Unit 1 of AP US History

Introduction

• Overview of the AP US History Ultimate Review Pack
  • Includes note guides, AP practice exams, multiple choice questions.

Pre-European Societal Makeup of the Americas

• Diverse Native Societies
  • Existed before Europeans arrived
  • Not monolithic; varied based on environment

Major Native Groups

• Pueblo People (Utah and Colorado)

  • Farmers: beans, squash, maize
  • Advanced irrigation systems
  • Small urban centers and cliff dwellings

• Great Basin and Great Plains

  • Nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle
  • Organized into small kinship bands (e.g., Ute people)

• Northwest and Pacific Coast

  • Permanent settlements due to abundant resources
  • Examples: Chumash (California), Chinook (Pacific Northwest)

• Iroquois People (Northeast)

  • Farmers, lived in long houses

• Mississippi River Valley

  • Rich soil aiding agriculture and trade
  • Example: Cahokia civilization with centralized government

European Arrival and Its Effects

• Political Changes in Europe (1300s-1400s)
  • Political unification and stronger centralized states
  • Desire for Asian luxury goods

Maritime Exploration

• Portugal as Pioneer

  • Trading post empire around Africa
  • New maritime technologies: astronomical charts, astrolabe, new ship designs

• Spain Enters the Maritime Game

  • Post-Reconquest, focus on spreading Catholicism and new economic opportunities
  • Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492

The Columbian Exchange

• Definition: Transfer of people, animals, plants, diseases between hemispheres
• Key Items Transferred:
  • From Americas to Europe: Potatoes, maize, tomatoes
  • From Europe to Americas: Wheat, rice, cattle, horses
  • Significant gold and silver transfers
• Impact of Diseases
  • Smallpox decimated native populations

Societal and Economic Shifts in Europe

• Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism
  • Influx of wealth from Americas
  • Rise of joint-stock companies

Spanish Colonization in the Americas

• Economic Focus on Agriculture
  • Encomienda system: forced native labor
  • Issues with maintaining native labor due to disease
  • Importation of African enslaved laborers

Social Reordering

• Casta System: Social classes based on racial ancestry
  • Peninsulares, Criollos, Mestizos, Mulattos, Africans, Native Americans

Cultural Exchanges and Conflicts

• Adoption of Practices

  • Natives taught Europeans about hunting, maize cultivation
  • Natives adopted European iron tools, weapons

• Justification of Exploitation

  • European belief in native inferiority
  • Debates among the Spanish (Sepulveda vs. Las Casas)
  • Misinterpretations of biblical texts to justify slavery

Conclusion

• Comprehensive understanding of Unit 1 in AP US History
• Additional resources available in the Ultimate Review Pack

These notes summarize the key points from the lecture on Unit 1 of the AP US History curriculum, focusing on pre-European native societies, the Columbian Exchange, European maritime exploration, and early colonization impacts.