Early Encounters

Class overview

7.1 NATIVE AMERICANS: The physical environment and natural resources of North America

influenced the development of the first human settlements and the culture of Native

Americans. Native American societies varied across North America.

7.1a Geography and climate influenced the migration and cultural development of Native

Americans. Native Americans in North America settled into different regions and

developed distinct cultures.

7.2 Colonial Developments: European exploration of the New World resulted in various

interactions with Native Americans and in colonization. The American colonies were

established for a variety of reasons and developed differently based on economic, social,

and geographic factors. Colonial America had a variety of social structures under which

not all people were treated equally.

7.2a Social, economic, and scientific improvements helped European nations launch an

Age of Exploration.

7.2b Different European groups had varied interactions and relationships with the Native American

societies they encountered. Native American societies suffered from losses of life and land

due to the Encounter with Europeans justified by the “Doctrine of Discovery.”

7.2c European nations established colonies in North America for economic, religious, and

political reasons. Differences in climate, physical features, access to water, and sources of

labor contributed to the development of different economies in the New England, Middle,

and Southern Colonies.

7.2d In New York, the Dutch established settlements along the Hudson River and the French

established settlements in the Champlain Valley. Dutch contributions to American society

were long-lasting.

7.2e Over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, slavery grew in the colonies. Enslaved

Africans utilized a variety of strategies to both survive and resist their conditions.