Reasons for Exploration

5 Main Reasons for Exploration

Gold-Economic Power and Wealth

Glory- Political Power for their nation (Fame)

England, Spain, France

God- Spread of religion, Christianity, also religious freedom and religious toleration

Nationalism- Sense of pride in one’s own country and wanting to increase that nation’s power and wealth.

Renaissance- a “rebirth” or renewed interest in the ideas of classical Greece and Rome, a period of intellectual and artistic creativity.

GOLDGLORYGOD

NationalismRenaissance

Colonialism Defined• Establishment of settlers and traders from a

nation in an area outside the nation’s boundaries. These establishments were called colonies and the country of origin for the colonies was called the mother country.

Reasons for Exploration and Colonization

• All of the European nations (Spain, France, England and the Netherlands) came to America for the same 5 major reasons: wealth and power, religion, nationalism and glory, and Renaissance, spirit of curiosity and adventure.

• Europeans hoped to acquire wealth and power through reaching the continent of Asia and trading.

• Europeans sought after and acquired wealth by finding gold and silver, engaging in the fur trade, and claiming land and colonies.

• France, Spain, and the Netherlands also wanted to convert Native Americans to the Roman Catholic Church.

• Missionaries – People who travel to a territory or community in order to convert people to their religion.

• The English came to have freedom of religion in many variations of Protestant churches.

• The English were also the only country to allow explorers and colonists to come to America who were in conflict with their government, coming to America to live differently than they could in Europe (freedom from political oppression).

Countries that began exploring later (French, Dutch, English) focused on the search for it Ended up exploring & settling North America

The Northwest Passage was a fabled water route through North America to Asia

Areas Explored:• Spain claimed most of the southern part of the

United States- Florida, Texas, and the Southwestern U.S. as well as lands further south-Mexico, Central America, South America and the islands of the West Indies.

Areas Explored:• France (looking for the Northwest Passage) explored

along inland waterways: the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River.

France

• Claimed areas near the Great Lakes and along the Mississippi River. They were fur traders and trappers. Trappers- People who capture and kill animals, such as beavers, for their fur.

The French colony of New

France, centered in

Quebec, was located in

present day Canada.

Areas Explored:• England claimed the Atlantic coast and Hudson Bay

in Canada.

Areas Explored:• The Dutch colony of New Netherland was founded

around the Hudson River in the state of New York near present day New York City. (This put the Dutch in the middle of the English colonies.)

Negative Consequences• Diseases (typhus, measles, malaria, cholera,

influenza, and small pox) reduced Native Indian populations of Americas by 90%-95%

• Spanish enslaved Native Americans

• Spanish and English both imported slaves from Africa (Between 10-15 million over 350 years).

• English used indentured servants (African and European) and Spain instituted a rigid social class system.

• English forced Native Americans off their land

• English began the American tobacco industry.

Positive and Lasting Contributions to American Life:

• English became the dominant language. • Potatoes and Corn became staples of the

European diet which resulted in a rapid population growth.

Positive Contributions Continued• All of American concepts of law and

government came from the English colonies, people governing themselves (self government) electing representatives, written laws, equality under the law, freedom of religion and the right to disagree with the government.

New World Exploration Map Instructions

• 1. Create, label, and color the borders of the European countries’ colonies in the “New World”

• England (British Territory)• Spain (Spanish Territory• France (French Territory)• Netherlands (Dutch Territory) • 2. List to the side of the legend what were each

European country’s motivations for traveling and settling colonies.