APUSH - Ch 1 Give Me Liberty
What was the Back Legend?
Depicted spain as a brutal + exploitative colonizer. This provided a potent justification for other European powers to challenge Spain's predominance in America. After there there was long lasting struggle amongst settlers, missionaries and colonial authorities for control of Indian labor. They all claimed themselves to be the humane landlords, the good guys, and that everyone else was exploiting natives but not them nope couldn't be me
80 mill people died (almost ⅕ of humankind) after the 1st 150 years of European contact in America because of what things?
Disease, wars w/advanced military tech, enslavement, forced Christian conversions, and destruction of native communities. All because Europeans decision to try to colonize america.
What were the gender roles in native societies?
Men mostly hunted or (if in pacific northwest) caught fish with nets or harpoons. While the men were frequently away hunting, (in the East) women were responsible for the house duties and most of the agricultural work (except for the Pueblo in the Southwest, where hunting wasn't as prevalent, so the men would be the main farmers)
What was mercantilism and how did it contribute to the colonization of North America?
Mercantilism is an economic practice by which governments used their economies to make their state power greater at the expense of other countries. Governments sought to ensure that their exports exceeded their imports and to accumulate wealth in the form of bullion (gold and silver before it was made into coins). The spanish used mercantilism, the trading of gold and silver. They would get this gold and silver from the americas through native american forced labor. Later Europeans would also use this
What types of people did Native Americans descend from and how did they originally get to America?
Most Natives descended from hunters + fishers that came to America by crossing the Bering Strait land bridge between Asia to Alaska 15-60,000 years ago
What did the "New Laws" passed in 1542 by Spanish do?
Said Indians can no longer be slaves (partly b/c of Las Casas's efforts)
True or false: natives were very high tech?
South american natives were more high tech than north american natives, but they both were not nearly as high tech as Europeans with their guns, metal tools, etc. (that is why Europeans didn't understand them + called them savages. Used this as justification to take their land.) North American native civilizations were not as high tech as south natives, without the large scale, grandeur and centralized organization like the Aztec and Inca → BUT North American natives had very good farming, hunting & finishing techniques, large structures of political power and religion, and far-reaching trade + communication networks. They were less similar to Europeans, but they were still a fully functional civilization.
Where did the Spanish mine for gold?
Spain mined in Mexico and Peru for gold + silver & shipped it across the atlantic back to Spain
Who ruled the Spanish colonies (besides king)?
Spanish appointees from Spain, AKA Viceroys. These people were born and raised in Spain, not America.
When were the first African slaves shipped to Caribbean islands
1502
Natives were diverse but did have some things in common -- religion. Some similarities:
- Believed in Animism (Idea that there's spiritual power throughout the world and sacred spirits can be found in anything → water, wind, trees, plants, animals, etc. - Had similar religious ceremonies → related to farming or hunting and pleading for aid from supernatural forces (ex: calming spirits of animals they killed, asking for good planting season or protection from evil spirits) - held elaborate religious rites, participation in which helped define the boundaries of community membership. - People who were believed to be able to "invoke -supernatural powers" (shamans, medicine men, and other religious leaders) all held high positions of respect + authority. - Line between natural & supernatural, secular & religious activities wasn't very clear in indian societies
When did Columbus begin his voyage
1492 Rhyming mnemonic device: fourteen hundred and ninety-two, columbus sailed the ocean blue
Slavery became even more popular as traders from portugal and other European nations came to Africa. Between 1450-1500 at least ___(number)_____ slaves were transported from Africa to ____(where)____ and ____(where)____
100,000 Spain and Portugal
What was he Great League of Peace?
AKA the 5 Iroquois nation/tribe. This was a confederacy made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Onondaga tribes. In present day NY and Pennsylvania. Each year a Great Council with reps from the 5 tribes met to coordinate dealings with outsiders. Iroquois burned down forests around them to hunt and grow crops. They built their villages around maize. A period of stability in the area followed the formation of this confederacy.
In 1487, who reached Cape of Good Hope at Africa's southern tip?
Bartolomeu Dias
Why did Spanish colonists want to have Native slaves?
Because living without doing labor was a sign of noble status. The most successful colonists lived luxurious lives similar to those in the upper class back in Spain
What is the divine right?
Belief that a ruler's authority came directly from god. European kings believed in this and thought they were born by God to be king, as well as all men were born to rule over women just like how God heads the church + rules over everyone
What are the Caravel, compass and quadrant and what did they do?
Caravel = portuguese ship for long-distance travel Compass and quadrant = helped sailors find location + direction w/ better accuracy These made it possible for the portuguese to sail down to Africa and back to Portugal. Before this it was unknown that Africa even had a coast below the Sahara desert and the forest kingdoms south of Mali. This allowed them to establish trading posts in West Africa where they later began to focus on trading Africans as slaves to the Americas. Portugal continues exploring further south, establishing a vast trading empire with bases in India, southern China, and Indonesia, despite its small population (under 1 mil) and became the new major European commercial partner of the East, stealing the title from Italian city-states
Who did Columbus get financial support from for his expedition?
Columbus got financial support via Europe for his voyage→ Support from bankers + merchants of Spain & Italy city-states who wanted to stop the Muslim hold on Eastern trade; and from King Ferdinand + Queen Isabella of Spain who agreed to sponsor him.
What did Francisco Pizarro do?
Conquistador who conquered Incas (from present day Peru) using conquistador methods → he captured Inca King and held him for ransom. When the reward for the King was offered, he claimed the reward but then killed the king anyway instead of giving him up like how a normal ransom should work
What did eastern indians eat?
Corn (maize), squash, beans, fish, deer, turkeys and other animals (a pretty even mix of agriculture, hunting and sometimes gathering).
What things were transported from America to Europe through the Columbian Exchange.
Corn, cotton, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, and sugarcane. Potatoes and corn from the americas helped increase the population in Europe greatly, and America being the perfect place to grow sugarcane led to the sugar revolution w/lots of slaves being imported to grow the extremely difficult crop
Why were diseases so deadly to the natives?
Diseases such as smallpox, influenza and the measles were brought to america along with eurpoeans. Natives had no immunity/antipodies for these diseases like Eurpoeans because they never existed in america. Diseases were catastrophic for Native populations, causing natives on West Indian islands & Hispaniola to go nearly extinct. Nearly 90% or more of natives died in 1500's from diseases
Why did European countries dictate what religion its people were allowed to follow?
Europeans believed religious uniformity was essential to public order. That means no religious freedom. If one didn't follow whatever religious belief/worship the church declared acceptable, you faced prosecution via state and condemnation by church authorities. Because of this, the 16-17th centuries in Europe were plagued by religious war over what the main religion should be (no thought of religious freedom until much later).
Who was Juan Ponce de Leon and what did he do in 1513?
Explored Florida in 1513 in search of wealth (gold), slaves + fountain of eternal youth. Was pushed away by natives. Also previously in 1508, Leon led Spain when they made their 1st permanent colony in pres day Puerto Rico, USA, b/c they wanted more land with gold + this had it. He sent a lot of gold to Spain but also kept some for himself oop
Who was Amerigo Vespucci?
Explored coast of South America → realized this was an entirely new continent, not the East Indies + Natives weren't Indians, they're different people altogether. America is named after him.
True or false: natives were all the same
False - natives were very diverse w/100's of languages, different societies and political systems, and different cultures and religions. They thought of themselves as different from other native american tribes as well.
True or false: Columbus eventually realised he was not in Asia but a whole different continent
False. Columbus died believing America was the East Indies and he had found a westward waterway to Asia
True or false: tribal leaders were mostly always woman
False. Despite woman having more power in indian societies, most tribe leaders were still male. But women did play big role in certain religious ceremonies and female elders often took part in tribal meetings and helped to select male village leaders
True or false: Europe had a lot of the freedoms we have today?
False. Most liberties we had today didn't exist back then, like freedom of worship/religion, press + speech (criticism of authority could lead to prison), economic freedom and personal independence (People who didn't have regular jobs/where outside of control of higher-ups, aka "masterless men", were seen as a threat b/c couldn't be controlled)
True or False: Spanish were determined to exterminate all natives from America?
False. They NEVER intended to exterminate Indians, just wanted to make them Catholic and obedient to Spain's monarchy.
True or false: Europeans wanted to convert natives to christianity just because why not
False. They were motivated to convert natives because they not only weren't christian, they had a whole other religion, which is considered blasphemous/satanic. The Spanish in particular were determined to convert native americans.
True or false: Columbus thought the world was flat
Flase. He knew the world was round, he just greatly underestimated its size.
True or false: indians cared about gaining wealth and material goods just like Europeans
Flase. Most Indians did not believe in the idea of accumulating wealth or material goods, especially for Indians east of the Mississippi River where villages moved every few years when soil/game became depleted. BUT social status was an important thing to them. Tribal leaders came from a small number of families, and chiefs lived nicer lives than average Indians, just like royalty in Europe. Social status, their main focus, was determined by one's generosity and their gift giving, not by how rich one was.
True or false: natives didn't mind being slaves
Flase. They resented it and often resisted + tried to run away
What did Spanish make natives do?
Forced them to do labor mining gold and silver for Spain on large scale farms (baciendas) controlled by spanish landlords. Spanish relied more on native forced labor/slavery than african slavery.
What was Hispaniola and its significance?
Found by Columbus. In present day Haiti and Dominican Republic. Columbus makes a settlement called La Isabella on Hispaniola and it fails but in 1502 Spanish explorer Nicolas De Ovando establishes a permanent base that becomes the center of the Spanish empire in America.
Who was Martin Luther?
German priest. Posted his Ninety-Five Theses that accused catholic church of worldliness + corruption and wanted to cleanse the church of abuses in their power (like sale of indulgences where you'd pay a priest and you're punishment in purgatory would supposedly be lessened) Luther insisted everyone read the Bible instead of relying on a priest's interpretation. His call for reform led to rise of new Protestant churches independent of Rome and created more than a century of religious turmoil
What was poverty point?
Giant semicircular mounds on a bluff over mississippi river in present Louisiana. Used by natives as a commercial + gov center; people lived there and used it for trade routes through Mississippi and Ohio River valleys
What was the Spanish Empires main goal to find in America?
Gold and silver.
What did Pope Paul III do in 1537,
He outlawed indian enslavement (but not african) in hopes India's would become devout subjects of Catholic monarchs if they were treated as true men instead of animals to be controlled
In 1498, what did Vasco Da Gama do to show the possibility of a sea route to the East?
He sailed around Africa to India
What is coverture?
Idea that women surrender their legal rights and identities when they marry -- could no longer own property of any kind or sign contracts Important!!
Zheng He's voyages
In 1405-1433 Admiral Zheng He led naval expeditions of 62 ships and 25,000 men across the Indian Ocean to explore the coast of East Africa and to show off China's might. Could have found North + South America if they continued west, but China didn't need oversea expansion and by 1433 the government stopped funding long-distance naval expeditions.
What happened in 1550 when Spain abolished the Encomienda system and replaced it with the Repartimiento System (and what were these two systems)?
In 1550 Spain abolished the Encomienda system (said first Spanish settlers were granted authority over conquered Indian lands and could force natives to do labor) + replaced it with the Repartimiento System (residents of Indian villages were free and entitled to wages, but were required to perform a certain amount of labor each year). So now Indians weren't slaves → they had access to land, were paid wages, and couldn't be bought/sold. But forcing them to work a certain amount allowed Spanish landlords + priests to abuse the system and make Indians toil on mission lands as part of the conversion process. So indians were still not completely free Important!!
What did Philip II allow Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565?
In 1565 Philip II of Spain allowed nobleman Pedro Menendez de Aviles to lead a colonizing expedition to Flordia. Menendez destroyed a small French outpost at Fort Caroline (made by Huguenots, french protestants, in 1562 near pres day Jacksonville), massacuring 500 colonists. Also established Spanish forts on St. Simons Island, Georgia, & St. Augustine, FL
Where in America did Spain find to establish a military base and why?
In Florida. Wanted to make a military base specifically in Florida to stop pirates that were threatening their treasure fleet that sailed from Havana to Europe each year loaded w/gold + silver via Mexico + Peru. Also wanted to stop the French from spreading out in the area and this would be their way to block the land from them and hog it for themselves. Florida never got too popular for colonists and was mainly used as a military settlement.
What was the the natives VS the Europeans view of land?
Indians saw land as a common resource (shared) for hunting and farming, not as an economic commodity (something to be bought/sold) for individuals like Europeans. They believed land was given to them by the Great Spirit to use as necessary--live, hunt or plant on it. As long as they needed the land, they had a right to it. Barely any Indians even thought of the idea of land being owned by a singular person and being able to be bought/sold. The idea of real estate came w/Europeans
What were the Great Plains natives like?
Indians were typically nomadic hunters who traveled on foot finding food like buffalo because it was hot + dry and hard to plant food. Important!!
What does matrilineal mean and how does it apply to indian families
It means a family is focused on the mother's side, not the father's (father's is the european view on family relations) Most Indians were matrilineal, where their children became members of mothers family, not the fathers. This also meant the mother held incredible power in the family, very unlike the powerlessness of women in Europe
Christopher Columbus
Italian sailor from Genoa (major port in northern Italy). Sailed Mediterranean and North Atlantic for years to find a way to get to China + India by water. Knew Earth was round but greatly underestimated its size -- thought he could (relatively quickly) sail west all the way around the world, crossing the Atlantic ocean and ending up on the East side of Asia. Used different sources to help estimate earth size, like Marco Polo's accounts as well as the bible, but he still got it wrong. Others knew he was wrong too, which was why he had trouble gaining supporters. No one knew America existed and would block Columbus's path, which is why he landed in the caribbean and called the native americans indians. Columbus wanted to increase trade with asia + spread christianity. He actually sailed w/royal letters of intro to Asian rulers, authorizing him to negotiate trade agreements.
Who was Ferdinand Magellan?
Led expedition to sail around the world. Found Pacific islands. Magellan was killed in Philippines but his crew completed the journey, correcting Columbus's bad assessment of Earth's size
What was liberty interpreted as in europe?
Liberty mean specific privileges like: Self-governing; exception from taxes; and right to practice a certain trade via contract to individuals/groups of people, royal decree, or purchase
What was the Papal Line of Demarcation?
Line drawn by Pope Alexander IV dividing the land in the New World into 2 parts between Spain and Portugal. Portugal got the the East and Spain got the West. Line was also adjusted to give Portugal control over Brazil. The Pope justified this by requiring Spain + Portugal to spread Catholicism to natives. They were both already familiar with spreading religion b/c of Spain's Holy War against Islam so this wasn't a problem
Who were the Incas?
Native Americans located in present day Peru
What was agriculture based off of for natives and where did the idea come from?
Natives used maize (corn), squash and beans. The idea of agriculture spread from Mexico and the Andes to the Americas 9,000 years ago. This greatly impacted natives lives → focused less on hunting + gathering and more on settling down & planting (originally had to keep moving to find stuff cause they lived in the Great Plains and Great Basin, where there was a lack of resources). New constant food source = villages being formed.
What rights did women have in native societies that differed from Europeans?
Natives: -Husbands generally moved to live with the family of his wife. - Indian woman owned their own houses and tools. - women would not be considered "tainted" if she didnt save herself for marriage - a woman could divorce their husband Europeans: - Once a woman got married, she moved in to her husband's house and all her belongings became owned by her husband--anything she got was under her hubbys name and owned by him, not her. Women couldn't own property, sign contracts in her name, control her wages, write a separate will, etc. - English women could not be legally independent. - Women would be considered impure and bad if she didnt save herself for marriage - women could almost never divorce (could possibly seek an annulment if the church deemed it necessary, which was VERY rare)
What was Mexico city?
New capital of Spain in North America. Built on ruins of Tenochtitlan (Aztec city). Had churches, hospitals, monasteries, gov buildings and the first university in America
What were the first two types of impressions Europeans got from indians? (saw natives as "____" or "____")
Noble savages (gentle + friendly but different) or uncivilized (ruthless and unusual). As time passed the uncivilized view on them became the more popular way of looking at them.
What were Peninsulares?
People born in Spain. They were the top of social hierarchy and only a small part of the Spanish American population (b/c most who lived there were born in America)
Which Atlantic islands did the portuguese colonize and what was the main thing they brought to them?
Portugal colonized Atlantic islands (off African coast) → Madeira, the Azores, & Canary and Cape Verde islands The sugar plantations on the Mediterranean islands (Cyprus, Malta, & Crete), using Muslim captives and slaves via Slavic areas of east Europe did v/well during the Middle Ages, so the Portugues made plantations on Atlantic islands, eventually replacing native populations with 1,000's of slaves via Africa (foreshadowing for what's to come in USA). The center of sugar production would shift again later on to the Western Hemisphere.
What 2 foods from America helped increase Europe's population?
Potatoes and corn
Who were the "Pueblos" indians, what were they known for and how did they get their name
Pueblo indians came from the survivors of the Hopi and Zuni communities in the southwest after they died out (prob cause of droughts). They lived in present day northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico where they made villages and got good at desert farming, using irrigation systems to provide water for corn, beans, and cotton. Name "Pueblo Indians" came via Spanish explorers in 16th century b/c they lived in small villages, AKA pueblos in Spanish
Who were the Spanish conquistadors and what were their motivations in America?
Spanish colonizers who lead the exploration of America for Spain. They were men between 20-30 who came looking for wealth. They used advanced weapons as well as disease to their advantage to conquer Native Americans. They were often joined by religious missionaries and carrying flags with the cross on them. Conquistadors known to be very brutal and cruel, especially towards natives. Hernan Cortes was the most famous conquistador that conquered the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan.
What did Spanish use as their justification for conquest, colonization and everything they did to natives?
Spanish expected the natives to just abandon their own beliefs/traditions and adopt the Spanishes European ways (like religion) because it was like a gift or whatever to natives to bring them catholicism and all that jazz. They were "saving" natives from their own backwardness. Natives who resisted this were seen as "heathens" or savages. The Spanish believed themselves to be superior to natives in every way--the natives were living wrong and they were there to "fix" them. And if the natives couldn't even see they needed to be corrected of their wrongness, they really were uncivilized barbarians. This was their justification...they were totallyyy there to help because they're just soooo great and the natives reallyyyy needed their help *eye roll* Europeans are so cocky like jeez get over yourselves
What were Mestizos
Spanish word for a person of mixed origin → part native american, part spanish, and/or part African in some areas. Intermixing made Spanish empire v/diverse, but they were all united by a single official faith, language, and government system. In 1600 they made up a large part of Spanish America and repopulated the Valley of Mexico, where disease had previously wiped out inhabitants
What was the Columbian Exchange?
Spread of goods, disease and people across the Atlantic. Forever changed both hemispheres. Plants, animals and cultures native to one continent were now spread to others. Important!!
What made up the Spanish Empire in America?
Stretched from Andes Mt. (South America) through present day Mexico + the Caribbean into Florida and southwest US. This empire was one of the most populated and rich in natural resources ever, exceeding even ancient Rome in size
Where did columbus end up landing instead of Asia?
The Bahamas (bottom of America)
Who had administered/the most power over the Spanish colonies?
The King and Catholic Church. Catholic church especially played big role in administration of Spanish colonies, getting involved in matters of faith, morals, and treatment of Indians
What was Tenochtitlan?
The capital of the Aztec's in present day Mexico, South america. It had a great temple, royal palace + central market, similar to European capitals.
Cahokia city
The city of Cahokia is near present day St. Louis in the Mississippi River Valley. Mound builders of the Cahokia tribe made mounds similar to Poverty Point, except theirs were topped by temples. This was the largest community in north america until NY and Philadelphia
Who were the Aztecs?
Violent native american warriors. They held ritual sacrifices with 1000's of their captives. They reinforced Spain's view of Natives being barbarians (though Europe had its own barbaric troubles → witch trials, criminals publicly executed). Their city Tenochtitlan was conquered by Hernan Cortes, a spanish conquistador.
What is animism
The idea that there's spiritual power throughout the world and sacred spirits can be found in anything → water, wind, trees, plants, animals, etc. Most natives believed in this
What was St. Augustine?
The oldest Spanish site in US that has been permanently settled in that the Spanish established as a fort.
Why did the Spanish government approve of interracial marriages between Natives and Spanish?
The population of Spanish woman in America was low and to bring population up, men need to be able to have offspring. Even after ordering married men's wives to join them in America, there was still not that many Spanish woman in America. But there were plenty of native women to have children with Spanish men. They also figured interracial marriages would bring Christianity to the Natives
What were the Spanish galleons?
They carried gold + silver from Mexico and Peru east to Spain and west to Manila (in Philippines) and then China
What effect did conquistadors have on natives?
They destroyed tons of long established native civilizations and exterminated millions (mexico went from 25 mil natives to 2 mil). They helped force natives to convert to christinaity. There was also lots of intermarriage between natives and conquistador.
What was the french's policy of "Francisation"?
They forced natives to assimilate into their society. They also forced them to convert to catholicism. In all this policy didn't work out all too well.
Europeans saw indians as TOO free. Why?
They lacked order and discipline like in Europe → no established gov or laws, no respect for authority. Didn't even have words in their language for freedom, power, kings, oppression or obedient subjects b/c they never experienced the power struggles Europeans did. This furthered the European idea that natives were barbaric
What was Spain's true intentions when they started to treat natives better, bringing Indians education, medical care, and European goods?
This was all just a way for Spain to establish dominance over Indians, not just through violence and disease now, but by making Indians dependent on Spain. Indians embracing Christianity also gave Spain dominance.
True or false: in native societies shamans and medicine men held great power
True
True or false: native villages were made in southwest US
True
True or false: most men lacked freedom?
True → most men didn't have economic independence. Property qualifications/requirements + restrictions limited them and men couldn't even vote if you didn't meet these standards. So this means very few (wealthy) men could actually have freedom to vote, etc. Obedience of employees was required, and breaches of labor contracts had criminal penalties
True or false: Trade meant more than commercial transaction to natives
True → trading was accompanied by elaborate ceremonies of gift exchange
True or false: Most Indians believed in 1 Creator above everything else, similar to Christian Europeans
True, though they believed there were other smaller gods/spirits as well.
True or false: Spain hoped that Natives would assimilate into Spanish Empire and became a combination of Native, Spanish and African culture?
True. In fact, this ended up happening and Spanish America became a big mix of these three cultures.
True or false: in europe freedom meant embracing Christianity
True. Many believed freedom = moral/spiritual condition → servitude + freedom are not mutually exclusive → accepting god means becoming his servant but also becoming free from sin
True or false: the wealth divide for native americans wasn't nearly as bad as for Europeans
True. Under normal circumstances, Indians had nowhere near the extremes of wealth and the divide that came with it like in Europe → no one went hungry while others feasted
True or false: Men had complete authority over their families in Europe?
True. Wife + children expected to be obedient to husband. Married woman could not own property, sign contracts in her name, control her wages (if she worked at all), write a separate will, and could almost never seek a divorce. The husband controls everything, even his wife's domestic labor and sexual relations
What ideas did the natives value more than individual freedom like europeans valued
Valued ideas of appropriate behavior: family ties, following one's spiritual values, the well-being + safety of one's community, etc. more than personal autonomy (self-governing/making choices for yourself). AKA teamwork is better than lonework. Group autonomy (group decisions/governing) > personal autonomy (decisions/governing yourself)
Why did the portuguese originally begin their expedition across the Atlantic
Wanted to find a water route to East for the source of gold → like trading with Asia, Middle Eastern merchants/ruler controlled the gold trade that was being transported overland across Sahara Desert to North Africa + Europe in caravans → passed through Mali (African kingdom) and southern edge of the Sahara. Wanted to find their own sea way to India so they could get gold without the middle eastern middle men
What were the Spanish's motivations in America?
Wealth, national glory, and spreading Catholicism (the three Gs→gold, glory and God) Important!!
What things were transported from Europe to America through the Columbian Exchange.
Wheat, rice, sugarcane, horses, cattles, pigs, sheep & diseases. These greatly changed the lives of Native Americans →horses used on the great plains where you had to travel to find resources, guns made hunting much easier + efficient, and diseases killed LOTS of natives (almost 90%) b/c they didn't have antibodies for the diseases brought over (like smallpox, influenza and measles)
Was there slavery of Africans in Africa?
Yes, there was slavery in Africa long before Europeans came and took slaves, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was in america → Africans enslaved other Africans, usually criminals, debtors or captives in war. Slaves worked in the household of their owner + had well defined rights → could have property and marry free persons. It was also not uncommon for slaves to become free. Slavery was a form of labor in Africa, not the basis of their economy like it became in the south of USA
Originally Spanish settlers were mostly what type of person?
Young single men, many laborers, craftsmen, soldiers, government officials, priests, professionals and minor aristocrats. They usually were second born, which meant they didn't inherit their fathers stuff when he died, so they came to America looking for wealth. Men often intermarried with natives and had children who were called mestizos because they were part native american part spanish (and in some areas part african). This caused Spanish empire to become v/diverse
Who was Hernan Cortes and what did he do in 1519?
in 1519 he arrived at Tenochtitlan, center of Aztec empire. He conquered the city b/c → they had better military tech (gunpowder + iron weapons), he got help from Aztec's subject people, and smallpox killed off many of the natives
Who was Bartolomé De Las Casas?
• Advocate for no Indian slavery and better treatment of natives • Insisted Indians were rational, not barbaric, and Spain has no right to take away their lands + freedom. He saw all humans as one, not divided by race, etc. (though he did believe Spain has the right to rule America b/c of religious belief) • Wrote lots denouncing Spain for causing mills of innocents to die, "strange cruelties" of Christians conversion efforts (ex: burning men, woman & children alive, forced labor, etc.) and taking Indians freedom away + causing them suffering. • Most famous writing: "A Very Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies" (about destruction of the Indian population if you couldn't guess). Las Casas's father sailed w/Columbus's 2nd voyage + participated in conquest of Cuba. • He wanted natives to become subjects of Spain so they could be free. • 1514 Las Casas → frees his own Indian slaves + started preaching of injustices of Spanish rule • Agreed w/African slaves tho b/c protects Indians from becoming slaves
What were the English, French and Dutch's justifications for why they could take Native Americans's land
⚫ "They didn't even use the land!" → some claimed Indians were nomads and didn't have settled communities (even though they very much did) or that b/c they didn't have individual holdings/claim the land the way europeans normally do, the land was open for the taking ⚫ "By taking their land, were actually helping them" → said that they were bringing Indians freedom by giving them true religion (christianity), private property (buying/selling/owning land), and freedom from wrong/uncivilized/unchristian gender roles.
Name 3 ways Europeans saw natives as uncivilized (aka different)
➀ Their religion → they weren't catholic, so they resorted to thinking their religion was not real or that they were satanic → saw their shamans and herb healers as witch doctors, their ceremonies and rituals superstition, and their belief in the world being alive with spiritual power a worship of false gods. ➁ Gender relations → It was different than how Europeans did it, so they saw the Indian men as weak → hunting and fishing was considered leisurely activities in much of Europe, not real work. Men having their woman farm and letting her have sex before marriage all also contributed to the idea that he was weak and couldn't control his family and was too lazy to do real work. They also saw the Indian woman as mistreated because they worked in the fields. Europeans described the woman as lacking freedom and even being treated as slaves. ➂ use of land → in their religion, natives were against buying and selling land. Europeans didn't understand this because Christianity had nothing against it and in some ways even encouraged it.