Unit 1: AP US History

Introduction

• Overview of Unit 1 of AP US History Curriculum.
• Part of the AP US History Ultimate Review Pack, which includes:
  • Note guides
  • Two full AP practice exams
  • Multiple choice questions for practice

Societal Makeup before European Arrival

• Native American societies were diverse and complex.
• Key concept: Native Americans adapted their societies based on their environments.
• Misconceptions about Native American cultures:
  • Not a monolithic group; many lived in diverse ways.

Examples of Native Societies

1. Pueblo People (Utah & Colorado)

   • Farmers with advanced irrigation systems.
   • Built urban centers and cliff dwellings.

2. Great Basin and Great Plains

   • Nomadic, hunter-gatherers (e.g., Ute people).
   • Organized into egalitarian kinship bands.

3. Pacific Coast (Chumash & Chinook)

   • Permanent settlements due to abundant resources.
   • Participated in regional trade networks.

4. Iroquois (Northeast)

   • Farmers living communally in longhouses made of timber.

5. Mississippi River Valley (Cahokia)

   • Largest civilization with centralized government (10,000 - 30,000 people).
   • Engaged in trade along waterways.

Arrival of Europeans

• Context: Political unification of European kingdoms between the 1300s-1400s.
• Growth of wealthy upper class seeking luxury goods from Asia.
• Muslims controlled land-based trade routes, prompting a search for sea-based routes.

Portuguese Exploration

• Established trading posts in Africa; developed a trading post empire.
• Used advanced maritime technology (e.g., astronomical charts, astrolabe, new ship designs).

Spanish Exploration

• Spain, after the reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, sought new economic opportunities.
• Christopher Columbus sailed west in 1492, landing in the Caribbean, leading to competition among European nations.

The Columbian Exchange

• Definition: Transfer of people, animals, plants, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
• Key Transfers:
  • From Americas to Europe: Potatoes, tomatoes, maize.
  • From Europe to Americas: Wheat, rice, cattle, pigs, horses.
  • Diseases: Smallpox decimated Native American populations.

Shift in European Economy

• Wealth from the Americas led to a shift from feudalism to capitalism.
• Rise of joint-stock companies to fund exploration, sharing risks and profits.

Spanish Colonization and Encomienda System

• Encomienda System: Forced labor system for agricultural and mineral wealth.
• Problems: Native resistance and high mortality from diseases.
• Resulted in the importation of African slaves for labor.

Social Hierarchy in Spanish Colonies (Casta System)

1. Peninsulares - Spaniards born in Spain.
2. Criollos - Spaniards born in the Americas.
3. Mestizos - Mixed Spanish and Native American blood.
4. Mulattos - Mixed Spanish and African blood.
5. Africans - Enslaved individuals.
6. Native Americans - At the bottom of the hierarchy.

Interactions Between Europeans and Natives

• Europeans viewed Native Americans as exploitable; often justified harsh treatment.
• Bartolomé de las Casas advocated for Native rights and opposed slavery, but laws were repealed due to pressure from the wealthy.

Conclusion

• The treatment of Native Americans and Africans was often justified through distorted interpretations of religion (e.g., the curse of Ham).
• Key takeaways from Unit 1 of AP US History are essential for understanding the complexities of early American societies.