Invasion of America

The Invasion of America : 

Chapter 2 Pgs. 27-45 Chapter 3 Pgs. 49-52 The Invasion of America

A Growing Europe. : 

A Growing Europe. Life in 15th century Europe: Majority of people were farmers. The majority of people lived in family households clustered together in farming villages. Villages ruled by families of “lords”. Held monopoly on wealth and power. Made possible by the Roman Catholic Church. Very difficult life. Porridge and bread (vegetables & fish). Crop failures due to droughts or floods. Starvation, homelessness, disease, and death. Black Death. Killed a third of Europe’s population. Violence erupted as groups fought for share of shrinking economy.

A Growing Europe. : 

A Growing Europe. By 1500: Europe’s population had rebounded. Instability caused by the “Black Death” brought about major change in Governments. Monarchs replaced lords. Found support among the merchant class. Union between merchants and monarchs would be an important factor in exploration of the “new” world.

The Renaissance : 

The Renaissance Economic recovery accompanied by expansion of commerce. Stimulated growth of markets and towns. City States of Italy. Europeans came into contact with Islamic civilizations. Provided access to important ancient texts. Lost in Europe. Preserved in libraries of Alexandria (Egypt) and Baghdad (Iraq). Revived interest in classical literatures. Sparked a period of intellectual and artistic growth. The Renaissance celebrated human possibility and gave birth to humanism which placed importance on this life rather than the afterlife. Brought about inquisitive spirit that motivated the exploration of the “new world”.

The Portuguese Voyages : 

The Portuguese Voyages Henry the Navigator. Personal interest in navigation. Established school of navigation (Portugal). By 1430s: The Portuguese had discovered: The Azores. The Canaries. Madeira. Within 30 years the Portuguese pushed their way into Africa. Close of the 15th century: They had gained control over the flow of trade items from West Africa.

The Portuguese Voyages : 

The Portuguese Voyages What were the trade items? Gold. Ivory. Spices. The Portuguese grew sugar and other crops on the Azores and Canary Islands. Portuguese sugar plantations also used: African slaves. 16th century forward: The Portuguese became increasingly involved in the African slave trade. Used slaves on their plantations. Later used slaves in Europe as well. Mid 16th century: Portugal was shipping African slaves all over the world.

The Portuguese Voyages : 

The Portuguese Voyages The Portuguese were also interested in finding the shortest, cheapest, and safest sea route between Europe and Asia. England, Spain, and France also interested. Portugal more cautious in their approach. The newer powers much more brazen in their approach. New Technologies: Magnetic compass. Improvements in steering mechanisms, hull design, and new captains’ controls over ship direction, speed, and stability.

Christopher Columbus : 

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus: Ambitious sailor from Italy. Eager to take advantage of new technologies. 1484: John II of Portugal and asked for support for his “risky voyage’. Sail westward from Portugal, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the East Indies. John II refused after being advised that Columbus had underestimated the size of the earth. 1492: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Agreed to equip three ships and give Columbus 10% of anything he “found” on his journey. August 3, 1492: Columbus and a crew of 90 departed on their voyage. Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

Christopher Columbus : 

Christopher Columbus The journey started out well but the good fortune did not last. Poor weather. Voyage took too long (10 weeks). Threats of mutiny from the crew. Land spotted. October 12, 1492: Landfall – modern Bahamas Islands. Holy Savior – San Salvador. For 10 weeks Columbus sailed around the Caribbean: Collecting spices, coconuts, bits of gold, and native captives. He called the natives “Indians” because he thought he had landed in the Indies.

Christopher Columbus : 

Christopher Columbus Upon returning to Spain Columbus: Received a heroes welcome. Gained backing for three more voyages. Over the next several years, Spain gained a foothold in the region. Who were the local natives (Indians)? <Film Clips – 500 Nations>

Christopher Columbus : 

Christopher Columbus Columbus first of many explorers of the new world. The primary goal of exploration became finding a route around or through North America. Northwest Passage. Columbus’s discovery opened a door for many new opportunities for European expansion. War and disease, population pressure, and economic competition, technological innovation and the thirst for adventure helped create a general sense of unrest in Europe.

The Spanish in the Americas. : 

The Spanish in the Americas. Spain continued its exploration of the “new world” long after Columbus was “off the scene”. Spanish exploration became the occupation of aggressive and popular figures such as Hernando Cortes. 1519: Cortes and 600 troops land at Mexico, Conquered the might Aztec Empire quickly. Why? Aztecs weakened by smallpox and other illnesses. Cortes and his men wore full body armor, rode horses, and used guns. Psychological advantage. Cortes received military support from several tribes of Mexican Indians who resented the Aztecs’ power and their demand for sacrificial victims.

The Spanish in the Americas. : 

The Spanish in the Americas. Cortes and the Spanish: Established themselves in Mexico City. Brought surrounding Indian groups under their control. Spanish soldiers (conquistadors) conquered the Indian civilizations of: Mexico. Central America. Peru. Conquistadors used harsh (brutal) methods of conquest.

Virgin Soil Epidemics : 

Virgin Soil Epidemics The primary cause of the massive reduction in native population was European diseases, Smallpox. Influenza. The Plague. Measles. Typhus. Pre-contact America was epidemic free (not disease free). Natives lacked the biological ability to fight off European diseases. Warfare, famine, and low birth rates also contributed to the population reduction.

New France and the Fur Trade. : 

New France and the Fur Trade. Driven out of Brazil and Florida by the Spanish. Made contact with Native Americans in the northern woodlands. Different relationship: France more interested in trade/commerce than in conquest. Native Americans interested in French (European) goods: Textiles, glass, copper, and ironware. French interested in furs. Trade would play an important role in the French/Indian relationship. By the close of the 16th century (1500s) over 1,000 European ships were trading for furs each year along the northern Atlantic coast.

New France and the Fur Trade. : 

New France and the Fur Trade. Negative consequences of the fur trade: Epidemic diseases followed. Created tensions between tribes who fought for access to hunting grounds. Native Americans became dependent upon European goods (metal knives, kettles, and guns, etc). French monopoly on the fur trade: Samuel de Champlain: Founded Quebec on the St. Lawrence River (1608). Intercept fur trade traffic. Sent French traders to live with the Indians. The fur trade a major draw. Many failed.

New France and the Fur Trade. : 

New France and the Fur Trade. Population of New France grew slowly. Only Catholics could settle in New France. Sought to build an empire through an alliance with local Native American tribes.

New Netherland : 

New Netherland United Provinces of the Netherlands. Holland. Dutch. Established themselves in North America: Explorations of Henry Hudson. By 1609: Established settlements on the Hudson River (see next slide – map). Dutch West India Company: Negotiated a commercial alliance with the Five Nation Iroquois Confederacy. The Dutch launched a campaign to establish themselves as the middle man in the fur trade. The Beaver Wars (1640s-1680s).

England in America : 

England in America Tensions with Spain: Henry VIII: Divorced his Spanish wife (Catherine of Aragon). Separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Opened the Church of England to the Protestant Reformation. Spain condemned Henry’s actions. King Henry VIII concerned with: Domestic issues. Self defense. Keeping clear of a direct war with Spain.

England in America : 

England in America Queen Elizabeth I: 1577: Authorized English privateers (pirates). Francis Drake. Attack Spanish ships. Seized tons of gold and silver. Interested in more than raiding ships. Life was hard in England: Population boom threatened economy. Farmland becoming scarce. Elizabeth (and England) looked to the “New World”.

England in America : 

England in America 1578: Elizabeth granted Sir Humphrey Gilbert permission to found a colony in North America. 1583: Gilbert sails with 200 colonists. Lost at sea. Elizabeth gives land grant to Walter Raleigh. Proposed colony: Virginia (virgin queen). Island (costal North Carolina). “American Eden”. Friendly natives.

England in America : 

England in America 1585: 108 settlers to Roanoke Island. Things started out good but went bad. Cultural differences created war. Drake visits colony in 1586: Finds Roanoke at war with local natives. Settlers return to England with Drake. 15 men remain: Never seen again. 1587: Second colony: Governor: John White.

England in America : 

England in America 1587: White returns to England for supplies. Delayed 3 years (war with Spain). 1590: White returns to Roanoke. Found the colony abandoned (not destroyed). “Croatoan” carved on post. Gone to Croatoan. Attacked by Croatoan? (probably not). White returns to England. Never learns fate of colony or granddaughter Virginia Dare.

England in America : 

England in America English efforts to colonize the “New World” were temporarily halted. Disaster at Roanoke: Colonization was difficult and expensive. 1603: Queen Elizabeth dies. England once again sets her sights on the “New World”. Reading: Chapter 3. Pages 52 – 69. Reading quiz possible at any time.