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America in the Age of
Discovery
America before Columbus
● Americas first arrived
to America anywhere
from 70,000 to 20,000
years ago
● They crossed a from
Russia through Alaska
at a time when sea
levels were low and a
land-bridge was
exposed
America before Columbus
● Natives inhabited the entirety of
North and South America, but
mainly in warmer climates
● Populations were largest in
present day Mexico (estimated
up to 12 million)
● Many distinct cultures existed
among Americans
● Estimates say that there were
around 1,800 to 2,000 distinct
languages spoken in America
(many languages held
similarities; think Spanish vs
Catalan)
America before Columbus
America before Columbus
The Exploration of America
● Prior to Columbus, many
scholars and historians believe
that many different civilizations
had reached America, however,
these are only theories as no
conclusive evidence exists.
● Most historians commonly accept
that Vikings reached America
long before Columbus. Recent
theories even suggest that
Chinese or African travelers had
visited America before 1492
The Exploration of America
● However, the “Age of
Exploration” and the voyage of
Columbus remains the most
important turning point in the
history of America and the rest
of the world
● After Columbus, many
explorers came to America
looking for gold, glory, and, to
a lesser extent, to spread the
word of God
● The most important explorers
were the Spanish conquistadors Francisco Pizarro
The Conquest of America
How were the Conquistadors able to
conquer America?
● Horses
o Horses were introduced to
America by the Spanish
o The closest animal Americas
had were alpacas, which can
only lift around 50 kilos, so
they could not be ridden and
were very poor beasts of
burden
o In terms of war and
exploration, horses provided
an extremely valuable resource
The Conquest of America
How were the Conquistadors able to
conquer America?
● Weapons
o Europeans have a long history in
metalworking, allowing the ability
to create high quality swords and
spears
o This technology originated in the
Fertile Crescent around 7,000 years
ago. This technology easily
traveled to Europe, but of course,
never came to America
o Copper vs. Steel
The Conquest of America
How were the Conquistadors able to conquer America?
● Weapons
o Conquistadors also carry guns. These guns are not
particularly deadly or useful, but they are something
completely new and frightening to Americans
The Conquest of America
How were the Conquistadors able to
conquer America?
● Division of American tribes
o The large number of tribes that
existed in America also meant
that there were many rivalries
and conflict between the tribes
o Conquistadors were able to
exploit this and hire natives to
fight against other Americans
o For example, over 90% of
Cortes’ army consisted of
native Americans when he
conquered the Aztec
The Conquest of America
How were the Conquistadors able to
conquer America?
● The Secret Weapon: disease
o Unknown to the Spanish and
other Europeans, they carried
germs that were deadly to
native Americans
o Europeans had developed an
immunity to these diseases over
hundreds of years of exposure
o For example, the Black Death
killed thousands, but it also
ensured that future generations
would be immune
The Conquest of America
How were the Conquistadors able
to conquer America?
● The Secret Weapon: disease
o Additionally, these germs
were developed due to
Europeans’ proximity to
livestock, which Americans
had never encountered
o Smallpox and other diseases
were by far the most
effective weapon against
the native Americans, killing
up to 95% of the entire
population
The Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange
● Products from Americao Cocoa (key ingredient to chocolate)
o Potatoes
o Tomatoes
o Corn
o Tobacco
The Columbian Exchange
Products from Europe
● Livestock
● Horses
● Rice
● Coffee
● Citrus Fruit
The Riches of America
● Gold was originally
considered one of the
most sought after
resources in America
● However, the true
wealth of America
came in the form of
cash crops
The Riches of America
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