US History

U.S. History Study Guide

Chapter 3: Early Settlements and Colonies mid 1500s- Mid 1600s

3.1 Settlements and Colonies mid 1500s- Mid 1600s This chapter will cover the colonization of North America, specifically the region that will become the United States. It will discuss the European powers that colonize the regions and the eventual power struggle that will occur. This chapter will take note of all powers, but specifically focus on England because their colonies will eventually become the United States. The chapter will include a summary of important events domestically as well as the culture, economics, immigrations, and innovations of the time. 3.2 New Spain Territories in United States List of territory founded by Spain (modern day Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah) • In 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés started St. Augustine in Florida. It was the first town built in the United States by Europeans. Background Spain handled the new colony with a tight grip in which everything benefited Spain as the parent country. All the gold found would be shipped to Spain, to assert dominance in Europe. The population in New Spain was low and in an attempt to reward conquistadors and wealthy settlers as well as populate the area, Spain issued out large ranches called encomiendas where native populationswould slave over the land for the wealthy conquerors. Later, this system would change over to a system less restrictive called the hacienda system. With the introduction of Africans, the Spanish, the Native Americans and mestizo cultures (mixed race of Spanish and Natives) the colony made for a very diverse social mixture. Through this a complicated system, called the casta , people were separated people by certain levels of Spanish and native blood. Jobs, government positions, titles to land, and almost everything else in the Americas functioned according to this systemwith those at the top (Spanish blood) getting preference over those lower on the list (the mestizo, native, and Africans). Discrimination and repression were prevalent in Spanish colonial rule. Religion was mixed in with politics in what would become the American Southwest: Dominican, Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries were often left in charge of large areas in what is now Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and later, California. With its goal of bringing the Catholic religion to the New World, Spain was able to use the church governments for its own political gains.

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