Heimlich's History: Unit 1 of AP US History

Introduction

• Part of AP US History Ultimate Review Pack
• Focus: Society of Americas before European arrival and impact after arrival

Native American Societies Before Europeans

• Diverse societies influenced by environments
• Misconception: All were nomadic buffalo hunters

Key Native American Cultures

• Pueblo (Utah & Colorado):
  • Farmers: maize, beans, squash
  • Advanced irrigation, clay brick urban centers, cliff dwellings
• Great Basin & Great Plains (Colorado to Canada):
  • Nomadic hunter-gatherers
  • Small egalitarian kinship bands (e.g., Ute people)
• Northwest & Pacific Coast:
  • Permanent settlements due to fishing
  • Chumash (California): Villages, regional trade
  • Chinook (Pacific Northwest): Plank houses
• Iroquois (Northeast):
  • Farmers in longhouses (timber construction)
• Mississippi River Valley:
  • Rich soil farmers, trade networks
  • Cahokia: 10,000-30,000 people, centralized government

European Exploration and Arrival

• European Political Changes (1300s-1400s):
  • Unified, centralized states
  • Wealthy upper class with Asian luxury goods taste
• Sea-Based Trade Routes:
  • Portugal: Trading post empire, new maritime technologies

Key Maritime Technologies

• Astronomical charts, astrolabe
• New ship designs, latin sail, stern post rudder

Spain's Entry & Impact

• Reconquest of Iberian Peninsula:
  • Catholic spread, new economic opportunities
• Christopher Columbus (1492):
  • Proposed westward sail; discovered the Americas
• Columbian Exchange:
  • Transfer of people, animals, plants, diseases
  • Notable transfers: maize, potatoes, wheat, rice, livestock, gold, slaves, diseases

Economic & Societal Shifts in Europe

• From feudalism to capitalism
• Rise of joint stock companies for exploration funding

Spanish Colonization in Americas

• Encomienda System:
  • Forced labor of natives on plantations
  • Introduction of African slave labor due to native population decline
• Casta System:
  • Social hierarchy based on racial ancestry
  • Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattos, Africans, Native Americans

Cultural Interactions and Beliefs

• Europeans and natives adopted useful practices from each other
• Justifications for exploitation:
  • Ontological beliefs: Natives less than human
  • Priests' Views:
    • Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda: Supported harsh labor for natives
    • Bartolomé de las Casas: Advocated for native rights
  • Biblical interpretations to justify African slavery (Curse of Ham)

Conclusion

• Summary of key learnings in Unit 1 of AP US History
• Encouragement to use review materials and join Heimlich family