Spanish Exploration & Conquest (College Board AP® US History)
Study Guide
Written by: Barbara Keese
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
International trade
The same technology that led explorers to discover the New World also helped to increase international trade during the Columbian Exchange
New technology included:
Caravels – small, easily manoeuvrable ships used mainly by Spanish and Portuguese explorers
Quadrant – a simple tool for sailors to determine their latitude
Astrolabe – an instrument that measured the position of the stars and planets for navigation
Arrival of Diseases
Europeans exposed Indigenous peoples to diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza
Indigenous people had no immunity to these diseases, and large numbers of individuals (including entire Indigenous communities) died from them
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Chronological reasoning is the ability to organize historical events in the order in which they occurred. It also includes understanding how events in one time period relate to and are affected by events in other time periods.
While you do not need to remember every date in United States history, there are a few you should recall. They will help you be able to answer questions about cause and effect, as well as change and continuity.
These dates include:
1491−1607 − The Pre-Colonial era, also known as the Age of Exploration.
1607−1754 − The Colonial Era
1754−1800 − The Revolutionary Era
1800−1848 − The Early Republic
1844−1877 − The Civil War Era (1844-1865) and The Reconstruction Era (1865−1877)
1865−1898 − The Gilded Age
1890−1945 − American Imperialism
1914−1918 − World War I
1929−1939 − Great Depression
1939–1945 − World War II
1947−1991 − The Cold War
1980−present – The Modern Era
Key eras in US History
You should try to memorize these dates and be able to explain why these dates are significant.
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