Overview
This lecture covers the key developments in APUSH Period 1 (1491–1607), focusing on the diversity of Native American societies, the motives for European exploration, the effects of European colonization, and the resulting cultural exchanges and conflicts.
Native Societies Before 1492
- Native populations in the Americas were highly diverse, shaped significantly by geography.
- Maize (corn) cultivation, originating in southern Mexico, enabled larger and more complex societies.
- Effects of maize: economic growth, permanent settlements, advanced irrigation, and social diversification.
- Northeast example: Iroquois were semi-sedentary, lived in longhouses, and farmed maize.
- Southeast example: Cherokee society was also semi-sedentary and matrilineal.
- Mississippi Valley: Mississippian cultures like Cahokia built large towns; social hierarchies developed.
- Great Basin/Great Plains: Groups like the Ute were nomadic, living in mobile shelters and hunting buffalo.
- Pacific Coast: Groups like the Chinook formed permanent settlements using abundant natural resources.
Causes of European Exploration
- Motivations: "Gold" (economic gain), "God" (spread Christianity), and "Glory" (national prestige).
- Economic changes in Europe (Renaissance, maritime tech, joint-stock companies) enabled exploration.
- Spanish and Portuguese competition led to the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing New World territories.
European Colonization and Its Effects
- Spain's conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires resulted in an influx of gold and silver, fueling capitalism.
- Encomienda system: Spaniards received land and coerced indigenous labor for agriculture/mining.
- Indigenous labor decline (disease, escape) led to increased importation of enslaved Africans.
- Spain implemented a caste system, ranking people by racial heritage.
- Religious motivations led Spain to send missionaries to convert indigenous peoples.
The Columbian Exchange
- Columbian Exchange: transfer of plants, animals, minerals, diseases, and people between the Old and New Worlds.
- Diseases like smallpox devastated indigenous populations, reducing some by up to 90%.
- European crops (wheat, sugar) and livestock (horses, pigs, cattle) transformed American environments.
- Introduction of the horse revolutionized life and warfare for Plains tribes.
- Millions of Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas as slaves.
Cultural Interactions and Conflicts
- Europeans and indigenous groups differed in views on land use, religion, gender roles, and family structures.
- Early relations involved misunderstanding and occasional cultural exchange (e.g., farming techniques, intermarriage).
- Indigenous resistance included alliances, negotiations, and rebellions (e.g., Taino Rebellion).
- The Valladolid debates in Spain questioned the moral and religious justification of enslaving Native Americans and Africans.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Maize — A staple crop (corn) critical to the development of complex American Indian societies.
- Encomienda system — Spanish labor system granting colonists land and the right to coerced indigenous labor.
- Columbian Exchange — The exchange of goods, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old and New Worlds after 1492.
- Caste system — Race-based social hierarchy imposed by the Spanish in the Americas.
- Joint-stock company — Business entity where investors pool money to fund ventures and share profits/losses.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review specific examples of indigenous societies and their adaptations to geography.
- Memorize the main effects of the Columbian Exchange.
- Study the different motives for European exploration (gold, God, glory).
- Prepare to explain key differences in worldview between Europeans and indigenous Americans.