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The Discovery of the Americas
Explorers and the Age of
Exploration
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The Age of Exploration occurred from
the early 15th to the early 17th Century
European ships traveled around the
world to search for new trading routes
and partners to feed burgeoning
capitalism in Europe
The Age of Exploration was rooted in
new technologies and ideas growing
out of the Renaissance including
advances in cartography, navigation,
firepower and shipbuilding.
Much of new exploration was rooted in
the desire to find a route to Asia
through the west of Europe.
Christopher Columbus
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In 1492, Christopher
Columbus began his
exploration of the
Americas – he became
famous when he
discovered a new
continent and he ignited a
competition among many
of the other European
nations to find new lands
Columbus discovered what
is now known as the San
Salvador in the Bahamas
The Columbian Exchange
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The Columbian Exchange
refers to the movement of
peoples, cultures,
technologies, plants, animals,
diseases and other things
between Europe and North
America in the wake of
Columbus’s voyages
This exchange fundamentally
changed human life and the
environment in both worlds
The Columbian Exchange
Examples of the Exchange
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Potatoes, grown by the Incas, were brought
back and introduced to Spain in the early
1500s
Spain introduced the horse to Spain –
which assisted the natives in becoming
more efficient in the hunt
Europeans traded alcohol with the natives
Europeans also introduced small pox and
tuberculosis
Spain and Portugal
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Spain and Portugal were
the major players early on
in the search for new lands
This drive for new lands
put the two countries in
direct competition which
caused Pope Alexander VI
to convince the two
countries to divide any new
overseas trading interests
between them
The Treaty of Tordesillas
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In 1494, “for the sake of
peace and concord” Spain
and Portugal resolved
their differences in the
Treaty of Tordesillas
This Treaty established a
line at 48 degrees west
longitude and extended it
around the earth
Any lands to the west of
this line belonged to
Spain
America gets a name!
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In 1499, a Portuguese
expedition captained by
an Italian-born navigator
named Amerigo Vespucci
sailed down the coast of
South America
Vespucci believed that
this land was a vast new
continent and he
erroneously received
credit for discovering
what German mapmakers
named “America”
What? Another Ocean?
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On expeditions to Panama,
Vasco, Nunez de Balboa
learned from the native
peoples of a huge body of
water called the “great waters”
He led an expedition with the
assistance of the native
peoples and he was the first
European to set his sights on
this great new body of water
To Balboa, the water appeared
calm and peaceful so he gave
it the name ‘Pacifica’ (latin)
which later became the
Pacific Ocean
England vs. Spain!
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By the 1570s, Queen Elizabeth
I was concerned with Spain’s
increasingly global influence
Fearful of an open
confrontation with Spain she
gave her unofficial approval to
piracy against Spanish ships
and settlements
Men such as Sir Francis Drake
cruised the shores of Spanish
America stealing from ships,
settlements and people –
These men became know as
Privateers
Watch Out! Here Comes the
Armada!
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Eventually Spain, seeking
revenge against England
for attacks on her
colonies dispatched her
huge fleet of ships known
as the Spanish Armada
against England’s fleet
King Philip II felt he had
to destroy the English
fleet to solve the problem
Defeat of the Armada!
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Despite being greatly
outnumbered, the English
fleet was faster and pounded
the huge Galleons with
artillery before they could get
close enough to board the
smaller vessels
Having been badly damaged
in the battle the fleet was
forced up through the English
Channel into the North Sea
where a fierce storm further
crippled the fleet
In a single battle, Spain lost
almost all of her naval forces
and the English way to the
Americas was clear
Mercantilism
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Beginning in the 1600s, many of the European
nations, including England started to follow a
theory of national economic policy called
‘mercantilism’
This theory believed that a state’s power
depended on its wealth
For this reason, colonies became increasingly
important to the European Powers
Colonies provided raw materials and provided
markets for manufactured goods from the
parents country
French Presence In America
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1608 Samuel de Champlain founded
Quebec City
1682 Robert de La Salle followed
Mississippi River to Gulf Of Mexico and
claimed the land for France calling it
Louisiana
French gov’t disinterested in N. American
colonies preferring Caribbean sugar col.
The Dutch In America
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1609 Henry Hudson sailed for the Dutch
and set up a trading post on Manhattan
Island calling it New Amsterdam
Profitable trade in furs took place, but
poor leadership and weak gov’t lead to
England taking over in 1664