European Exploration and Settlement Introduction u u u

European Exploration and Settlement

Introduction u u u u u Half a world away from where Native Americans made their homes, Europeans had no knowledge of these people or the land where they lived. When Europeans looked west, they saw only a vast ocean. Europeans were far more interested in the lands that lay to the east. In the late 1200 s, a young man named Marco Polo, traveled through Asia where he spent 17 years in China. When he returned in Venice, Italy, people flocked to hear his stories about “the Indies”, as India and East Asia were known. Eventually he wrote about his travels and the many wonders that he saw in China including rich silks, rare spices, gold, jewels, and luxurious palaces. People in Europe were fascinated by his tales and the riches to the east. Merchants and traders were eager to find the fastest route to get there. The land route that Polo had taken was long and dangerous. Explorers wanted to find a way by sea.

Spain Starts an Empire u u One of the people who was inspired by Marco Polo’s writings was an Italian seaman named Christopher Columbus. After studying maps of the world, Columbus became convinced that the shortest route to the Indies lay to the west, across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus looked for someone who could pay for the ships and men he needed to test his idea. Eventually, he was able to convince King Ferdinand Queen Isabella of Spain to sponsor a voyage.

Finding a New World u u u In August 1492, Columbus sailed west with three small ships: – La Nina, La Pinta, La Santa Maria After more than a month at sea, his sailors raised the cry of “Land!” The land turned out to be a small island in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus was thrilled. In a letter, he wrote, “I write this to tell you how in thirty-three days I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen…gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people. ” Mistakenly believing that he had reached the Indies, Columbus called these people Indians.

A Clash of Cultures http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j Of. EAb. Ni. KFM

Columbus Log

Vocabulary Connection u Reckoning – a count of something, accounting u Appearance – how something looks u Summoned – called someone or something u Adequate – enough of something u Seaman – a man who works at sea u Lay-to – to hold a ship still by turning it into the wind

The Columbian Exchange u u u u The voyages of Christopher Columbus triggered a great transfer of people, plants, animals, and diseases back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean. This is referred to as “The Columbian Exchange. ” This exchange also brought about valuable new crops such as corn and potatoes to Europe. These foods greatly improved the diet of the average European. Many Europeans also found new opportunities by crossing the Atlantic to settle in the Americas. For Native Americans, however, the exchange went badly. The Europeans who came to America brought with them germs that caused smallpox and other diseases deadly to the Native Americans. Historians estimated that in some areas, 90% of the native population was wiped out by European diseases.

Define Slavery

Create a concept map

Definition of Slavery u The treatment of people as property for the purpose of forcing them to do labor. People who are denied freedom in this way are called slaves and are said to be enslaved.

Slavery comes to America Due to the high death rate in the Americas, slavery was introduced. u Some of the Spanish settlers in the Caribbean had started gold mines. u Others raised sugar, a crop of great value in Europe. u At first settlers used native people for their labor but due to the high death rate, they were forced to find a new labor force in the form of enslaved Africans. u

Slavery u u u Slavery had existed around the world since ancient times. Often people who lost wars were enslaved or treated as the property of the conquerors. By the late 1400 s, European explorers in West Africa were trading guns and other goods for slaves captured by Africans. In the 1500 s, European slave traders began shipping slaves to the Caribbean for sale. Over the next three centuries, millions of Africans would be carried across the Atlantic in crowded, disease infested ships where they were sold at auction to wealthy land owners. Many perished from disease and overwork. Those who survived faced a lifetime of forced labor as slaves.

Cortes Conquers Mexico u u u After Columbus’s voyages , Spain began sending soldiers called conquistadors across the Atlantic. Their mission was to conquer a vast empire for Spain. In 1519, Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico with horses and 500 soldiers. His goal was to conquer the Aztecs. When the Aztecs first saw Cortes, they mistakenly believed that he was the great Aztec GOD Quetzalcoatl and welcomed him as a hero. They would soon change their minds.

Cortes defeats the Aztecs With the help of Indians who hated their Aztec rulers, and smallpox which killed large numbers of Aztec warriors----Cortes conquered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. u The Spaniards pulled the city down and used its stones to build Mexico City, the capital of a new Spanish empire called New Spain. u

Cortes http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=XKl. Ip-uy. Oc

So what do you think? u u u Do you think that Cortes was justified in his actions? Why? Did he do the right thing? If you could go back in time as Cortes, what would you do differently? Why? Reflect on these question and write your thoughts in your interactive notebook.

Another Spanish Conquistador u u Smallpox also helped another Spaniard to conquer an empire in South America, Francisco Pizarro. In 1532, Pizzaro led an attack on the powerful Inca empire in present day Peru. The smallpox epidemic had already taken its toll on the natives and left the empire heavily divided. After capturing the Inca ruler, Athahualpa, he promised to release him in exchange for gold. To save their ruler, the Incas filled three rooms with gold and silver treasures but Pizzaro killed the leader anyway and took over power of the empire.

Francisco Pizzarro seizing the Incan empire

Spanish in the New World u Discovery Education Clip http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/i ndex. cfm? guid. Asset. Id=ED 1 ABE 851178 -4033 -8 AC 34 C 4 C 63 E 9022 A&bln. From. Search=1&pr oductcode=US

The Spanish Borderlands u u u In both Mexico and Peru, conquistadors found gold and silver beyond their wildest dreams. Hoping for more they pushed north into lands that are now part of the United States. Because these lands were located on the far edges of Spain’s North American empire, they were known as the Spanish borderlands.

Florida u u u One of the first Spanish expeditions into North America was led by a man named Juan Ponce de Leon. . He had sailed with Columbus to the Caribbean and made his fortune by discovering gold on the island of Puerto Rico. Despite his wealth and success, he couldn’t stop thinking about Indian rumors of a “fountain of youth”. Ponce de Leon landed on a sunny peninsula of North America in April 1513. Because he had sighted his lush new land on Easter Sunday, he called it La Florida meaning “flowery Easter. ” Eight years later, he returned to Florida with 200 men to establish a Spanish settlement, or colony. Instead of finding a fountain of youth, Ponce de Leon died from a poisoned arrow in his stomach.

The Seven Cities of Cibola u u u Old European tale These cities were said to be so fabulously rich that the streets were decorated with gold and jewels. The Spanish were convinced that the Seven Cities were somewhere in North America. Explorers first looked for the cities in Florida and present day Texas. Later a Spanish priest named Marcos de Niza claimed to have seen the cities in present day New Mexico, but they were never actually found.

The Coronado Expedition u u In 1540, a famed conquistador named Francisco Vasquez de Coronado set out from Mexico City with a large expedition and de Niza as his guide. After traveling for 7000 miles , the expedition found a Native American pueblo. To de Niza, this pueblo looked like a golden city but Vasquez was outraged and sent the priest home. The Coronado Expedition continued north onto the Great Plains before giving up the search for the golden cities.

Settling the Borderlands As conquistadors explored new territories, they claimed the areas for Spain. u By 1600, the Spanish borderlands extended west from Florida across present day Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. u

St. Augustine u u In 1565, a Spanish Naval officer named Pedro Menendez de Aviles was sent to Florida to protect the borderlands area from French explorers. He successfully drove the French out of their Florida base and built a fort on the peninsula’s Atlantic coast. Menendez named the fort Saint Augustine. Over the years, Spanish soldiers successfully drove the French and English rivals out of the area. Today, St. Augustine is the oldest permanent settlement founded by Europeans in the United States.

Missions u u u u Missions were established to convert Native Americans to Christianity and increase Spanish control over the land. They included a church and the farmland on which missionaries produced almost all of what they needed to survive. Juan de Onate, who made a fortune mining silver in Mexico, led the settlement of New Mexico. In 1598, Onate brought 400 settlers and 7, 000 animals from Mexico to New Mexico. At first the pueblo Indians welcomed the visitors but the Spanish repaid them with cruelty. Indians were made to work as slaves and whipped by priests. Eventually the Indians revolted and drove the Spanish out of the land.

The Explorations of Don Juan de Onate u Discovery Education http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/i ndex. cfm? guid. Asset. Id=ED 1 ABE 851178 -4033 -8 AC 34 C 4 C 63 E 9022 A&bln. From. Search=1&pr oductcode=US

Impact on Native Americans u The arrival of Spanish settlers had a great impact on the native people of the borderlands. – The Pueblo people learned how to use new tools, grow new foods, and raise sheep for wool. – From Florida to California some Natives converted to the Catholic faith. – Unfortunately, wherever the Spanish settled, they brought with them disease to which Native peoples had no resistance. Smallpox, measles, and influenza often wiped out entire villages. u In turn, the Native Americans introduced the Spanish to new techniques for growing crops, specifically in the desert soil.

New World Riches As Spanish colonies sent ships loaded with gold and silver home to Spain, all of Europe watched with envy. u Other nations wanted their share of riches from the New World. But none was strong enough to challenge Spain’s American empire. u Instead they would seek their fortunes in areas not yet claimed by Spain. u

New France u u In 1534, France sent Jacques Cartier to explore the Atlantic coastline of North America. His goal was to find a Northwest Passage, an all-water route through North America to the Pacific Ocean. Cartier failed to find such a passage, but he did claim for France the lad we know call Canada. He also found something that was almost as valuable as the Spanish gold, beaver fur. Beaver hats were a hot fashion item in Europe, and French hat makers were willing to pay high prices for beaver pelts.

Settling New France u u u u The first settlement in New France was founded by Samuel de Champlain. In 1608, Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence River and built a trading post he called Quebec. For the next 150 years, Quebec would be a base for French explorers, soldiers, missionaries, traders, and fur trappers. Fur trappers called themselves coureurs de bois which means “wood rangers” in French. Catholic missionaries followed the trappers seeking converts among the native peoples. New France failed to attract large numbers of settlers not unlike the Spanish Borderlands. The harsh climate of the area made it difficult for farming. Also the land policies of granting only the best river land to French nobles discouraged other citizens from venturing to the new world.

The French in the New World u Discovery Education http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/i ndex. cfm? guid. Asset. Id=ED 1 ABE 851178 -4033 -8 AC 34 C 4 C 63 E 9022 A&bln. From. Search=1&pr oductcode=US

Native American Business Partners u u u Since the French were more interested in fur than farming, they did not try to conquer the Indians. Instead they made them business partners. Champlain made friends with the nearby tribes especially the Huron Not only did they become friendly but also began to live among the native people, marry Huron women, and learn their language. Unfortunately the Native people met the same fate as the southern brothers and many died of European diseases. Champlain even joined the Huron in an attack on neighboring tribes such as the Iroquois. From that day forward the Iroquois would be bitter enemies of the French.

Claiming Louisiana u u u u The search for furs led the French far inland from Quebec. In 1673, two explorers, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet, explored the great Mississippi River. They hoped that this waterway would be the long sought Northwest passage. Instead they discovered that the river flowed toward the Gulf of Mexico and not the Pacific Ocean. Nine years later Robert de La Salle explored the entire length of the Mississippi River. On April 19, 1682, he planted a French flag at the mouth of the river and claimed everything west of the Mississippi River for France. La Salle named this vast area Louisiana for the French monarch, King Louis XIV

Joliet, Marquette, and La Salle Claim New Land for France u Discovery Education http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/i ndex. cfm? guid. Asset. Id=ED 1 ABE 851178 -4033 -8 AC 34 C 4 C 63 E 9022 A&bln. From. Search=1&pr oductcode=US

John Cabot Ø Ø Columbus’s voyage inspired John Cabot, an Italian living in England, to seek his own western route to Asia. In 1497, Cabot sailed west across the Atlantic. He landed in Newfoundland, an island off the coast of Canada. Like Columbus, he mistakenly thought that he had landed in Asia. Later, England would claim all of North America because of the flag planted by Cabot in 1497.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke u u u u u Sir Walter Raleigh tried to start a colony on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. Indians on the island welcomed the settlers and gave them traps for catching fish. The settlers were more interested in finding gold than fishing. Once their supplies were low, they quickly became discouraged and returned home to England. In 1587, Raleigh sent a second group of colonists to the island. Their leader was John White. They arrived to late in the season to plant crops so White returned to England for supplies. However, his trip was delayed due to fighting between England Spain. As a result, he did not return for nearly 3 years. When he did reach the island, all of the colonists had disappeared. Carved on the doorposts was the word “CROATOAN. ” To this day, no one knows the meaning of the word or what happened to the lost colonists of Roanoke.

Jamestown: The First English Colony u u In 1607, a group of merchants formed the London Company to start a money-making colony in Virginia. The company crammed 144 settlers into three tiny ships and sent them across the Atlantic. When they reached Virginia, the colonists settled on a swampy peninsula they believed could be easily defended against Native Americans or Spanish ships. They called their new home Jamestown after King James I.

The Jamestown Settlement u Discovery Education http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/ ? guid. Asset. Id=021 a 6 a 8 e-9235 -4 f 2 dafd 5 -65824530137 a

Pocahontas u u u u The people of Jamestown lived in constant danger of Indian attacks. To end the threat, the English kidnapped Pocahontas and held her hostage for a year. During that time, she learned English, adopted the Christian faith, and met her future husband John Rolfe. He had already helped the English colony survive by finding a crop that could be raised in Virginia and sold for a good price in England-----Tobacco. Now he proposed another solution to their problem of constant Indian attacks. He proposed marriage to Chief Powhatan and the Governor of Jamestown between himself and Pocahontas. This union did bring peace. In 1616, John Rolfe wrote “Our people yearly plant and reap quietly, and travel in the woods…. . as freely and securely……as in England. ”

New Netherland: The Short. Lived Dutch Settlement u u u u While John Smith was struggling to save the colony of Jamestown, an English sailor named Henry Hudson was exploring the coastline farther north for the Netherlands. Henry Hudson’s voyage was sponsored by Dutch merchants who hoped to find the Northwest passage. In 1609, Hudson discovered a deep river full of fish, and thought it might just take him all the way across the continent. It didn’t but he claimed the land along its banks for the Netherlands. The river was later named the Hudson in his honor, and the territory he claimed became known as New Netherland. In 1621, Dutch merchants formed the Dutch West India Company to start a colony in America. The first colonist built Fort Orange near present day Albany, NY.

Relations with Native Americans u u u In 1626, the Dutch West India Company sent Peter Minuit to New Netherland as the colony’s Governor. Wanting peaceful relations with the Indians, the company told Minuit that any native peoples on Manhattan Island “must not be expelled with violence or threats but be persuaded with kind words…. or should be given something. ” Minuit offered the island’s Indians iron pots, beads, and blankets worth about $24 in exchange for their land. The Native Americans didn’t believe that anyone could own land, as such, they laughed at the white men for their foolishness and made the trade. The Iroquois Indians were happy to trade with the Dutch. Since the French had made them an enemy due their alliance with the Huron, it made perfect since to partner with the Dutch. This alliance restricted French access to the fur rich territory of the Ohio Valley.

Open Response Question How does the relations between Dutch settlers differ from that of other European explorers and colonists? (Explain in detail with examples)

New Amsterdam u u u Eventually the Dutch settlement in Manhattan swelled to over 1, 000 people. In 1647, the Dutch West India Company hired Peter Stuyvesant as the colony’s new Governor. He held the position for 17 years. When he arrived, he declared that the settlement would be called New Amsterdam, after the capital city of the Netherlands. During his leadership, he captured a nearby Swedish colony and invited its settlers to live in New Amsterdam. By 1660, the colony had nearly 8, 000 people, including Europeans from many nations as well as enslaved Africans. New Amsterdam also provided refuge for Jews trying to seek freedom to follow their religion in peace.

New Netherlands becomes New York u Discovery Education http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/i ndex. cfm? guid. Asset. Id=CB 65 ABA 6117 E-46 AF-91 E 70001 CD 3 F 1 E 62&bln. From. Search=1&pr oductcode=US

The Land Grab u Let’s play the land grab game and see how your expedition would fair with other competing interests. u Break into groups and wait for further instructions.