Download Section 6 Exploration by England, France and Holland

Section 6 Exploration by England, France and Holland
Spain and Portugal dominated the early years of exploration,
and by 1500 Spain was the richest and most powerful state in
Europe. The Spanish royal family (the Habsburgs) governed
several territories in Europe. They also held the title of Holy
Roman Emperor which gave them rule over Germany. To this
large territory they added their vast territorial claims in the
Americas. Spain became wealthy trading exotic foods from
south America and by plundering its gold and silver.
Rival nations, England and France (Holland only became an
independent country in 1581) did not dare to challenge
Portugal’s sole claim to Indian Ocean trade, or Spain’s claim to
the Americas. They did not dare to challenge the Treaty of
Tordesillas 1494 in which the pope divided the world between
Spain and Portugal.
But things began to change. The Reformation weakened Spain
which diverted much of its wealth and resources to fighting the wars of religion. Religious
differences brought protestant England into conflict with catholic Spain. England destroyed the
Spanish armada in battle in 1588. France, though catholic, feared being surrounded by Spanish
Habsburg rule, and sided with protestants in the wars against Spain. The Netherlands, which had
been a territory ruled by Spain, became protestant and fought for independence. It became an
independent state in 1581. Spanish power declined and rulers in rival nations, England, France,
and the Netherlands soon sent expeditions to North America wanting their own share of trade
and new lands in the Americas.
Early Explorers England and France did send
early explorers but little came of the ventures as
they failed to find spices or a route to Asia. In
1497 the Italian sailor John Cabot made
England’s first voyage of discovery (orange
route). Cabot searched for a northwest passage,
believing he could reach the Indies by sailing
northwest across the Atlantic, around the top of
America to Asia. Such a water route would allow
ships to sail from Europe to Asia without
entering waters controlled by Spain. In 1497, he
landed in what is now Newfoundland, Canada.
Believing he had reached the northeast coast of
Asia, he claimed the region for England.
Another Italian, Giovanni da Verrazano, sailed under the French flag. In 1524, Verrazano explored
the east coast of north America from present-day North Carolina to Canada. His voyage resulted in
better knowledge of the north American coast.
Further exploration and territorial claims
In 1534 French explorer, Jacques Cartier sailed down
the St. Lawrence River claiming territory around
Montreal (Mont Royal) for France. Sailing on behalf of
the Netherlands, English explorer Henry Hudson
journeyed to North America in 1609. Hudson still did
not find a northwest passage, but he did explore what
is now called the Hudson River in present-day New York State. His explorations were the basis of
the Dutch claim to the area. Dutch settlers established the colony of New Amsterdam on
Manhattan in 1625. In 1610, Hudson tried again, this time under the flag of his native England.
Searching farther north, he sailed into a large bay in Canada that is now called Hudson Bay. He
spent three months looking for an outlet to the Pacific, a route to Asia, but there was none.
Hudson’s voyage, laid the basis for further English claims in Canada.
The Impact of European Exploration of North America
Canada’s shores offered rich resources of cod and other
fish. Within a few years of Cabot’s trip, English fishing boats
regularly visited the region. The French and Dutch developed
a lucrative trade in otter, beaver and fox fur with Native
Americans. These items soon became a fashion trend in
Europe. By the early 1600s, the French and Dutch had set up a
number of trading posts in North America.
French explorers sent expeditions into the great lakes and
down the Mississippi river claiming a vast territory for New
France that was called Louisiana after King Louis. Unlike the
Spanish conquistadors, explorers in north America did not
find gold and other treasure. As a result, there was less
interest in starting colonies in that region. Trade fostered a
more positive relationship between Dutch and French
explorers, settlers and the native populations.
Unlike the French and Dutch, the English started settlement colonies. A group of businessmen
formed the Virginia Company, a join stock trading company. In 1607 they established a colony at
Jamestown, Virginia. The first few years of this colony were disastrous with frequent and
devastating battles with native populations. The colony survived and became lucrative when it
started employing slave labor to grow tobacco. In 1620 the Plymouth colony was started in
Massachusetts by a religious group called the pilgrims and in 1628 the Puritans established a
colony at Massachusetts Bay. These colonies were started for religious reasons. By 1700 there
were 13 British colonies claiming the east coast of north America. As settlers moved in and
inhabited land that had belonged to native tribes the relationships between English colonies and
native tribes became hostile and violent.
As the reformation got going in Europe, the conflict between protestant England and catholic
Spain spilled over into the New World explorations. Some captains of English ships, nicknamed
"sea dogs," began attacking and raiding Spanish ports and ships to take their gold. These
privateers were different from regular pirates. Piracy was illegal, but privateering was arranged
and supported by government. One of the most famous privateers was Francis Drake.
The English raids in the New World added to tensions between England and Spain in Europe. In
1588, King Philip II of Spain sent an armada, or fleet of ships, to invade England. With 130 heavily
armed vessels and about thirty thousand men, the Spanish Armada seemed an unbeatable
force. But the smaller English fleet was fast and well-armed. Their guns had a longer range, so they
could attack from a safe distance. After several battles, a number of the armada’s ships had been
sunk or driven ashore. The rest turned around but faced terrible storms on the way home. Fewer
than half of the ships made it back to Spain. The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the start of
a shift in power in Europe. By 1630, Spain was no longer dominated Europe.
With Spain’s decline, other countries—particularly England and the Netherlands—took a more
active role in trade and colonization around the world. The Dutch and English turned their
attention to the spice trade in the East Indies. They competed to break Portugal’s control of Indian
Ocean trade. The British East India Company (a private company operating with the support of
the British government) focused on India, and the Dutch East India Company focused on
Indonesia. These trading companies were allowed to make political treaties, have private armies
and claim lands in the name of their governments. England and Holland built powerful empires in
Asia by colonizing India and Indonesia. Portugal no longer dominated trade in east Asia.