Heimlich's History: AP US History Unit 1 Overview

Introduction

• Video part of AP US History Ultimate Review Pack
  • Includes note guides, 2 full AP practice exams, multiple choice questions
• Focus of Unit 1: Societal makeup of the Americas pre-European arrival and effects post-arrival

Native Societies Before European Arrival

• Natives in America were diverse with varied societies based on environments
• Misconception: Native Americans as monolithic, nomadic buffalo hunters
• Reality: Diverse lifestyles including farming, fishing, hunter-gathering, urban dwelling

Key Native American Groups

1. Pueblo People (Utah & Colorado)

   • Farmers; planted crops like beans, squash, maize
   • Advanced irrigation systems
   • Built urban centers from clay bricks; famous for cliff dwellings

2. Great Basin & Plains (Colorado to Canada)

   • Nomadic hunter-gatherers; organized in egalitarian kinship bands
   • Example: Ute people

3. Northwest & Pacific Coast

   • Permanent settlements due to abundant resources
   • Chumash (California): Villages with up to 1,000 people
   • Chinook (Pacific Northwest): Built plank houses for kinship groups

4. Iroquois (Northeast)

   • Farmers; lived in communal long houses

5. Mississippi River Valley

   • Rich soil for farming; extensive trade networks
   • Cahokia: Large civilization (10,000-30,000 people) with centralized government

European Arrival

• European kingdoms (1300s-1400s) politically unified, centralized under monarchs
• Upper class sought luxury goods from Asia
• Muslim control of land routes led to exploration for sea routes

Portugal's Pioneering Role

• Established trading post empire around Africa
• Used maritime technology: astronomical charts, astrolabe, new ship designs, Latin sail, stern post rudder

Spain's Entry

• Post-Reconquest motivation to spread Catholicism and seek economic opportunities
• Christopher Columbus’s voyage in 1492; discovering Caribbean

Columbian Exchange

• Exchange of people, animals, plants, and diseases between hemispheres
• From Americas to Europe: Potatoes, tomatoes, maize
• From Europe to Americas: Wheat, rice, cattle, pigs, horses
• Impact: Introduction of diseases like smallpox devastating native populations

Economic and Societal Shifts in Europe

• Influx of wealth shifted feudalism to capitalism
• Rise of joint-stock companies to fund exploration

Spanish Colonization

• Initial wealth from precious metals; agriculture as main wealth source
• Encomienda System: Forced labor of natives; later replaced by African enslaved labor due to disease and escape problems

Casta System

• Social hierarchy based on racial ancestry
  • Peninsulares: Spaniards born in Spain
  • Creoles: Spaniards born in Americas
  • Castas: Mixed ancestry (Mestizos, Mulattos)

Cultural Interactions

• Exchange of customs and practices between Europeans and natives
• Justifications for exploitation based on racial and religious beliefs

Key Figures

• Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda: Argued natives were less than human
• Bartolomé de las Casas: Advocated for native humanity and end of slavery

Conclusion

• Understanding of diverse and complex societies before European arrival
• Transformative impact of European colonization and Columbian Exchange on world history