Key Concept 1 Before the arrival of Europeans

Key Concept 1 -Before the arrival of Europeans, native populations in North America developed a wide variety of social, political, and economic structures based in part on interactions with the environment and each other.

Before Contact • Land bridge from Siberia to Alaska • Migrated Southward from Atlantic Circle • Amerinidians: 50 -100 million people

Societies • Small sedentary societies • Matrilineal and Matrilocal • No personal ownership of land • Authority • Generosity was repaid with authority • Chiefs elected based on being a good leader • Beliefs • Animism • Believed animals have soul’s the same as humans

Native American Societies • Great Basin and Great Plains • Few natural resources led to mobile/nomadic societies • Hunted Bison in arid dry areas • Pueblo eventually developed irrigation system to allow them to plant crops • Northeast/Atlantic Seaboard • Climate more conducive to farming • Iroquois Confederacy helped organize a large group of tribes • Traditional hunting for more stationary animals and fish • Waterways allowed for trade

Native American Societies • Southeast-Mississippi River Valley • Cherokee • Sedentary with waterways • Cahokia, Mound builders • Pacific Northwest • Sedentary societies • Vast trade networks • Intricate cultures (Potluck)

Maize Cultivation • Incan and Mayan civilization agriculture systems primarily based on maize cultivation • Transformed nomadic hunting groups into agricultural villagers • Improved diets, culture, and trade • Stable food source

European Contact • Reasons for explorations • Cultural Movement influenced by the Renaissance • Promoted Gold, Glory, and God • Commerce • Nationalism • Catholicism • Societal Factors • Feudalism • Primogeniture • Aided by new technologies • Sextant • Caravel

Columbus • Attempts to sail to India in 1492 • Arrives at North America • Conquers the local Indians by using smallpox • Gave Natives gifts covered in diseases • 100 years = 90% of Native Population gone • The Columbian Exchange • Exchange of plants, animals, food, and disease • Between Old World and New World

Spanish Colonization • Conquest of West Indies by Conquistadors • Hernan Cortes conquers the Aztec • Impacts • “Casta” System • Mixed races • Metis, Mestizo, Mulatto, Zambo • Mita System • Required Indian to give labor • Mission System • Catholic Church • Forced Natives to build/work/convert • Encomienda System

French Colonization • Settled by young, single men • Good relations with Natives • Focused on fur trade • Jesuits • Catholic missionaries sought to convert the Natives

Dutch Colonization • Dutch East India Company • Fur trade, farming failed, used real estate • New Netherland, New Amsterdam • Had conflict with neighboring tribes

English/Results • Defeated Spanish Armada • Led to population growth • Economic superiority • Joint Stock Companies provided investors to buy stock in a company in return for a share of its future profits • Results • • • Farms cultivated Firearms spread Alcohol/Tobacco Global Empires Capitalism Increased emigration