Download New World in the Western Atlantic

New World in the Western Atlantic
Explorations of Columbus
Christopher Columbus
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Born 1451 Genoa, Italy
Went to sea at 14
Moved to Lisbon; married Felipa, daughter of
Bartolomeu Moniz—connections to Prince Henry
the Navigator
Like other educated Europeans, Columbus
believed the earth a sphere; rejected Ptolemy’s
teaching that earth too big to sail
CC set out to prove he could sail to Japan
Moved to Spain; 1492: King Ferdinand & Queen
Isabella finance
Replica of Santa Maria
1st Voyage 1492-1493
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Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
Landed on San Salvador (“Jesus, The
Savior”)
Catapulted Spain past Portugal in race
for sea route to Asia
Columbus’ 1st Voyage
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Pope Alexander VI granted Spanish
claim to New World
Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494
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Line of Demarcation separated Spanish
& Portuguese claims on New World
Portuguese Empire
Spanish Empire
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Columbus made total of 4 voyages to
New World
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CC never gave up on idea of sailing to
East Indies
But he proved it possible to sail to rim of
Atlantic and return to Europe
Exploration
Columbian Exchange
England 1497
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King Henry VII sent
Italian John Cabot;
Searched for
“Northwest
Passage”
Discovered
Newfoundland
Lost at sea on 3rd
voyage
Northwest Passage Routes
Spain 1499
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Spain sent Italian
Amerigo Vespucci
Portugal 1500
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Pedro Álvares
Cabral landed on
Brazilian coast
Germany 1507
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Cartographer
Martin
Waldseemuller
published first map
of North America
Names continent
for Vespucci
Vasco Núñez de Balboa of Spain
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1513 crosses
isthmus of
Panama
Reaches Pacific
Isthmus of Panama
Ferdinand Magellan of Spain
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1519-1522 sets
out to
circumnavigate the
globe
Killed in the
Philippines after
converting a king
and queen to
Christianity
His crew completed
voyage
“Columbian Exchange”
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Spaniards brought Christianity, iron
technology, sailing ships, wheels,
horses, communicable diseases
From New World came corn, potatoes,
pineapples, tobacco, venereal diseases
Spanish Exploration & Conquest
Conquest of Mexico
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Hernan Cortez
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Became the richest & most famous
conquistador
1519 organizes army of 600 in Cuba to
invade Mexico
Utilized interpreter/mistress
Malinali/Marina
Hernan Cortez
Mexica (Aztec)
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Led by Emperor
Montezuma
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Montezuma
believed Cortez the
god Quetzalcoatl &
paid tribute
Spanish Advantages
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Military technology & organization
Military philosophy—destroy the
enemy’s will to fight
Militant & confident Christianity
Cortez’s use of Indian allies
Mexica’s Weaknesses
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Inferior weapons
Undisciplined attacks
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took time to sacrifice
Philosophy of taking captives
Epidemic of smallpox & measles
Hesitant to fight Cortez if he were a god
The Search for Other Mexicos
Francisco Pizarro
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Conquered Incan
Empire in Peru
1523
Pizarro executed
Atahualpa after
receiving his
ransom of gold &
silver fortune
Juan Ponce de Leon
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killed in Florida
1521battle
After his death,
historians claimed
he searched for
“Fountain of
Youth” as cure for
sexual impotence
Hernando de Soto
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explored
Mississippi River
1542
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
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Explored US Southwest 1542
Coronado Expedition
New Spain in the 16th Century
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Spain dominated the New World
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Portugal claimed only Brazil
Spanish monarchy encouraged
plundering of New World
Took “royal fifth”
Encomieda System
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Was supposed to encourage Indians
to convert to Christianity in return for
Indian labor
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Indians subjected to overwork,
mistreatment, & abuse
De Las Casas: “What will the Indians
think about the God of the Christians?…”
Stratified social status system
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Based on parentage
Toll of Spanish Conquest
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By 1560, major Indian civilization
conquered
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leaders overthrown, religion in contempt,
people in forced labor
90% of Indian population wiped out by
European epidemics
dwindling Indian population caused
import of African slaves