AP U.S. HISTORY
UNIT 1 VOCABULARY
Contact and Colonization, c. 1491 to c. 1607
18 essential terms, organized by topic and aligned to the official College Board framework.
Native American Societies Before Contact
Term Definition
Mississippian A pre-Columbian Native American civilization centered at Cahokia, known for earthen
culture mounds, agriculture, and extensive trade networks.
Cahokia A large, complex Mississippian urban center along the Mississippi River, evidence of
sophisticated pre-Columbian society.
Pueblo peoples Native American societies in the arid Southwest known for multi-story adobe
dwellings and irrigation-based agriculture.
Diversity of Native The wide range of distinct social, economic, and political structures among Native
societies American societies, shaped by varied environments.
European Exploration & Motivations
Term Definition
Columbian The widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the
Exchange Eastern and Western Hemispheres following 1492.
“God, gold, and Shorthand for the religious, economic, and political motivations driving European
glory” exploration and colonization.
Treaty of An agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly claimed lands outside
Tordesillas (1494) Europe between the two powers.
Conquistador A Spanish soldier/explorer who led military expeditions of conquest in the Americas
(e.g., Cortés, Pizarro).
Columbian Old World diseases (smallpox, measles, influenza) that caused catastrophic Native
Exchange diseases American population decline due to lack of immunity.
The Spanish Colonial System
Term Definition
Encomienda system A Spanish colonial system granting colonists the right to demand tribute and forced
labor from indigenous peoples in a designated area.
UNIT 1 VOCABULARY
Contact and Colonization, c. 1491 to c. 1607
18 essential terms, organized by topic and aligned to the official College Board framework.
Native American Societies Before Contact
Term Definition
Mississippian A pre-Columbian Native American civilization centered at Cahokia, known for earthen
culture mounds, agriculture, and extensive trade networks.
Cahokia A large, complex Mississippian urban center along the Mississippi River, evidence of
sophisticated pre-Columbian society.
Pueblo peoples Native American societies in the arid Southwest known for multi-story adobe
dwellings and irrigation-based agriculture.
Diversity of Native The wide range of distinct social, economic, and political structures among Native
societies American societies, shaped by varied environments.
European Exploration & Motivations
Term Definition
Columbian The widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the
Exchange Eastern and Western Hemispheres following 1492.
“God, gold, and Shorthand for the religious, economic, and political motivations driving European
glory” exploration and colonization.
Treaty of An agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly claimed lands outside
Tordesillas (1494) Europe between the two powers.
Conquistador A Spanish soldier/explorer who led military expeditions of conquest in the Americas
(e.g., Cortés, Pizarro).
Columbian Old World diseases (smallpox, measles, influenza) that caused catastrophic Native
Exchange diseases American population decline due to lack of immunity.
The Spanish Colonial System
Term Definition
Encomienda system A Spanish colonial system granting colonists the right to demand tribute and forced
labor from indigenous peoples in a designated area.
