What you'll learn
Period 1 (1491–1607) — the Americas before and just after European contact (~4–6% of the exam).
Native societies (pre-1492)
Diverse and adapted to environment: complex civilizations (Aztec, Maya, Inca), Pueblo agriculturalists in the Southwest, Eastern woodland farmers, Great Plains hunters. Maize cultivation supported larger, more settled populations.
European contact
Columbus (1492) opened sustained contact, driven by 'God, Gold, and Glory' and new navigation technology.
The Columbian Exchange
Transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases. Old World diseases (smallpox) devastated Native populations; new crops (potato, maize) reshaped global diets; horses transformed Plains cultures.
Spanish colonization
The encomienda system exploited Native labor. The caste system (casta) organized society by ancestry. The Spanish debated Native treatment (e.g. Las Casas).
Key themes
- Environmental adaptation shaping societies.
- Demographic catastrophe and cultural exchange/conflict.
Exam tips
- Use the Columbian Exchange to explain global change (WXT/migration themes).
Common mistakes
- Portraying pre-contact Natives as uniform or primitive.
- Underestimating disease as the biggest demographic factor.