Heimler APUSH Unit 1 Review

Overview of Native American Societies

• Diversity of Cultures: Native Americans were not a monolithic group; their societies were diverse based on different environments.

  • Misconception: Often thought of as Plains nomads, but they varied greatly in lifestyle and culture.

Specific Native American Groups

• Pueblo People:

  • Location: Present-day Utah and Colorado.

  • Lifestyle: Settled farmers growing beans, squash, and maize.

  • Achievements: Advanced irrigation systems and cliff dwellings made from clay bricks.

• Great Basin and Great Plains Societies:

  • Lifestyle: Nomadic hunter-gatherers, organized into kinship bands.

  • Example: Ute people.

• Northwest Coastal Peoples:

  • Lifestyle: Permanent settlements due to fishing and abundant resources.

  • Example: Chumash of California with large villages, and Chinook with plank houses.

• Northeast Iroquois:

  • Lifestyle: Farmers living in long houses made from timber.

• Mississippi River Valley:

  • Lifestyle: Agriculture due to rich soils.

  • Notable Civilization: Cahokia, with a centralized government and population of about 40,000.

European Arrival and Its Impact

• Growing European Monarchies:

  • 1300s-1400s: Strengthening centralized states led to a wealthy upper class wanting luxury goods from Asia.

• Trade Route Challenges:

  • Muslims controlled land routes, pushing Europeans to seek sea routes for trade.

Portuguese and Spanish Maritime Exploration

• Portugal's Role:

  • Established trading posts in Africa and the Indian Ocean using advanced maritime technology (astrolabe, new ship designs).

• Spain's Entry:

  • Following Portugal's success, Spain sought to expand after reconquering the Iberian Peninsula, facilitating Columbus’s voyage in 1492.

Significance of Columbus's Voyage

• Columbian Exchange:

  • Transfer of people, animals, plants, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres after Columbus landed in the Caribbean.

  • Notable agricultural exchanges:

    • From Americas: Potatoes, tomatoes, maize.

    • From Europe: Wheat, rice, soybeans.

  • Animal Exchange:

    • Americas sent turkeys; Europeans brought cattle, pigs, and horses.

  • Disease:

    • Europeans introduced smallpox to Native Americans, leading to huge population declines.

Economic Impact of the Americas on Europe

• Shift from Feudalism to Capitalism:

  • Wealth influx shifted societies from feudal structures to joint-stock companies, creating more capitalistic ventures.

The Encomienda System

• Exploitation of Native Labor:

  • Spanish settlers forced natives to work on plantations to extract resources.

  • Difficulties included native resistance and high mortality from disease.

• African Enslavement:

  • Africans were imported as laborers due to their immunity to diseases and unfamiliarity with the geography.

Racial Hierarchies in Spanish Colonial Society

• Casta System:

  • Social classes based on racial ancestry:

    • Peninsulares (Spanish born in Spain).

    • Criollos (Spaniards born in Americas).

    • Castas (mixed ancestry with subdivisions: Mestizos, Mulatos).

Interaction Between Europeans and Natives

• Cultural Exchanges and Conflicts:

  • Natives taught Europeans agricultural practices; Europeans introduced iron tools to natives.

  • Tensions and violence occurred alongside cultural exchange.

Justifications for Exploitation

• European Beliefs:

  • Rationalizations for the harsh treatment of Native Americans, with some priests advocating for humane treatment (Bartolome de las Casas) as opposed to exploitation.

  • Biblical justifications for African enslavement, misinterpreting the curse on Ham's descendants.

Conclusion

• Complex Societies:

  • Native societies were complex and shaped by their environments, and the arrival of Europeans resulted in monumental societal changes on both sides.