AP US History Chapter 1 Summary

Study Notes

Chapter 1: Colliding Worlds 1450-1600

Societies in the Americas, Europe, and Africa developed independently for thousands of years before contact.
In the Americas, Mesoamerica and Andes had sedentary societies with intensive agriculture and individual land ownership.
Other regions displayed semisedentary (seasonal villages) and nonsedentary (hunter-gatherer) lifestyles.
West and Central Africa featured a mix of settlement types similar to the Americas.
Western Europe was predominantly sedentary, operating under complex political structures.
Rulership was associated with spiritual power, relying on warfare, trade, and tribute for dominance.
Portuguese and Spanish explorations catalyzed unforeseen transatlantic interactions, including trade and conquest.
European invasions decimated Native American populations in the Caribbean and Brazilian coasts through enslavement.
The rise of plantation agriculture led to the importation of African slaves, initiating a devastating transatlantic slave trade.
The Aztec and Incan empires collapsed as a result of biological diseases and small invading forces.

Chapter 2: American Experiments 1521-1700

Three types of colonies emerged in the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Spanish colonists in Mesoamerica and the Andes exploited indigenous labor systems and found wealth in precious metals.
Plantation agriculture developed in tropical regions, requiring large labor forces initially met by indentured servitude and later by African slavery.
Neo-European settlements in North America's temperate zone adapted European social and economic systems to new environments.
Colonization involved experimentation, reshaping political, social, and cultural dynamics among Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans.
The Columbian Exchange caused significant ecological changes, impacting all involved societies.
Conflicts arose in the Chesapeake and New England due to the struggles of adaptation and the rigors of colonization.

Chapter 3: The British Atlantic World 1660-1750

The political landscape began changing in the 1660s with Britain's increased control over its American colonies.
The Acts of Trade and Navigation were established to retain colonial products and trade within English control.
King James II abolished representative institutions, creating the authoritarian Dominion of New England.
The Glorious Revolution restored colonial self-government and altered imperial policies toward salutary neglect.
The period marked the start of imperial warfare involving Native Americans, reshaping relations and power dynamics in the colonies.

Description

Explore the key concepts of Chapter 1: Colliding Worlds (1450-1600) of AP US History through flashcards. This chapter delves into the independent development of Native American, European, and African societies prior to their contact. Understand the differences between sedentary and semisedentary societies in this dynamic historical period.