Overview
This lecture covers APUSH Unit 1 (1491–1607), exploring pre-Columbian indigenous diversity, European exploration motives, effects of colonization, the Columbian Exchange, and early intercultural interactions.
Indigenous Societies Before European Contact
- Indigenous peoples in the Americas were diverse, with regional differences shaped by geography.
- Maize (corn) cultivation spread from southern Mexico, enabling larger, complex societies.
- Effects of maize: economic development, permanent settlements, advanced irrigation, social diversification.
- Northeast: Iroquois were semi-sedentary, lived in longhouses, relied on maize.
- Southeast: Cherokee were semi-sedentary, practiced agriculture, had matrilineal societies.
- Mississippi Valley: Mississippian cultures (e.g., Cahokia) had large urban centers, rich trade, social hierarchies.
- Great Basin/Plains: Groups like the Ute were nomadic, hunted buffalo, lived in teepees.
- Pacific Coast & California: Chinook and Chumash built permanent settlements, relied on abundant coastal resources.
Causes of European Exploration
- "Gold, God, and Glory": Economic, religious, and political motives drove exploration.
- Economic: Blocked Asian trade routes (Ottoman control) led to sea exploration; new navigation tech and joint-stock companies enabled voyages.
- Portugal established trading-post empires in Africa; Spain sought westward routes (Columbus, 1492).
- Religious: Catholic-Protestant conflicts and the desire to spread Christianity.
- Political: Rise of nation-states; competition for colonies led to treaties like Tordesillas dividing new lands.
Spanish Colonization and Labor Systems
- Conquistadors defeated empires (Cortés—Aztec, Pizarro—Inca), sending gold and silver to Spain.
- Wealth from the Americas aided transition from feudalism to capitalism.
- Encomienda system coerced indigenous labor for plantations/mines; replaced by African slavery due to disease and escapes.
- Spanish casta system imposed a racial hierarchy: Spaniards at top, indigenous/African peoples at bottom, mixed-race in between.
The Columbian Exchange
- Exchange of plants, animals, minerals, diseases, and people between Old and New Worlds.
- Diseases (esp. smallpox) devastated Native populations—up to 90% decline by 1600.
- New crops (maize, potatoes) improved European diets, spurring population growth; Old World crops and livestock reshaped American environments.
- Introduction of horses transformed Great Plains societies, altered hunting/warfare.
- Millions of enslaved Africans transported to the Americas for plantation labor.
Early Cultural Interactions & Effects
- Differing worldviews: land use (communal vs. private), religion (polytheism vs. Christianity), gender roles, and family structures.
- Early misunderstandings; eventual cultural blending (e.g., syncretic religious practices, shared agricultural techniques).
- Native resistance: alliances or rebellion (e.g., Taino Rebellion), but often overcome by European weaponry and disease.
- Debate over indigenous/African status (Valladolid debates): Las Casas defended indigenous humanity, SepĂşlveda claimed indigenous inferiority.
- Biblical rationalizations (Curse of Ham) used to justify enslavement.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Maize — Staple crop (corn) that supported large and complex indigenous societies.
- Encomienda — Spanish system granting colonists land and authority over indigenous laborers.
- Casta System — Racial hierarchy implemented by Spain in the Americas.
- Columbian Exchange — Transfer of plants, animals, minerals, diseases, and people across the Atlantic.
- Joint-stock company — Business structure pooling resources from multiple investors for exploration.
- Treaty of Tordesillas — 1494 agreement dividing New World territories between Spain and Portugal.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Memorize one example indigenous group from each region.
- Review effects and examples of the Columbian Exchange.
- Learn definitions and importance of key terms.