Historical Periods One and Two

Historical Period One: 1491-1607

Native Americans Before Contact

• Maize (corn) major food source (SW, Mexico)

• Hunting/fishing/foraging (NW)

• Hunting - lack of nat'l resources (Great Basin/Great Plains)

• Ag + hunting (NE)

• Native Americans good at using resources/environment to their advantage

European Exploration Goals

• Tech improvements (contact + trade)

• Sextant

• Joint-stock companies

• Wealth (gold)

• Power + status (glory)

• Spread of Christianity (God/gospel)

European Contact

• The Columbian Exchange: exchange of goods, ideas, people, and diseases between Europe, Africa, and the Americas

• Impact on Europe-

• Increase of food (maize, potatoes)

• Feudalism —> capitalism

• Impact on Natives-

• Diseases killed many

• Horses + guns change hunting + warfare

• Impact on Africans-

• Increase in slave trade

The Transformation of the Americas

• Impacts of Spanish contact-

• New caste system

• Racially diverse populations

• Mestizo (Spanish + Native)

• Mulatto (Spanish + African)

• Encomienda System

• Grants of land from Spanish crown to Spaniards

• Spanish settlers look to convert Natives to Christianity

• Spanish gained tribute

• Impact on Natives-

• Harsh treatment

• Heavy manual labor

• (This labor eventually replaced by that of African slaves)

• Debated treatment of natives (eg. Bartolome de las Casas)

• Justified due to racial "superiority" and dehumanization

• Conflict with Natives-

• Europeans seek to change Native traditions/practices and outlook on the world

• Natives seek autonomy

• African adaptations to Western Hemisphere-

• Seek autonomy

• Combined Christianity + African religions

• Formed maroon communities of runaway slaves

Historical Period Two: 1607-1754

European Imperial Goals

Spanish

• Convert Natives

• Money

Dutch & French

• Trade alliances with Natives

• Intermarrying with Natives

English

• Agriculture-reliant colonies (mainly tobacco)

• Sending people to populate

• Worst relationship with Natives

British Colonies

• Rarely intermarried

• Established rigid social hierarchy

• Created Atlantic slave trade (part of Columbian Exchange)

• Racial superiority, lack of indentured servants, Natives more difficult to enslave (familiar with + could live off of land), European need for goods

• Impacts of African Slavery

• Desire for more land = conflicts for Natives

• African slaves have forms of resistance (eg. running away, revolts)

New England Colonies

• Puritans (establish a homogenous community)

• Mixed economy (ag + trade; Boston)

• Longer life expectancy; more families

Middle Colonies

• Diverse (religiously, ethnically, demographically)

• Growing crops