APUSH Exam #1 Study Guide
APUSH [Sandler] Test #1 Study Guide
Chapter 2
European Society
European states were hierarchical
Europe was characterized by feudalism (Continent was divided into hundreds of small territories, each ruled by a family of lords who claimed a disproportionate share of wealth and power)
Most Europeans were peasant farmers
Most Europeans were Christians united under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church
-> Growing commerce stimulated the growth of markets and towns and by 1500, Europe had fully recovered from the Black Death and the population returned to its former peak of about 65 million. This revival led to the rise of a fledgling system of western European states. The monarchs of these states were new centers of power, and they found support among the rising merchant class of the cities, which in return sought lucrative royal contracts and trading monopolies. This alliance was a critical development in paving the way for overseas explorations. B. Portuguese Explorations
Prince Henry the Navigator played a key role in sponsoring exploration
Technological innovations made longer sea voyages possible
The Portuguese explored the Atlantic coast of Africa seeking direct access to gold and slaves C. Spanish in the Americas
Columbus set sail in August 1492 and reached an island in the Bahamas (Samana Cay) in October 1492
Columbus decided to colonize the Taino natives that were living on the island
The Taino were slaughtered by the Spanish and were effectively eliminated in 1520s.
Columbus’s successors established an institution known as the encomienda (Native Indians were compelled to labor in the service of Spanish lords, aka slavery)
Faced with labor shortages, Spanish slavers raided the Bahamas and depopulated them
Cortes and the Aztecs:
Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico in 1519
Cortes exploited resentment toward the Aztecs to overthrow their empire
Smallpox outbreaks undermined the Aztecs ability to resist the
Chapter 2
European Society
European states were hierarchical
Europe was characterized by feudalism (Continent was divided into hundreds of small territories, each ruled by a family of lords who claimed a disproportionate share of wealth and power)
Most Europeans were peasant farmers
Most Europeans were Christians united under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church
-> Growing commerce stimulated the growth of markets and towns and by 1500, Europe had fully recovered from the Black Death and the population returned to its former peak of about 65 million. This revival led to the rise of a fledgling system of western European states. The monarchs of these states were new centers of power, and they found support among the rising merchant class of the cities, which in return sought lucrative royal contracts and trading monopolies. This alliance was a critical development in paving the way for overseas explorations. B. Portuguese Explorations
Prince Henry the Navigator played a key role in sponsoring exploration
Technological innovations made longer sea voyages possible
The Portuguese explored the Atlantic coast of Africa seeking direct access to gold and slaves C. Spanish in the Americas
Columbus set sail in August 1492 and reached an island in the Bahamas (Samana Cay) in October 1492
Columbus decided to colonize the Taino natives that were living on the island
The Taino were slaughtered by the Spanish and were effectively eliminated in 1520s.
Columbus’s successors established an institution known as the encomienda (Native Indians were compelled to labor in the service of Spanish lords, aka slavery)
Faced with labor shortages, Spanish slavers raided the Bahamas and depopulated them
Cortes and the Aztecs:
Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico in 1519
Cortes exploited resentment toward the Aztecs to overthrow their empire
Smallpox outbreaks undermined the Aztecs ability to resist the