Notes on Native American Life Pre-Contact and Early Colonization
Introduction
Focus: Native American life before contact with Europeans and during early colonization.
Relevant for AP exam review.
Native American Arrival and Culture
First peoples arrived in the Americas via the Bering Strait over 10,000 years ago.
Development of diverse social, political, and economic structures.
Trade interactions among tribes and with the environment.
Religion and Beliefs
Many Native American religions connected to nature (animism).
Spiritual essence attributed to non-human things (plants and animals).
Cultural diversity among tribes is significant.
Economic Activities by Region
Southwest:
Pueblo Indians adapted to arid conditions through irrigation.
Maize cultivation spread from Mexico, supporting population growth.
Great Basin/Plains:
Lakota Sioux tribes practiced a nomadic lifestyle due to resource scarcity.
They hunted buffalo for sustenance.
Atlantic Coast/Northeast:
Mixed agriculture and hunting-gathering societies, e.g., the Iroquois.
Permanent villages established; complex interactions with European powers.
European Colonization Motivations
The three G's:
Gold: Search for wealth and trade routes.
Glory: Increase power and status.
God: Desire to convert Native Americans to Christianity.
Significant Historical Events
1492: Columbus arrives, marking a turning point in history.
Initiates the Columbian Exchange (people, diseases, and goods between Americas, Europe, and Africa).
Example: Horses and diseases like smallpox drastically changed Native American life.
Colonization and Encomienda System
Spain and Portugal were the first colonizers, dividing the New World via the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Spain established the first permanent settlement in St. Augustine, Florida (1565).
Encomienda System:
Spanish colonists received land and labor from Native Americans, akin to slavery.
Focus on mining and agriculture (e.g., sugar).
Cultural Interactions and Resistance
Spanish sought to convert Native Americans to Catholicism, differing from British approaches.
Rise of mixed populations:
Mestizos (mixed Native and European).
Mulattos (mixed European and African).
Resistance to Colonization
Native Americans resisted colonization efforts, e.g., the Pueblo Revolt (1680) led by Popé.
Resulted in the death of Spanish colonists and rejection of Catholicism.
Spanish were forced to accommodate aspects of Native culture upon their return in 1692.
Philosophical Debates
Debates among Spanish on treatment of Native Americans.
Bartolomé de las Casas criticized Spanish treatment of Indigenous peoples.
European Rivalries and Mercantilism
England later challenged Spanish colonization.
Other European nations (France, Netherlands) aimed for complex relationships with Native Americans, unlike England.
Mercantilism: Economic theory driving colonization; colonies existed to enrich the mother country with resources and wealth.
Conclusion
Understanding these dynamics is crucial for comprehending the impact of European colonization on Native American societies and the overall historical narrative.