APUSH Period 1: 1491-1607

Contextualizing Period 1

• Native Americans had complex societies with unique religious, political, and cultural beliefs before European colonization.
• In Central and South America, societies like the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas developed, with maize (corn) being a crucial crop.
• Native Americans adapted to their environments in different ways, such as:
  • Settled, permanent societies in the desert Southwest through irrigation and agriculture.
  • Nomadic tribes in the grassy Great Plains.
  • Settled societies with mixed agriculture and hunting in the forested Northeast.

European Exploration

• European countries competed to conquer the "New World" with three primary goals:
  • Wealth: gold, silver, and other raw materials.
  • Military competition: land translated into power.
  • Christianity: Catholics and Protestants competed to convert souls.
• The Columbian Exchange resulted in significant social, cultural, and political changes for Europeans, American Indians, and Africans.

Columbian Exchange

• The Columbian Exchange was the exchange of plants, animals, disease, knowledge, and culture between the "Old World" and "New World" after 1492.
• This exchange had a profound impact on global affairs, leading to the transformation of societies.

Exploiting the Americas

• The Spanish exploited the natural resources of the Americas through the encomienda system, giving conquistadores American Indians for plantation agriculture.
• As Native Americans succumbed to disease, the Spanish and other European nations turned to West Africa for sources of enslaved labor via the Middle Passage.
• This led to a dramatic transformation of the social and economic structures in the Americas.

Cultural Interactions

• Relationships between Europeans and American Indians were often marked by misunderstandings and conflict regarding land, resources, and cultural beliefs.
• Europeans viewed their culture, technologies, and beliefs as superior to those of Native Americans.
• American Indians believed they were more intelligent and resourceful than European colonists.

Native American Societies Before European Contact

• Early migration: nomadic hunters from East Asia crossed the Bering Strait Land Bridge to the Americas 11,000 years ago.
• Societies in Central and South America:
  • The Incas created a complex administrative system, practiced animism, and grew potatoes and maize using intricate gardening systems.
  • The Aztecs developed a complex society with a large city, Tenochtitlan, and a belief in human sacrifice.
• Societies in North America:
  • The Mississippians (Mound Builders) participated in trade networks, had a complex society, and practiced agriculture centered around maize.
  • The Iroquois had a mixture of agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering, and lived in longhouses with a matrilineal society.
  • The Pueblos maintained an agricultural economy using advanced irrigation techniques and lived in multi-story buildings.
  • The Great Plains Native Americans had a pastoral economy based on hunting and gathering, with a nomadic lifestyle.

European Exploration in the Americas

• European context:
  • Political changes: monarchs consolidated national power, creating a greater sense of national identity.
  • Population growth: after the Black Death, population rebounded, leading to a reawakening of commerce and a rising demand for goods.
  • Religious transition: the Protestant Reformation sparked a race for converting souls.
• Columbus:
  • Sought a faster, safer sea route to East Asia in pursuit of exotic spices and goods.
  • Appealed to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to back his voyage.
  • Made four expeditions in the 1490s, filling returning ships with Arawak natives to sell as slaves in Spain.
• Treaty of Tordesillas and ensuing exploration:
  • The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the western hemisphere into two halves, giving one to Spain and the other to Portugal.
  • Portugal, Spain, and France chartered dozens of expeditions to explore and colonize the "New World".### Diplomatic, Economic, Cultural, and Military Interactions
• Shaped the development of early America through interactions between empires, nations, and peoples

European Context

• Protestant Reformation: a significant event that led to the search for new sources of wealth and the Age of Exploration
• Black Death: a pandemic that led to economic and military competition among European nations
• Caravel: a sailing ship that enabled European explorers to cross the Atlantic Ocean
• Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand: rulers of Spain who sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas
• Treaty of Tordesillas: a treaty that divided the New World between Spain and Portugal in 1494

Columbian Exchange

• Definition: the transmission or exchange of plants, animals, disease, knowledge, and culture between the Old World and the New World after 1492
• Causes: improvements in maritime technology, joint-stock companies, and the theory of mercantilism
• Impacts:
  • For Europe: new crops (e.g., potatoes), new sources of mineral wealth, and population growth
  • For the Americas: disease (e.g., smallpox), introduction of new animals (e.g., horses), and new crops (e.g., sugarcane)
  • For Africa: native epidemics, Atlantic Slave Trade, and the establishment of African slavery

Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System

• Encomienda System: a system by which Spaniards were given a group of American Indians for labor, who were supposed to care for and convert them, but led to forced labor and abuse
• African Enslavement: the Spanish turned to Africa for labor due to the decline of native populations, leading to the Atlantic Slave Trade and the establishment of African slavery
• Caste System: a system that defined the status of Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans in the Spanish Empire, including peninsular, creole, mestizo, mulatto, zambo, Native American, and African

Cultural Interactions Between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans

• Worldviews: Europeans and Native Americans had divergent views on issues such as religion, gender roles, family, land use, and power
• Interactions: mutual misunderstandings, trade, and the adoption of useful aspects of each other's culture
• Native Treatment Debate: a debate among European religious and political leaders about how to treat Native Americans, with some arguing for equal treatment and others arguing for subjugation