Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the Americas before the arrival of Europeans before examining the impact of their early settlement and colonisation, with a particular focus on England's first successful American colonies.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe some of the consequences of colonialisation on Native Americans.

Key Notes

• Europeans settled in the New World by taking land from the native peoples.
• Europeans believed they had a moral duty to convert Native Americans to Christianity and thus can take land.
• European conquests of land were often violent and pushed Native Americans out of their home lands.
• Europeans accidentally introduced new diseases into the land, killing around 80% of Native Americans.
• Indigenous beliefs and practices continued despite European attempts to remove them.

Vocabulary To Learn

• dispossess: to dispossess someone is to take their land away
• indigenous: indigenous people are the original inhabitants of a specific area
• conquest: conquest involves taking an area of land by force; 'La Conquista' is the name for the Spanish conquest of the Americas
• immunity: if you have immunity to a disease you will not catch it
• convert: to convert someone is to change their beliefs

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Pupils assume that European settlement completely destroyed indigenous communities.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• England's first successful American colonies Study Guide
• English settlement at Roanoke Study Guide
• European arrivals in the Americas Study Guide
• Impact of Europeans on Native Americans Study Guide
• The Americas before the arrival of Europeans Study Guide