European Expansion & Invasion of the Americas

HI 201Fall 2015

Europe

Minor world civilizations compared to China, India, & Islamic World

Not a well-defined landmass—not unified People viewed the Ocean as a barrier to

transportation. Many thought if was full of sea monsters!

Europe on Eve of Expansion

Vikings-first to go out into he Atlantic Ocean Left Scandinavia because of overpopulation and

political unrest 860-930 colonized Iceland 982 expanded from Iceland to Greenland

Greenland--Led by Eric the Red and lasted over 500 years

1000-Small settlement in North America, Vinland Led by Leif Erikson, abandoned in 10 years

Outnumbered by Native peoples—the Inuit Remote location that depended on trade with

homeland Limited resources Hostile relationship with Inuit

1st European Explorers

Viking Expansion

Vinland Settlement

Created no lasting settlements Did not influence other Europeans to

explore into the Atlantic because most Europeans did not even know about it! This was before the printing press was

invented!

Viking Expansion

5 conditions had to be met for Europeans to successfully sail out into the Atlantic Ocean:

1. Desire & motive 2. capable sea-faring vessels (the right boats

had to be invented) 3. technological equipment and techniques 4. proper weaponry 5. Energy source—had to learn to understand

the winds!

Discovering the Atlantic

Portugal 1450-1500

1st successful Atlantic exploration Became the leaders of the “Golden Age of

Exploration” in the 1400s (15th century) Motive = MONEY$$$$$$$

They were broke from fighting Muslims and driving them out of their country—This was known as the Reconquista (ended in 1492)

Wanted to find a way to gold fields in Africa & Asia and wanted to Spread Catholic religion throughout the world

Portugal, 1450-1500

Used technological innovations from around the world and the printing press to copy and share information: Lanteen Sails from Arabs—better sailing close

to wind Magnetic Compass—borrowed from China Caravel—a small, fast Mediterranean Ship Navigation experts—from the Jewish world Energy—relied on experts to help them map and

master the wind source—called the Westerlies All of this made Columbus’ Voyage possible in

1492

Portugal

Portuguese Success opened the Atlantic for exploration and began a race among European nations of Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands (Dutch), and England

All of their hard work & ingenuity made Columbus’ Voyage to the Caribbean possible!!!!

Portugal, 1450-1500

Portuguese Voyages

He and everyone else knew that the earth was round! But he underestimated the size of the globe.

Believed he could sail west, cross the Atlantic, and reach trade routes in Asia—cutting out the Muslim trader middle man between Asia and Europe No one but the Vikings and the Indians knew

their was a large continent in the way! Sponsored by Isabella and Ferdinand, the

Queen & King of Spain

Christopher Columbus

Portugal had already found a route to the east (around the southern tip of Africa—see map), Spain wanted to find their own way! So they backed Columbus’ plan.

Columbus

Landed in Bahamas on the Island that came to be known as Hispaniola (modern Haiti/Dominican Republic)

Encountered Indian People—Tainos Set off the Columbian Exchange

Reversed millions of years of continental drift Brought pathogens, plants, animals, and

people from Old World to the New World Indians died of diseases as a result

Columbus 1492

Columbus’s voyages was devastating to Indians living in the Americas & changed the American Landscape forever The Columbian Exchange: the transatlantic

flow of goods and people that altered millions of years of evolution. Plants, animals, and cultures that had evolved independently of each other on separate continents were now thrown together Led to catastrophic decline of Indian populations

Wars, enslavement, diseases, environmental changes

Columbian Exchange

Columbian Exchange

Year Taino Population1492 300,000

1494 250,0001510 33,0001548 500Pre-1492 50 million!

Columbian Exchange--depopulation on Island of Hispaniola

Spanish: Empire of Conquest

French: Empire of Trade

Dutch: trade

English: Land

ALL WANTED $$$$$$ MOST OF ALL!

European Invasions of the Americas

1519-1550 First European Nation to establish colonies in

Americas/New World Spain = largest, most wealthy overseas

empire in the World Gained weatlh from extracting gold and silver

from Mexico & Peru in South/Central America

Spanish Empire of Conquest

How did they justify conquering Indians and taking their land? Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494

Created by the Pope (Catholic leader in Rome) to extend Catholicism to new lands Needed money to do this!

Viewed all non-Catholic people as Barbarians and fit for “natural slavery”

Spanish Empire

South/Central America: Converted Indians to Spanish customs, religion,

and economy Forced Indians to work to produce goods for sale

in Europe Mining silver/gold for example

North America: Killed, raped, enslaved thousands of Indians Devastated populations by stealing food,

supplies, and spreading diseases

Spanish Empire

Spanish Empire

Goals of French Expansion Hurt the Portuguese & Spanish Find their own passage to China Buy furs from Indians to sell in Europe Convert Indians to Christianity (Protestant, not

Catholic)

French Invasion: Empire of Trade

France

French Voyages

Motives & Justifications Not trying to rule or convert the world like

Spain (no Reconquista) Defined empire in terms of trade, not

conquest French merchants did not want to live in a

Spanish, Catholic dominated world Land use argument: if no one is using it, then

it must be available (this applied to Spanish and Indians)

Did not have resources to force Indians into hard labor and French did not find gold or silver in North America

French Invasion