AP United States History: Unit 1 - Period 1 (1491-1607)

1.1 Context: European Encounters in the Americas

• Christopher Columbus Arrival

  • Arrived in the New World in 1492, marking the start of sustained European contact.
  • Not the first European; Norse arrived around 1000 in modern Canada.
  • Period ends in 1607 with the first English settlement.

• Bering Land Bridge

  • Connected Eurasia and North America, allowing the first inhabitants.
  • Ancestors of Native Americans crossed it from Siberia to Alaska.
  • The bridge was submerged as ice sheets melted.

• Native Americans in Pre-Columbian North America

  • Populated by Native Americans with complex societies and cultures.
  • Interaction with Europeans led to cultural clashes and conflicts.

1.2 Native American Societies Before European Contact

• Complex Societies
  • Hundreds of tribes, sophisticated cultures, and societies.
  • Maize cultivation supported economic development.
  • Tribes in various regions had distinct lifestyles and were both settled and nomadic.

1.3 European Exploration in the Americas

• Columbus and the Age of Exploration
  • Columbus set sail in 1492, supported by Spanish crown; reached the Taino.
  • Initiated further exploration by Europeans seeking wealth and spreading Christianity.

1.4 Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest

• Columbian Exchange

  • Exchanges of plants, animals, foods, and diseases between Old and New World.
  • New World introduced corn, potatoes, chocolate; Old World brought horses, wheat.

• Colonization and Spanish Power

  • Spain established many towns in the Americas.
  • Conquistadors exploited local wealth.

• Native vs. European Views

  • Differing views on land, religion, and social organization.

1.5 Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System

• Introduction of Slavery

  • Enslaved Africans brought by colonists; initially relied on indentured servants.
  • Native Americans were difficult to enslave due to local knowledge and disease.

• The Middle Passage

  • Brutal shipping route for enslaved Africans to the Americas.
  • High mortality rates aboard, continued inhumane conditions in the New World.

1.6 Cultural Interactions Between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans

• Spanish Colonial Power and Encomienda System

  • Spanish authority over natives, enforced labor, and religious conversion.

• Competition for Global Dominance

  • Other Europeans motivated by wealth, religion, and geopolitics.

• Conflict and Prejudice

  • Varied European approaches to Native American treatment.

• Native American and African Adaptation

  • Some Native Americans resisted, others adapted.
  • Enslaved Africans developed syncretic cultures blending African and European elements.

1.7 English Arrivals and Settlements

• English Colonization

  • Settled agriculturally fertile East; strained relations with Native Americans.

• Jamestown and the Virginia Company

  • Jamestown founded as a joint-stock company venture.
  • Early struggles due to lack of preparation, saved by tobacco cultivation.

• The Headright System and House of Burgesses

  • Encouraged settlement and introduced early self-governance.

1.8 French Colonization of North America

• French Settlers and Jesuit Missionaries

  • Established Quebec, fewer settlers than other Europeans.
  • Intermarried with natives, involvement in fur trade.

• Impact and Legacy

  • Less impact on native populations compared to Spanish and English.
  • Played a role in the French and Indian War.

1.9 The Pilgrims and Puritan Migration

• Puritan Ideals and Settlement

  • Sought religious freedom and established colonies based on covenant ideals.
  • Plymouth Colony, aided by Native Americans.

• Massachusetts Bay and "City upon a Hill"

  • Puritans led by John Winthrop established a model society.
  • Emphasis on community and religious conformity.

• Religious Intolerance and Dissent

  • Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson faced persecution for religious beliefs.

• Differences between New England and Chesapeake

  • New England focused on community and religion; Chesapeake on agriculture and tobacco.

These notes summarize Unit 1 of AP United States History, highlighting European exploration, Native American societies, the Columbian Exchange, and the early colonial period.