The New World

• Spain• Christopher Columbus

• Genoese – sailed for Spain, Ferdinand & Isabella• Hero or villain

• Experienced in seafaring• Trade and circumventing other countries

• Devote Christian• Missionary vision

• Report to Spain• Conversion of natives• Gold & silver

• Believed he reached Asia (until dying day)• Contribution had extraordinary impact on world history

• Conquest and colonization• 2nd voyage• Enslaved the people of Hispaniola

• Forerunner of Encomienda system• Inept at governing – led to royal control of his

conquered areas

• Spain cont.• Spain VS Portugal

• Line of Demarcation • Made by Pope Alexander VI• divided the heathen world into two equal parts. The 1st line was drawn 100 leagues west of

the Cape Verde Island• The Treaty of Tordesillas 1494

• Divided New World • Spain – everything west• Portugal – everything east• Imaginary line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verdes Islands

• Ferdinand Magellan• Commissioned by Charles V – further voyages when no gold/silver found in

Caribbean• Magellan 1st to circumnavigate the globe

• Route to Asia via the Atlantic• Horrific 3 yr voyage

• Disasters at sea• Starvation• Mutinies• Death of Magellan in the Philippines

• Demonstrated the vastness of the Pacific• Led Spain to abandon its competition with Portugal for the Asian spice trade

• Spain cont.

• Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1517): Discovered the Pacific Ocean after crossing the Isthmus of Panama in 1513.

• Spanish Conquistadores: began creating empires by conquering Indians• Hernando Cortès (1485-1547): conquered the Aztecs in Mesoamerica by 1521. • Francisco Pizarro (1478-1541): conquered the Inca Empire along the Andes

mountains in modern-day Peru in 1532

• Spain cont.• Hernando Cortes’

• Conqueror - Mexico• Few men – horses & cannons• Fortuitous elements beyond his control

• Dissention w/n the Aztec empire• Demoralized population• Weakened leadership

• Aztec Empire – large/wealthy/sophisticated • Montezuma & advisors made decisions logical for their

culture – paved the way for Spanish victory• Francisco Pizarro

• Incan conquest – Peru 1531• Incans known for engineering & construction

• Facing internal dissention• Executed leader Atahualpa

• Took until 1570 to gain control

• Spain cont.• New World colonies

• 200,000 Spaniards immigrated in the 16thC• soldiers & drifters• Estab large agricultural/ranching estates• Sugar plantations• Silver mines – Bolivia & Mexico

• Encomienda system - forced labor• Rapid decline of native pop

• Brutal exploitation• Led to the death of 1000s

• Exposure to Eur disease• Land converted from subsistence to cash crops

• Bartolome’ de Las Casas• Empathized with natives – lamented cruelty• Argued for the rights of natives• Charles V responded by abolishing the worst abuses

Native Americans

• Basic political unit • Clan

• Chiefs served as military leaders, supervisor of political leaders and judges

• Land Ownership• Belonged to tribe/clan

• Private ownership not known

Contributions to American Culture

1. Agruiculture• Taught Europeans how to cultivate and use:

• Corn• Potatoes• Cotton• Tobacco• Tomatoes• Many varieties of beans and squash.

2. Geography• Hunting• Trapping• Names of places/rivers/landforms

Early Exploration and Conquest

• Overthrow of Aztec and Incan Empire• Cortez

• Small band of soldiers • Overthrew Montezuma and conquered the

Aztec of Central America• Pizarro

• Conquered the Incas of Peru• Looted, exploited and murdered natives• Wetted the appetite for more

Exploration into North America

• Ponce de Leon• Florida• First European to step foot in America• “Fountain of Youth” (myth)

• de Soto• Florida and then marched west (Oklahoma) • Discovered the Mississippi River (de Soto buried)

• Coronado• Crossed the Rio Grande• Explored high plains of New Mexico• Texas• Oklahoma• Kansas

Colonization by the Spanish• Spain was not concerned with colonization

• Exploration gave the Spanish territorial claim• No gold• No riches• No interest

• Forced to colonized • Competition of France, England & Russia• France occupied east coast of Florida• Spain established St Augustine 1565

• 1st white/European settlement with the future United States• New Mexico settled 1598

• Santa Fe founded 1609• California

• San Diego 1769• Texas

• San Antonio 1718

The Spanish Colonial System• Encomiendas

• Conquistadors/Military leaders permission to establish political/economic control of natives• Large landed estates

• Missions• Military posts – Presidios

• Extension of Spanish rule• Authority of Spanish king supreme

• Mercantilistic policy• Colonies were developed for the benefit of Spain • Foreigners were excluded from trade with the colonies• Trade with Spain strictly controlled

• Government• Council of the Indies • Viceroys• Crown appointed officials and governed autocratically

French Settlements in North America• Fishing and Fur expeditions

• Canadian coast & Newfoundland 1504• Northwest Passage

• Verazzano 1524• Explored the Atlantic coast line

• Cartier• 3 expeditions 1533-41• St Lawrence River• Gave France claim to Canada

• Quebec 1608• Samuel de Champlain

• Aided some Algonquins in an attack on the Iroquois – 1609 • Iroquois became allies to Dutch & English• Prevented further expansion south of Montreal

• Territory extended by missionaries and fur traders• Mississippi Valley 1673 – Marquette, a missionary & Joliet, a fur

trader• La Salle – Gulf of Mexico, Texas

• Killed by his own men• Biloxi, Mobile & New Orleans 1699-1718

Dutch Exploration and Settlement

• Northwest Passage• Dutch West Indian Company• Henry Hudson (hired Englishman)

• Explored the coast of Virginia to Newfoundland 1609• Hudson River

• Fur trade• New Amsterdam (New York)• New Netherland

• Patroon System• Patroons were grated large blocks of land in return for

settling families.• Fur trade most important business

• Expansion• East as far as the Connecticut River• Captured Swedish settlements on the Delaware in the

south