US History · AP

APUSH Period 1-2: Colonial Foundations

APUSH periods 1 through 2, roughly 1491 to 1754, covering Native American societies, European colonization, and early colonial development.

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What major civilization centered on Cahokia and the Mississippi River valley before European contact?
Mississippian civilization
What confederation of six Haudenosaunee nations formed a union in the Northeast before European colonization?
Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee)
Which Southwest Native American groups built cliff dwellings and developed sophisticated irrigation systems?
Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi)
What cultural adaptation did Great Plains tribes make after acquiring horses from Spanish sources?
Became more mobile and dependent on buffalo hunting
Which Pacific Northwest Native American groups developed a culture based on salmon fishing, cedar working, and totem poles?
Tlingit, Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, and other Northwest Coast tribes
In what year did Columbus's first expedition cross the Atlantic and reach the Caribbean?
1492
What were the three main motivations for European exploration, often called the three G's?
God (religious conversion), Gold (wealth), and Glory (prestige)
Which early European explorer sailed for Portugal and established a sea route to India around Africa?
Vasco da Gama
What geographic belief motivated Europeans to seek a western ocean route to Asia?
That the Earth was smaller than it actually is, or that a western route would be shorter
What term describes the Spanish military leaders who conquered indigenous empires in the Americas?
Conquistadors
What Spanish labor system granted colonists control over indigenous workers in exchange for Christian instruction?
Encomienda
What Spanish institution served as both a spiritual center and instrument of control in colonial America?
Mission (the mission system)
What multi-tiered social hierarchy in Spanish colonies ranked people by racial ancestry and mixed heritage?
Caste system
Where did Spain establish its colonial capital in North America?
Mexico City (formerly Tenochtitlan)
What Aztec capital was conquered by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1521?
Tenochtitlan

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