Period One Summary Notes

settlement began 10,000+ years ago, when Natives from Siberia crossed the Bering Strait into Alaska; also evidence they crossed by sea into South America
- by 1491, population was estimated to be between 50 to 100 million
Central + South America
- large, highly developed societies with trade networks, calendars, and massive agricultural production
  - ex. Incas, Mayas, Aztecs
Northern American Tribes
- smaller and more diverse; tended to live in smaller groups
- men hunted, women farmed and gathered
- 100+ languages and beliefs

Tech advancements
- compass, printing press, gunpowder
- shipping improvements
religious conflicts
- protestants vs. catholics after the reformation
- some wanted to spread their religious beliefs
desires of trade routes into East Asia spurred exploration
- columbus planning to sail to Asia (India), but sailed the wrong way and landed in the Bahamas
- increased trade and unity in religion used as tools to fund and solidify power
- spain and portugal first to claim territory in 1490s, while england and france arrived in 15th to 16th century

1492 - Columbus, funded by Isabella and Ferdinand, sails to India
- though landing in the Bahamas, his “discovery” had a massive impact on the world
Columbian Exchange - widespread transfer of food, cattle, people, and culture between America and Afro-Eurasia
- Europeans gained: beans, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco
- Native Americans gained: sugar, bluegrass, pigs, horses, iron tools, weapons, and more importantly disease
  - diseases such as syphilis, smallpox, and measles killed 90% of Native american population
The rise of capitalism
- Capitalism - private citizens own the means of production with no government involved
- land, labor, capital

spanish conquistadors were dispatched to the Americas to retrieve wealth and resources to return to spain
- successful; made spain the richest kingdom in Europe
- while there, they attacked and enslaved Natives
  - Encomienda System - Spanish king grants land to conquistadors along with the duty to “care” for the people. In exchange, the king receives taxes
  - quickly became a brutal slavery system
Enslaved african labor
- Spain began to import africans under the asiento system; allowed specific individuals to capture and transport slaves to spanish america in exchange for tax to the monarch
- 10-15 million brought, more than Europeans at the time
  - 2.5 million died w/in the Middle Passage
- resisted in multiple ways
  - run aways, sabotage, slow work techniques, revolts, independent culture/relationships, music, religion, etc.

Diversity
- polytheism vs. monotheism
- role of women
- laws/documents vs. tradition
diversity leads to tribalism/factions/conflict
Spain
- Euros believed they were superior, and used this belief to justify the exploitation of Natives; one popular exception
  - Bartolomé de Las Casas - A Spanish priest who advocated for the better treatment of Native Americans, passing the New Laws of 1542 which ended Native Slavery, halted forced labor, and began to deconstruct the encomienda system.
  - Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda - fought back against de Las Casas, arguing that Natives benefitted from the encomienda system during the Valladolid Debate
    - Las Casas unable to convince everyone
English
- did not interact or intermarry with the natives but did trade extensively
- as more englishmen and their families arrived, conflicts arose over land
  - expelled the natives but didn’t subjugate them
French
- maintained an equitable relationships with Natives, based largely on trade along the St. Lawerence River, Mississippi River, and Great Lakes
Natives
- Often joined in military alliances with Europeans to fight against other europeans
- other responded by moving west; led to conflicts among various Native tribes