APUSH Unit 1 Review

Native Societies Before European Arrival

• Diverse societies existed based on environment.

• Not a monolithic group.

• Coastal regions: fishing villages. These villages relied heavily on marine resources, developing specialized tools and techniques for fishing and whaling. The abundance of food allowed for relatively settled lifestyles.

• Hunter-gatherer nomadic lifestyles. These groups followed seasonal migration patterns, relying on hunting wild game and gathering edible plants. Their tools and social structures were adapted to mobility and resource scarcity.

• Magnificent cities and empires. Some native societies developed complex agricultural systems, trade networks, and governance structures that supported large urban populations.

Pueblo People

• Utah and Colorado.

• Farmers: beans, squash, maize. These crops were central to their diet and culture, often integrated into religious ceremonies.

• Advanced irrigation systems. These systems allowed them to cultivate crops in arid environments, demonstrating sophisticated engineering knowledge.

• Small urban centers of hardened clay bricks. These centers served as residential areas, storage facilities, and ceremonial sites.

• Magnificent cliff dwellings. These dwellings offered protection from the elements and potential enemies, showcasing architectural skill.

Great Basin and Great Plains Region

• Colorado to Canada.

• Nomadic hunter-gatherers. Their lifestyle was dictated by the availability of resources, particularly the buffalo.

• Buffalo hunting. The buffalo provided food, clothing, shelter, and tools, making it essential to their survival.

• Small egalitarian kinship bands (e.g., Ute). Social organization was based on family ties and cooperation, with decisions often made through consensus.

Northwest and Pacific Coast

• Permanent settlements due to abundant resources. The abundance of fish, shellfish, and marine mammals allowed for dense populations and complex social structures.

• California: Chumash people.

  • Villages sustaining ~1000 people. These villages were supported by sophisticated fishing techniques and trade networks.

  • Regional trade networks. These networks facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas between different communities.

• Pacific Northwest: Chinook people.

  • Similar to Chumash. They also relied on abundant marine resources and developed complex social hierarchies.

  • Extensive plank houses for kinship groups. These houses provided shelter for multiple families and served as centers for community gatherings.

Iroquois People

• Northeast.

• Farmers. They cultivated crops such as corn, beans, and squash, known as the "Three Sisters."

• Communal longhouses made of timber. These longhouses housed multiple families and reflected communal living arrangements.

Mississippi River Valley

• Farmers due to rich soil. The fertile soil allowed for intensive agriculture and supported large populations.

• Trade along waterways. The Mississippi River and its tributaries served as major transportation routes for goods and people.

• Cahokia: 10,000-30,000 people.

  • Centralized government, powerful chieftains. This suggests a complex social hierarchy and political organization.

Summary of Native Societies

• Distinct, complex societies shaped by environment. Native societies were not static or homogenous but adapted to their surroundings and developed unique cultural practices. Their technological innovations, such as irrigation systems and sophisticated fishing techniques, demonstrate their ingenuity and resourcefulness. The establishment of vast trading networks also indicates their ability to engage in complex economic interactions across different regions.

• Vast trading networks (South to North America).

European Arrival

• European kingdoms unified, centralized (1300s-1400s). The consolidation of power in Europe allowed for increased exploration and colonization efforts. This shift was marked by the decline of feudalism and the rise of centralized monarchies capable of funding overseas ventures.

• Wealthy upper class desired Asian luxury goods. Spices, silks, and other goods from Asia were highly coveted but access was controlled by Muslim traders.

• Muslims controlled land routes to Asia. This created a desire among Europeans to find alternative sea routes to bypass Muslim intermediaries.

• Europeans sought sea routes for trade. The primary motivation was to gain direct access to Asian markets and reduce the cost of trade.

• Portugal: first mover.

  • Trading post empire around Africa. They established a network of fortified trading posts along the African coast to control trade routes and extract resources. This marked the beginning of European colonial expansion.

  • Gained foothold in Indian Ocean trade. Portuguese ships dominated trade routes and extracted wealth from various ports in the Indian Ocean.

Maritime Technology

• Updated astronomical charts. These charts improved navigation accuracy, allowing sailors to determine their position more precisely.

• Astrolabe. This instrument allowed sailors to measure the angle of the sun or stars above the horizon, enabling them to determine their latitude.

• New ship designs: smaller, faster, nimble, trade-focused. The caravel, for example, was highly maneuverable and capable of sailing against the wind.

• Borrowed technology: lateen sail, stern post rudder (accurate navigation). These innovations enhanced ship maneuverability and control, making long-distance voyages more feasible.

Spanish Exploration

• Finished reconquest of Iberian Peninsula from Moors. This victory freed up resources and manpower to pursue overseas exploration and colonization. The desire to spread Christianity was also a significant motivator.

  • Spread Catholic Christianity. The Spanish saw themselves as defenders of the Catholic faith and sought to convert indigenous populations in the New World.

  • New power led to seeking economic opportunities in the East. The Spanish monarchy aimed to expand its wealth and influence through trade and resource extraction.

Christopher Columbus

• Sought sponsorship from Ferdinand and Isabella to sail west to Asia. Columbus believed he could reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean.

• Landed in Caribbean in 1492. This marked the beginning of sustained contact between Europeans and the Americas, leading to profound changes on both sides of the Atlantic.

• Tales of wealth spread, creating competition among European nations (Portugal, France, England). The news of gold and other resources in the Americas sparked a race among European powers to establish colonies and exploit the New World.

Columbian Exchange

• Transfer of people, animals, plants, and diseases between East and West hemispheres. This exchange had far-reaching consequences, transforming agriculture, diets, and demographics around the world.

• From Americas to Europe: potatoes, tomatoes, maize. These crops became staples in European diets, contributing to population growth.

• From Europe to Americas: wheat, rice, soybeans. These crops altered agricultural practices in the Americas and became important food sources.

• Animals: turkeys (Americas), cattle, pigs, horses (Europe). The introduction of horses revolutionized transportation and warfare in the Americas.

• Gold and silver from Americas to Europe. This influx of precious metals fueled economic growth and inflation in Europe.

• People: Europeans settled in Americas, enslaved Africans introduced. The forced migration of Africans to the Americas led to the development of plantation economies and a legacy of slavery.

• Disease: smallpox from Europe decimated Native American populations. The lack of immunity among Native Americans to European diseases resulted in widespread death and social disruption.

• Syphilis possibly from Native Americans to Europeans.

Economic Shift in Europe

• Influx of wealth from Americas. This influx stimulated economic growth and contributed to the decline of feudalism.

• Shift from feudalism to capitalism (economic system based on private ownership and free exchange). The rise of capitalism led to new forms of economic organization and increased trade.

• Rise of joint-stock companies to fund exploration.

  • Limited liability: investors pooled money; shared profits, limited losses. This encouraged investment in risky ventures and facilitated the expansion of European empires.

  • Different from state-sponsored exploration (e.g., Spain).

Spanish Colonization

• Realized agriculture was profitable. The Spanish discovered that crops such as sugarcane and tobacco could be grown in the Americas and sold for profit in Europe.

• Encomienda system: Spaniards forced natives to work plantations and extract gold/silver. This system led to the exploitation and abuse of Native American labor.

• Problems:

  • Natives escaped. Many Native Americans resisted Spanish rule and fled to remote areas.

  • Natives died from smallpox. Disease decimated Native American populations, leading to labor shortages.

• Solution: Importation of African slave laborers.

  • Africans less likely to escape (didn't know geography). Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas to work on plantations and in mines.

  • More immunity to European diseases. Africans had greater immunity to European diseases than Native Americans, making them a more resilient labor force.

Casta System

• Social classes based on racial ancestry.

  • Peninsulares: Spaniards born in Spain. They held the highest positions in colonial society.

  • Criollos/Creoles: Spaniards born in the Americas. They were often wealthy landowners but had less political power than peninsulares.

  • Castas:

  • Mestizos: Spanish and Native American. Their social status varied depending on their parentage and wealth.

  • Mulattos: Spanish and African. They faced discrimination and had limited opportunities.

  • Africans. Enslaved Africans were at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

  • Native Americans. Native Americans were subjected to forced labor and faced discrimination.

European and Native American Relations

• Europeans generally looked down on natives (exploitation, military alliances, forced labor, Christian conversion). European attitudes towards Native Americans were shaped by a belief in European superiority and a desire to exploit Native American resources and labor.

• Cultural exchange occurred (e.g., hunting techniques, maize cultivation, iron tools). Despite the unequal power dynamic, there was some exchange of knowledge and technology between Europeans and Native Americans.

• Difficult and brutal relationship. The relationship between Europeans and Native Americans was marked by conflict, violence, and exploitation.

• Europeans developed belief systems to justify treatment of natives.

  • Some believed natives were less than human (Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda). These beliefs were used to justify the enslavement and mistreatment of Native Americans.

  • Bartolomé de las Casas defended natives and persuaded king to end slavery, but laws were repealed. Las Casas advocated for the rights of Native Americans and challenged the prevailing attitudes of his time.

• Justification for African slavery from the Bible (Noah's curse on Ham).