Apush Notes
APUSH Chapter 1-5 Notes
Chapter 1
Chapter One starts out with the shaping of North America. The section explains that because of the Great Ice Age and the Canadian Shield that now we have present-day America. Early evidence shows that people had already began traveling to the Americas in crude boats or going along the Bering Isthmus. Before the Europeans arrived, it is estimated that 54 million people already inhabited these areas of interest. Although the Europeans did not see how many people were actually living in the area because many of these groups lived in small communities and moved around often in search of food. Agriculture along with present-day Southwest America was powerfully molded by Pueblo culture. This was important because the Pueblo peoples constructed important irrigation systems to water their many fields. Two of the biggest, most impacting things the Europeans brought with them were their Old World crops and animals, and their dirt and germs. The Indian tribes quickly adapted to the new crops and animals, but unfortunately it was a different story with the germs the Europeans brought with them. The germs that people of the Old World had grown resistant to were now introduced to over 1 million people. Within 50 years of their arrival, the smallpox disease killed about 800,000 Taino natives in Hispaniola. Not only did it affect this group, but also within centuries of Columbus’s arrival almost 90 percent of the Indian population perished from Old World disease. A few years later in the 1500s, Spain became dominant in their colonizing and exploring power. The Spanish Conquistadores made their final landfall in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Only a few short years later did the smallpox epidemic reach the Valley of Mexico and kill 18 million Aztecs. The Conquistadores took control of the city and brought along a few positives. They brought their crops, animals, laws, and even religion, which were proved to be adaptable to the people of
Chapter 1
Chapter One starts out with the shaping of North America. The section explains that because of the Great Ice Age and the Canadian Shield that now we have present-day America. Early evidence shows that people had already began traveling to the Americas in crude boats or going along the Bering Isthmus. Before the Europeans arrived, it is estimated that 54 million people already inhabited these areas of interest. Although the Europeans did not see how many people were actually living in the area because many of these groups lived in small communities and moved around often in search of food. Agriculture along with present-day Southwest America was powerfully molded by Pueblo culture. This was important because the Pueblo peoples constructed important irrigation systems to water their many fields. Two of the biggest, most impacting things the Europeans brought with them were their Old World crops and animals, and their dirt and germs. The Indian tribes quickly adapted to the new crops and animals, but unfortunately it was a different story with the germs the Europeans brought with them. The germs that people of the Old World had grown resistant to were now introduced to over 1 million people. Within 50 years of their arrival, the smallpox disease killed about 800,000 Taino natives in Hispaniola. Not only did it affect this group, but also within centuries of Columbus’s arrival almost 90 percent of the Indian population perished from Old World disease. A few years later in the 1500s, Spain became dominant in their colonizing and exploring power. The Spanish Conquistadores made their final landfall in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Only a few short years later did the smallpox epidemic reach the Valley of Mexico and kill 18 million Aztecs. The Conquistadores took control of the city and brought along a few positives. They brought their crops, animals, laws, and even religion, which were proved to be adaptable to the people of