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Spain, France, and England entering Americas
Spain sets up a colony in Cuba in 1511, yet the diseases they carried over wiped out the natives leaving no workers.
This prompted a man named Hernan Cortes to venture to Mexico looking for workers and wealth.
Cortes and his 550 men were greatly outmatched by the thousands of Aztec Warriors. However, Cortes had weapons the Aztecs had never seen.
Also, they rode horses and wore armor. The warriors were not match and could not stop Cortes. Some locals were so amazed they teamed up with Cortes.
Montezuma (leader of Aztecs) believed that Cortes could have been a god. They offered gold, riches, and women to Cortes.
Cortes continued his march to capital city Tenochtitlan. One of the largest cities in the world, 200,000 people and many shrines (gold everywhere) with great architecture.
In August of 1521, the Aztecs fell to Cortes. Montezuma’s Curse (put a curse on the gold and anyone who touched it would have bad luck.)
Conquistadors (conquerors) were sent all over Central America after this to control as much land as possible.
Spain also sent forces down to South America. Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru. He fought the Incas.
The Incas were a civilization built on war, they had complex road systems, and greatly outnumbered the Spanish.
Pizarro and the Spanish against Incas
However Incas were not immune to the diseases carried over from Europe and fell to the Spanish.
Spain’s control even reached into southern United States (from New Mexico even to as far as Florida.)
In order to keep natives under control, they granted encomienda: natives are citizens of Spain but without the rights.
Society began to mix, Spain kept it very structured.
Had Peninsulares, Creoles, and Mestizoes.
Peninsulares were at the top- people born in Spain.
Creoles were people born in the colonies.
Mestizos were Spanish and Native mixed and at the bottom.
France also expanded their empire into America as well.
King Francis I of France wanted to find the Northwest Passage- across America to Pacific.
Jacques Cartier mapped much of eastern North America (St. Lawrence River.)
Initial attempts to colonize in America by France failed. Tried to settle in current Canada. Next attempts were more successful since fishers traded with Natives for furs.
Thanks to new relations, they slowly grew and wanted to expand. They explored down the Mississippi, eventually settled in Louisiana.
Fought with Spain for control of certain areas, both tried to turn natives against the other.
Spain would look to Central America and Southwest while France tried the Mississippi River, opening up an opportunity for England to have Atlantic Coast.
• England’s first permanent colony was Jamestown. Over 100 years after John Cabot explored the territory.
Virtually all of Europe was Catholic, not all was going well. Church was having people pay for indulgence and salvation.
Martin Luther started Protestant Reformation with posting of 95 Theses.
John Calvin continued Reformation in Switzerland. This causes economic, political, and religious problems. Support being the key, monarchs needed support of people but could not anger the masses.
Keep wealthy happy was plan: Power = money, money = power.
Granted nobles ability to enforce enclosure movement. They could enclose off large amounts of “disputed” land.
This left many small farmers without a job. These angry people along with the reformers of the church were looking for a fresh start. The Americas offered this fresh start.
Not everyone knew what they were getting into. Early attempts failed. Roanoke was the famous failed colony, the demise still is a mystery today.
No bodies were found, no remains, only empty houses and the letters “CRO” carved on a post.
Colonies did finally see profit after many early failures- not familiar with land, not ready for winter, no systems, no schools, bad relations with Indians all attributed to failures.
John Smith and Chief Powhatan finally agreed to trade (items as well as traditions and secrets.)
The Powhatan Confederacy (local Natives that regularly traded) were key to colonies survival.
Eventually saw much violence.
England provided little relief until John Rolfe was able to grow quality tobacco. This led to much more trade and more money.
Needing to govern themselves, an assembly was formed. The House of Burgesses was representatives from the colonies to discuss all matters of life.
This led to more settlers coming over and more money from Church and country. Eventually wealthy men got involved with proprietary colonies. When a man can govern a colony any way he chooses (he paid for it.)
Maryland was the first proprietary colony, Lord Baltimore was the owner.
