APUSH - Era 1
1491-1607
Key Concepts Era 1
► As native populations migrated and settled across the vast expanse of
North America over time, they developed distinct and increasingly
complex societies by adapting to and transforming their diverse
environments.
► Different native societies adapted to and transformed their environments
through innovations in agriculture, resource use, and social structure.
► Contact among Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans resulted in
the Columbian Exchange and significant social, cultural, and political
changes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
► European expansion into the Western Hemisphere generated intense social,
religious, political, and economic competition and changes within European
societies.
► The Columbian Exchange and development of the Spanish Empire in the
Western Hemisphere resulted in extensive demographic, economic, and
social changes.
► In their interactions, Europeans and Native Americans asserted divergent
worldviews regarding issues such as religion, gender roles, family, land use,
and power.
Topics Era 1
► Native American societies before European
Contact
► European Exploration in the Americas
► Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and
Conquest
► Labor, Slavery and Caste in the Spanish Colonial
System
► Cultural Interactions between Europeans, Native
Americans and Africans
TOPIC 1.2
Native American
Societies Before
European Contact
THEMATIC FOCUS:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
The Pre-Columbian Era BEFORE 1492 Geographic and environmental factors, including
competition over and debates about natural
resources, shape the development of America
and foster regional diversity. The development of
America impacts the environment and reshapes
geography, which leads to debates about
environmental and geographic issues.
Bering Land Bridge Theory
► Lower sea levels during last Ice Age (through about 16,000ya)
► Nomadic peoples following large fauna
► Spread down coast and eventually inland
Other Theories
► Possible seafarers from ► Norse Explorers
China/Indonesia/Africa ► Leif Ericksson
► Similarities in pottery and ► Greenland Vinland
tools
► About 1000 AD (CE)
► Perhaps as long as 40,000ya
North American Native Societies
► Arctic & Subarctic Regions
► Pacific Northwest
► Northwestern Plateau
► Great Plains
► Northeastern Woodlands
► Southeastern Woodlands
► Great Basin
► California
► Southwest
Climate & Geographical Differences
► Different regions had different climates and
resources:
► Plains - largely grassland, few trees, mostly
following bison herds, goods had to be
lightweight for travel
► Great Basin - arid, little rainfall most the the
year, promoted nomadic lifestyles rather than
agriculture (also followed bison)
► Southwest - arid, agriculture focusing on
drought tolerant plants as well as irrigation,
permanent buildings made of adobe or
sandstone
► Eastern Woodlands - hunting, gathering, and
agriculture, smaller groups possibly due to
fewer differences among neighboring groups
which limited trade
North American Native Societies
► The spread of maize cultivation from present-
day Mexico northward into the present-day
American Southwest and beyond supported
economic development, settlement,
advanced irrigation, and social diversification
among societies.
► Societies responded to the aridity of the Great
Basin and the grasslands of the western Great
Plains by developing largely mobile lifestyles.
► In the Northeast, the Mississippi River Valley, and
along the Atlantic seaboard, some societies
developed mixed agricultural and hunter-
gatherer economies that favored the
development of permanent villages.
► Societies in the Northwest and present-day
California supported themselves by hunting
and gathering, and in some areas developed
settled communities supported by the vast
resources of the ocean.
Clovis & Plano Cultures
► Clovis Culture - Mammoth ► Plano Culture – Bison
Hunters Hunters
The spread of maize cultivation from
Mississippian Culture - present-day Mexico northward into the
present-day American Southwest and
beyond supported economic
Moundbuilders development, settlement, advanced
irrigation, and social diversification among
societies.
► Cahokia in Illinois ► Serpent Mound in Ohio
The spread of maize cultivation from
Mississippian Culture - present-day Mexico northward into the
present-day American Southwest and
beyond supported economic
Moundbuilders development, settlement, advanced
irrigation, and social diversification among
societies.
The spread of maize cultivation from present-day Mexico
Pueblo
northward into the present-day American Southwest and
beyond supported economic development, settlement,
advanced irrigation, and social
Peoples diversification among societies.
Maize
► Before A.D. 1000, maize
agriculture began to spread
from Central America through
North America
► Maize was especially popular in
the southwest
► Societies developed vast
irrigation systems (Pueblos in Rio
Grande)
► Maize cultivation transformed
societies
► Less emphasis on hunting and
gathering
► Led to an increase in population
► Villages were built around maize
fields
BONUS – the beans return
►Three sisters farming – corn, nitrogen to the soil producing
higher yields of corn and
beans and squash/melon squash in future harvests!
MesoAmerican
Native Societies
Maya (250-900AD)
► Maya
Aztec (1125-1521)
► Inca
Inca (1438-1535)
► Aztec
The spread of maize cultivation from
present-day Mexico northward into
the present-day American Southwest
and beyond supported economic
development, settlement, advanced
irrigation, and social diversification
among societies.
The spread of maize cultivation from present-day
Mexico northward into the present-day American
Mayan Culture Southwest and beyond supported economic
development, settlement, advanced irrigation, and
social diversification among societies.
► Modern Day Yucatan
Peninsula & beyond
► Farming using raised fields,
slash and burn, and “three
sisters” crops
► 365 day calendar and
complex numbering system
► Complex city-states and
alliances
► Political collapse after
~900AD but people
remained
The spread of maize cultivation from present-day
Mexico northward into the present-day American
Aztec Culture Southwest and beyond supported economic
development, settlement, advanced irrigation, and
social diversification among societies.
► Centered on present day
Mexico City
► Conquest of smaller
societies that were then
incorporated into complex
political system
► Extensive farming and
irrigation
► One ruler with priests,
nobles & military leaders
The spread of maize cultivation from present-day
Mexico northward into the present-day American
Inca Culture Southwest and beyond supported economic
development, settlement, advanced irrigation, and
social diversification among societies.
► Western South America
from Ecuador to Chile
► Complex construction
► Terraced agriculture
► Raised llama and alpaca
for meat & fur
► Metal work including gold,
silver and alloys
Societies responded to the aridity of
the Great Basin and the grasslands
Nomadic Peoples of the western Great Plains by
developing largely mobile lifestyles.
In the Northeast, the Mississippi River Valley, and
Northeastern
along the Atlantic seaboard, some societies
developed mixed agricultural and hunter-gatherer
economies that favored the development of
Cultures permanent villages.
► Iroquois and Algonquin
In the Northeast, the Mississippi River Valley, and
along the Atlantic seaboard, some societies
Powhatan developed mixed agricultural and hunter-gatherer
economies that favored the development of
permanent villages.
Societies in the Northwest and present-day
California supported themselves by hunting
Northwest Cultures and gathering, and in some areas developed
settled communities supported by the vast
resources of the ocean.
► Mostly dependent on the
sea and rivers – especially
salmon
California
Societies in the Northwest and present-day
California supported themselves by hunting
and gathering, and in some areas developed
Native Cultures settled communities supported by the vast
resources of the ocean.
► Varied according to
climate
► Divided into four main
groupings
► Northwest – temperate
rainforest climate
► Northeast – mountain
climate
► Central California –
most varied – coastal,
mountain and central
valley – abundant
resources
► Southern California –
coastal islands, inland,
mountain and desert
regions
► Tribes included the Karok,
Maidu, Cahuilleno,
Mojave, Yokuts, Pomo,
Paiute, and Modoc.
TOPIC 1.3
European Exploration in
the Americas
THEMATIC FOCUS:
America in the World (WOR)
The Age of Discovery Diplomatic, economic, cultural, and military
1492-1700s interactions between empires, nations, and
peoples shape the development of America and
America’s increasingly important role in the
world.
European nations’ efforts to explore and
Age of conquer the New World stemmed from a
search for new sources of wealth, economic
Discovery and military competition, and a desire to
spread Christianity.
“God, Gold, and Glory!”
► Trade
► Religion
► Technology
European nations’ efforts to explore and
conquer the New World stemmed from a
Columbus search for new sources of wealth, economic
and military competition, and a desire to
spread Christianity.
► Columbus
► Spain
► 1492, 1493, 1498,
1502
Other Early
European nations’ efforts to explore and
conquer the New World stemmed from a
search for new sources of wealth, economic
Explorers and military competition, and a desire to
spread Christianity.
► John Cabot ► Giovanni
da Verrazano
► Juan Ponce de Leon
► Pánfilo de Narváez
Other Early European nations’ efforts to explore and
conquer the New World stemmed from a
search for new sources of wealth, economic
Explorers and military competition, and a desire to
spread Christianity.
► Jacques Cartier ► Hernando De Soto
European nations’ efforts to explore and
conquer the New World stemmed from a
Treaty of Tordesillas search for new sources of wealth, economic
and military competition, and a desire to
spread Christianity.
► Papal Line of Demarcation
in 1493
► Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494
► No clear cut boundary on
other side of world
► Only Spain and Portugal
TOPIC 1.4
Columbian Exchange,
Spanish Exploration, and
Conquest
THEMATIC FOCUS:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
The Age of Conquest Geographic and environmental factors, including
1492-1700s competition over and debates about natural
resources, shape the development of America
and foster regional diversity. The development of
America impacts the environment and reshapes
geography, which leads to debates about
environmental and geographic issues.
The Columbian Exchange brought new crops to
Columbian Europe from the Americas, stimulating European
population growth, and new sources of mineral
Exchange wealth, which facilitated the European shift from
feudalism to capitalism.
Spanish exploration and conquest of the Americas
Columbian were accompanied and furthered by widespread
deadly epidemics that devastated native
Exchange populations and by the introduction of crops and
animals not found in the Americas.
Improvements in maritime technology and more
Columbian organized methods for conducting international
trade, such as joint-stock companies, helped drive
Exchange changes to economies in Europe and the Americas.
Spanish (grey)
and Portuguese
(blue) 16th-and
17th-century
trade routes.
TOPIC 1.5
Labor, Slavery, and
Caste in the Spanish
Colonial System
THEMATIC FOCUS:
Social Structures (SOC)
The Age of Empire Social categories, roles, and practices are
1492-1700s created, maintained, challenged, and
transformed throughout American history,
shaping government policy, economic systems,
culture, and the lives of citizens.
Spanish Empire
The Spanish developed a caste system that
Caste incorporated, and carefully defined the status
of, the diverse population of Europeans,
System Africans, and Native Americans in their
empire.
► System of racial
classification
► Also used as an
explanation to
those still in Spain
► Determined wealth,
career, attire, and
even the friendships
► Movement up was
limited and often
based on marriage
and acceptance of
offspring
European traders partnered with some West
Slave Labor African groups who practiced slavery to
forcibly extract slave labor for the Americas.
System The Spanish imported enslaved Africans to
labor in plantation agriculture and mining.
► Used religious
argument to
justify chattel
slavery
► Permanent and
inheritable
In the encomienda system, Spanish colonial
Encomienda economies marshaled Native American labor
to support plantation-based agriculture and
System extract precious metals and other resources.
► Grant of the labor of natives to a Spaniard (initially not granted land)
► Receiver could extract a tribute in gold, goods or labor
► Required to protect and instruct in
Christian faith
► Replaced by Repartimiento (crown
controlled labor as opposed to
individual)
► Little actual difference in how Natives
were treated
TOPIC 1.6
Cultural Interactions
Between Europeans, Native
Americans, and Africans
THEMATIC FOCUS:
America in the World (WOR)
European Dominance of the Diplomatic, economic, cultural, and military
Americas interactions between empires, nations, and
peoples shape the development of America and
America’s increasingly important role in the
world.
In their interactions, Europeans and Native
Spread of Religion Americans asserted divergent worldviews
regarding issues such as religion, gender
roles, family, land use, and power.
► Native people had wide variety of religious
practices (some polytheistic, animistic)
► Spaniards monotheistic – Catholic
► Wanted to convert natives to Christianity
► Some natives blended Christianity with
existing faith practices; others replaced it
► Mission system
Cultural Mutual misunderstandings between Europeans and Native
Americans often defined the early years of interaction and
trade as each group sought to make sense of the other. Over
Conflict time, Europeans and Native Americans adopted some useful
aspects of each other’s culture.
► Often related to
religion, land use, or
family/kinship networks
As European encroachments on Native Americans’ lands and
Native demands on their labor increased, native peoples sought to
defend and maintain their political sovereignty, economic
Resistance
prosperity, religious beliefs, and concepts of gender relations
through diplomatic negotiations and military resistance.
► Running away from encomienda
► Reducing pace of work, sabotage
(less common as a tactic amongst
native peoples)
► Pueblo Revolt (Pope’s Rebellion) – 1680
– Pueblos, Navajos, and Apaches lay
siege to Santa Fe for 9 days, killing 400
and driving 2000+ back to Mexico
► Churches and missions also
destroyed
