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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.