between the Native Americans and Europeans.
Resources such as corn and potatoes traveled to Europe while horses, pigs, sugar, and deadly diseases made its way to America.

• The introduction of these diseases had catastrophic effects on the Nstive Americans who died as a result of lack of immunity.

• Atlantic slave trade began taking place to keep of with European economic boom

• The Spanish established colonies using the Encomienda System

- A labor system that force Native Americans to work for Spanish settlers

TL;DR, they treated Native Americans like crap and attempted to justify it.

Period 2: Colonial Pilgrim Era

• The Spanish were focuses on extracting wealth and forcing the Natives to convert to control them, setting up missions and crusades

• The French were focused on trade, specifically the Fur Trade

• They maintained cooperative relationships with the Native Americans through alliances

• The Dutch were focused on commerce and trade. They also maintained friendly relations with the Natives

• The English, they colonized. That’s it. And they caused a lot of displacement of Natives

Regional Differences

New England - mainly settle for religious reasons and wanted to build a city upon a hill.