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Unit 2: European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas
- Europeans Reach the Americas
I.
European Conceptions of the World in 1500
- most people believed the world was made up of 3 continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa
A. The Middle Ages
- During the Middle Ages (period in European history from about 500-1350) many people did not travel beyond
their villages so knowledge about the outside world was limited
- European monarchs (kings and queens) divided their land among nobles who had their own armies and courts but
owed their loyalty to their monarch; this system of rule is called feudalism (rule by lords who owe loyalty to a
monarch)
- The land controlled by each noble was called a manor, and it included the lord’s castle, peasants’ huts, and
surrounding villages and fields
- The serfs, or peasants who worked on the manor could not leave without the lord’s permission; therefore,
traveling was rare
B.
-
European Sources of Knowledge
writings of explorers such as Marco Polo, who traveled throughout Asia during the 13th century
the work of mapmakers, such as Claudius Ptolemy
the exaggerated tales told by sailors
C. Misconceptions
- As Europeans began exploring they encountered societies that did not share the same customs and beliefs
- Ethnocentrism (the practice of comparing other cultures unfavorably to your own) caused Europeans to form
misconceptions about the cultures they encountered and many of them believed that these cultures were inferior
(not as good) to their own culture or uncivilized
- Some Europeans believed that religions other than Christianity were not true religions, and a series of Holy Wars,
known as the Crusades, broke out between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land (Jerusalem) in
the Middle East
II.
European Exploration of the Americas
A. A Changing Europe
- During the Crusades, a large number of Europeans left their homes for the first time and discovered new goods
and ideas
- A desire for these new goods (silks, spices, rugs, etc.) encouraged European merchants to begin trading with Arab
traders
- This increase in trade led to an increase in knowledge
- Merchants were introduced to new navigational devices such as the astrolabe and the magnetic compass, which
made sailing easier
- Europeans became curious about the world, and began making discoveries in the fields of art, science, medicine,
and astronomy
- This burst of learning throughout Europe is known as the Renaissance
B. Causes of Exploration of the Americas
- Europeans were looking for quicker and cheaper routes to Asia in order to continue the prosperous trade they had
established with the Orient (China, Japan, and India)
- Shipbuilders had learned to make stronger ships that were capable of long voyages
- Inventions such as the caravel (a ship with triangular sails and a steel rudder), astrolabe(a tool that helped sailors
determine the positions of the stars to figure out their latitude), and magnetic compass (a compass that had a
needle that always pointed north) helped captains sail straighter and longer courses
- Desire by European nations to spread Christianity, or to find riches
- Desire by explores to find riches and gain fame
- Columbus reached the Americas and lasting contact between the Americas and the rest of the world was
established
C.
-
Dangers on the Journey to the Americas
diseases spread quickly on ships
Ships were often infested with rats
Supplies rotted easily
Encounter dangerous storms which produced rough waters and high winds
D. Notable Explorers
Name of Explorer
Country He Sailed For
Bartolomeu Dias
Portugal
(1487-1488)
Vasco de Gama
Portugal
(1497-1498)
Christopher
Spain
Columbus (14921504)
Ferdinand Magellan
(1519-1522)
Henry Hudson
Giovanni da
Verrazano (1524)
Samuel de
Champlain (16031615)
Robert de la Salle
(1679-1682)
E.
-
Spain
- England (1610-1611)
- The Netherlands
(1609)
- France
- France
- France
Achievements
- sailed around the southern tip of Africa
- found an all-water route to Asia by sailing around the southern tip
of Africa to India
- led 3 expeditions to the Americas (thought he reached the East
Indies in Asia)
- discovered the Americas for the rest of the world
- explored the West Indies and the Caribbean and claimed the lands
for Spain
- Led first expedition to sail around the world
- Explored the Hudson Bay for England
- explored the east coast of North America and along the Hudson
River for the Netherlands
- explored the east coast of North America, including present-day
New York harbor
- Explored St. Lawrence River Valley
- founded Quebec
- explored the Great Lakes
- reached the mouth of the Mississippi River
Effects of Exploration
Native Americans forced off their land, killed or enslaved
Millions of Native Americans died from European diseases
Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) conquered civilizations like the Aztecs and Incas
Slaves were brought from Africa to the Americas to replace Native Americans in gold mines or on plantations
The Columbian Exchange, resulted in the exchange of goods and ideas between the Americas and the rest of the
world
European countries competed for land in the Americas in attempt to establish their own colonies (group of people
who move to a new land but our still ruled by the government of their native land)
Spain built an empire in the Americas
The English, French, and Dutch established colonies in North America