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Overview of AP US History Unit 1

May 9, 2025

Heimlich's History: AP US History Unit 1 Overview

Introduction

  • Overview of Unit 1 in AP US History curriculum.
  • Focus on pre-Columbian Americas and impacts of European arrival.
  • Unit is part of an extensive review resource (AP US History Ultimate Review Pack).

Pre-Columbian Native American Societies

  • Diversity and Societal Structures:

    • Native American societies were diverse and adapted to their environments.
    • Misconception: Native Americans are often thought of as monolithic, but they had varied lifestyles.
  • Regional Societies:

    • Pueblo People (Utah/Colorado):
      • Settled farmers, grew maize, beans, squash.
      • Advanced irrigation systems and clay brick urban centers.
      • Famous for cliff dwellings.
    • Great Basin and Plains (Colorado to Canada):
      • Nomadic hunter-gatherers, organized in kinship bands.
      • Example: Ute people.
    • Northwest and Pacific Coast (California):
      • Permanent settlements due to abundant resources.
      • Chumash: Villages for ~1000 people, engaged in regional trade.
      • Chinook: Built plank houses for extended families.
    • Northeast (Iroquois):
      • Farmers, lived in longhouses made from timber.
    • Mississippi River Valley:
      • Rich soil led to farming and trade.
      • Cahokia: Large civilization (10,000-30,000 people), centralized government.

European Arrival and Motivations

  • Europe in 1300s-1400s:

    • Political unification, stronger centralized states.
    • Wealthy upper class desiring Asian luxury goods.
    • Muslim control over land trade routes led to seeking sea routes.
  • Portugal's Maritime Advances:

    • Established trading posts (Trading Post Empire) around Africa.
    • Used new maritime technology: astrolabe, updated charts, new ship designs.
  • Spain's Entry:

    • Post-reconquest from Moors, motivated to spread Christianity and seek wealth.
    • Christopher Columbus: Sponsored by Spain to find westward route to Asia.
    • 1492: Landed in the Caribbean, sparking European competition for exploration.

The Columbian Exchange

  • Definition:

    • Exchange of people, animals, plants, diseases between Old and New Worlds.
  • Key Transfers:

    • From Americas to Europe: Potatoes, tomatoes, maize.
    • From Europe to Americas: Wheat, rice, soybeans.
    • Animal Transfers: Turkeys (Americas), cattle, pigs, horses (Europe).
    • Gold and Silver: Moved from Americas to Europe.
    • Diseases: Smallpox decimated native populations.
    • People: Europeans settled in Americas; Africans brought as slaves.

Economic and Societal Changes in Europe

  • Shift from Feudalism to Capitalism:
    • Wealth from Americas led to economic shift.
    • Rise of joint-stock companies for exploration funding.

Spanish Colonization

  • Encomienda System:

    • Spaniards used natives for agricultural labor and resource extraction.
    • Problems: Native resistance and population decline from disease.
    • Solution: Importation of African slave labor.
  • Casta System:

    • Social classes based on racial ancestry:
      • Peninsulares (Spaniards born in Spain).
      • Creoles (Spaniards born in Americas).
      • Mestizos, Mulattos, Africans, Native Americans.

European-Native Relations

  • Cultural Exchange and Conflict:

    • Natives taught Europeans hunting, maize cultivation.
    • Europeans introduced iron tools, weapons.
    • Europeans justified harsh treatment of natives and Africans with belief systems (e.g., biblical interpretation of Ham).
  • Spanish Priests' Views:

    • Juan GinĂ©s de SepĂșlveda: Argued natives were less than human.
    • BartolomĂ© de las Casas: Advocated for native rights; temporarily influenced Spanish laws.

Conclusion

  • Summary of key themes and concepts for AP US History Unit 1.
  • Encouragement to subscribe to further learning resources and join the Heimler community.