Europeans Set Sail

• Early humans first reached what is today the “Americas” by walking on the

Bering Land Bridge during the Last Ice Age.

THE VIKINGS • Viking Age: 780 – 1150 AD

• Dominated area of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and

Iceland.

• Sea faring, warrior culture; but also farmers and large communities.

• 1st Europeans to reach what is today the “Americas”

Vikings Reach North America • Vikings were sea faring peoples who had settled in

northern Europe, settlements from Iceland may have

visited North America.

• Leif Eriksson – 1000 AD May be the first Viking to

reach North America, explored parts of Canada and

Northeastern U.S.

Why was Portugal an Ideal Place to Begin European Sea Exploration?

Geographic location

•Western edge of the Iberian Peninsula

•Good access to the Atlantic Ocean &

Mediterranean Sea

PORTUGAL &

SPAIN

Prince Henry The Navigator• 1394 – 1460 AD

• The third Son of the Portuguese king John I and

responsible for the early development of

Portuguese exploration and maritime trade with

other continents through the systematic

exploration of Western Africa, the islands of the

Atlantic Ocean, and the search for new routes.

• Founded an observatory and school of navigation

during 1400’s

• Henry is regarded as t he patron of Portuguese

exploration.

CARAVEL

• New Technology

• Small but sturdy ship that was

first built in the 1400’s

• Triangular sails enabled it to sail

into the wind

• Large Rutter allowed for quick

movements

• Rounded hauls handled high

seas

Compass - a device that can tell you direction of N,S,E,W

A compass uses mastics to show these directions on earth.

Why Did Europeans Want To ‘Explore’? 3 G’s

Kings would finance exploration – “For King and Country”

•God – to spread Christianity around

the world.

•Gold – to collect gold and riches found

in other nations.

•Glory – to expand the power of their

empire and claim new territories.

BARTOLOMEU DIAS1451 – 1500 AD

• Portuguese nobleman and explorer.

• In 1488, sailed around the African West Coast

down to the bottom tip of Africa and reaching

the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic, the first

European known to have done so.

• First to sail to bottom of Africa, named it the

“Cape of Good Hope”

VASCO DA GAMA 1460- 1524 AD

• A Portuguese explorer and the first

European to reach India by sea.

• First voyage in 1497, reached India

and made Portugal the first nation to

connect with Asia by sea.

• Governed a small colony in India.

• Traveled along the West Coast of

Africa and around the bottom

reaching the Indian ocean and the

Eastern Coast.

Portugal @

Sea

Dias

1487 – 1488

Da Gama

1497 – 1498

Consequences Of Exploration

• Created a new route for trade between Africa, Asia,

and Europe

• Expanded the European knowledge of the Earth and

its land.

• Spread the growth of Christianity to new continents.

• Enabled the slave trade in Africa.

Christopher Columbus • Convinces the King & Queen of Spain

to fund his voyage.

- Promised them God, Gold, & Glory -

• Wanted to prove he could find a NEW

route to Asia by sailing West into

uncharted ocean.

• Set sail on August 3, 1492 with 3 ships

La Nina, La Pinta, & La Santa Maria.

• Reached land on October 12, 1492 on

an Island in the Caribbean.

• Thought he landed in Asia, so name

natives there “Indians”

A New World - What Next?

• A New Era begins as the race for

exploration begins, with Spain upfront.

• Line of Demarcation – set up to

divide area that can be claimed by

Spain.

• Other countries, like Portugal, wanted

more area to be able to claim – so to

avoid conflict the Treaty of

Tordesillas moved the Line of

Demarcation further west.

Amerigo Vespucci

• Led a Spanish Fleet touring the coast of South America.

• Was SURE that this ‘New World’ was NOT Asia.

• Continents named America in his honor.

FERDINAND MAGELLAN • A Portuguese navigator, sailed a Spanish fleet around the coast of South America.

• They continued into the Pacific past south and eventually reached the Indian Ocean.

• Magellan was Killed in a Battles in the Philippines during the voyage – but once the

remaining ships reached Spain, they were the FIRST to Circumnavigate the globe.

COLOMBIAN EXCHANGE The trade and ‘exchange’ of goods from the Americas to Europe, Asia, & Africa

and BACK.

Hernan Cortes

• The Spanish sent Conquistadors to the

New World to lead military expeditions,

collecting on the riches of the New world.

• Cortes came to the Americas around

1504, establishing a settlement in Cuba

for a time.

• Cortes landed in Central America and

encountered the Aztec Empire.

• Cortes was impressed by the city of the

Aztec, but wanted a way to take over –

1520 AD

• He partnered with other rival tribes and

was able to overwhelm the capitol and

take over.

Francisco Pizarro

• a Spanish conquistador who

led an expedition to South

America that conquered the

Inca Empire.

• At first, he was unsuccessful a

few times in his attempts due

to weather and war.

• He captured and killed Incan

emperor Atahualpa, and

claimed the lands for Spain.

Conquering the New World

• Conquistadors saw themselves at a

disadvantage when it came to

confronting the native empires with

force, since they had less men.

• They used tactics like partnering with

rivals tribes and capturing the Emperor

to overcome the empires.

• Advanced weapons, Armor, and the

spread disease helped in the conquest

of the Empires of the Americas.

• The Spanish economy was based

mainly on mining gold and silver.

Death of Native AmericansThe various Native populations

experienced high death rates

due to:

• War & Conflict with Europeans

• Forced Labor & Slavery

• Disease

Spanish Settlements • Pueblos – a town, serving as center of

government and trade.

• Missions – places of worship started

by priests to convert Natives to

Christianity.

• Presidos – A military base to protect

pueblos and missions.

Treatment Of Natives • Encomienda System – Gave Spanish settlers the right to

tax local Native Americans or make them work. In return,

the settlers were supposed to convert the Natives to

Christianity and offer protection.

• Natives still forced into Labor, most times into Slavery.

• Spanish would put natives to work in plantations and

anything else they needed.

EUROPE IS CHANGING • 1450 – Gutenberg Printing Press

• 1517 – Martin Luther

• 1588 – English Defeat the Spanish Armada

PROTESTANT REFORMATION

• In Germany, Martin Luther began a trend

that turned in a rebellion against the

Catholic church all over Europe.

• Protestants were reformers who protested

some of the practices of the Catholic

church at the time.

• The reformation quickly spread through

out Europe and soon captivated the entire

continent.

NORTH-WEST PASSAGE • Europeans wanted to find a water that connected the Atlantic and Pacific through

North America.

• Sent out Various explorers to search for the route, none successful.

Jacques Cartier

• A French sailor, led Frances exploration of

North America around present day Canada

– came in through the St. Lawrence River.

• Claimed territory around present day

Montreal for France.

• Established communication with Tribes in

area, Hurons & Iroquois.

The French • Samuel de Champlain settled a colony for France along the St.

Lawrence River – Quebec.

• Explorers reached the Mississippi River and sailed down it,

reaching the Gulf Coast.

• France Claimed the entire Mississippi Valley and named the

territory Louisiana in honor of the King.

• The French colonies were small and mainly focused on the Fur

trade. French Fur trappers littered the entire region from Canada

down to the Gulf of Mexico.

• The French traded with native Americans constantly, maintaining

a relationship with many tribes.

• The French treated Natives far better then the English or Spanish

and often were involved in native communities.

THE DUTCH

• The Dutch also settled along the

Eastern coast, in areas like present

day New York, New Jersey, &

Connecticut.

• Had a settlement ‘New Amsterdam’

in what is today New York.

• Would promise Religious Freedom

in their colonies to attract

inhabitants.

MIDDLE PASSAGE

• This is the voyage African slaves would be forced to

take from West Africa across the Atlantic into the ‘New

World’

• Many died on the voyage because of horrible conditions

aboard.

AFRICAN DIASPORA

• Referring to the huge number of African peoples that were sent all over the

world due to enslavement.

• About 12 million people were displaced between 1500’s and 1860, the span of

slavery as a regular practice.

• Generally treated under terrible conditions – millions died as a product of work,

punishment, & mistreatment.

• Although treatment varied, all slaves were viewed as property not people.

LIFE IN CHAINS

• Slaves were able to develop their own

cultures despite their conditions.

• Families were vital as a refuge from

slaveholders control. These families faced

many challenges, like separation.

• Religion was important in keeping meaning

and hope for these communities. Song, dance,

and worship were a chance to spread hope

and express their sorrows.

• Mainly Christian with influences from native

traditions .