APUSH Units 1-9 Notes (Based on Heimler's Full Unit Review Videos)
Unit 1: 1491-1607
Native American Societies Before Contact:
- Diverse societies based on environment (e.g., Plains = nomadic, Northeast = farmers/hunters).
- Matrilineal systems common among tribes.
- Complex trade networks and political structures.
European Exploration Motivations:
- 'Gold, Glory, God'
- New technologies (compass, astrolabe, caravel) made exploration possible.
Columbian Exchange:
- Massive transfer of plants, animals, diseases.
- Europe -> Americas: horses, smallpox, sugar.
- Americas -> Europe: maize, potatoes, tobacco.
- Huge native population declines due to disease.
Spanish Colonization:
- Encomienda system: forced native labor.
- Casta system: rigid racial hierarchy.
- Mission system: spread Catholicism.
Native Responses:
- Some adapted (using horses), others resisted (future Pueblo Revolt).
Unit 2: 1607-1754
Colonial Regions:
- New England: small towns, Puritan religious focus.
- Middle Colonies: diverse, commerce/trade.
- Southern Colonies: plantations, cash crops (tobacco, rice).
Labor Systems:
- Indentured servitude initially common.
