Download European Exploration and Colonization of North America

European Exploration and
Colonization of North America
The Old World Meets the New World
First Contact


The term First Contact literally describes the first contact
between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of North
America
◦ First Contact happened at different times in different places,
took a variety of forms, and forever changed the lives of the
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
 In some cases neither Europeans nor Natives were sure the
other was human
◦ It is estimated that somewhere between 50%-90% of Natives
died as a result of this contact (disease being the primary
cause). 50-90%!!!!!!!!!
The legacy of First Contact dramatically alters the histories of
the Americas, Europe, and the entire World
Examples from Canadian
History
 The Vikings
and First Nations in
Vinland around 1000 CE,
 John Cabot and the Beothuk in 1497
 Jacques Cartier and the Mi'kmaq in
1534
 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the
Kitlinermiut (Copper Inuit) and
Netsilingmiut (Netsilik Inuit) in 1915
Who were the Frist Europeans to
Reach the New World?

The Vikings…
◦ In 986 CE, Bjarni Herjolfsson, while sailing to Greenland
from Iceland, was blown off course by a storm and
reported seeing land that was not Greenland.
◦ Years later, Leif Ericson, followed Herjolfsson's route.
 Noting an abundance of trees as he passed by what is now Labrador,
he named the area Markland (forest land).
 Eventually, he landed on Newfoundland and called the region Vinland
(wine land) after he discovered what he thought were vines and
grapes
 The Vikings settled the area for approximately 3 years
 Ericson established what is believed to be the first European settlement in
North America: L’ Anse aux Meadows

Sagas tell us information about their voyages

Statue of Leif Ericson in Greenland
Contact with Indigenous Peoples
There is evidence of trade, but also hostile
confrontations
 It is thought that the Vikings who had a tradition of
raiding settlements in Europe and were not strangers to
violence, killed a number of Natives and were eventually
forced to leave due to retaliatory attacks on their
settlement
 This marked the end of the first period of European
contact (~1000 CE)

◦ It was brief and not sustained

It would be approximately another 500 years before the
next contact between the Old World and the New
•Leif Ericsson discovered Helluland,
Markland, and Vinland
•In 1960 the L’anse aux
Meadows site was
discovered
•The only authentic
Viking settlement in
the New World.
•Many artifacts were discovered at this
settlement including buildings, nails, chunks
of iron, & charcoal
The Next Wave of
Exploration…
1.
2.
3.

Who was next?
What did he “discover”?
Who did he claim the land for?
Columbus Song
From the 1400s to the 1700s, Europe experienced
an “Age of Exploration”
The Renaissance encouraged
curiosity & a desire for trade
Motivations:
Why did Europeans want to explore?
As a result of exploration, European
nations grew powerful & spread their
influence throughout the world
Motives for European
Exploration
1. God, Glory & Gold!
2. Crusades  raised interest in Asia.
3. Renaissance  curiosity about other
lands and peoples.
4. Reformation  refugees & missionaries.
5. Monarchs seeking new sources of
revenue. (competition between them)
6. Technological advances.
7. Fame and fortune. (The rise of banks
and commercial ventures)
God
European Christians, especially Catholics,
wanted to stop the spread of Islam &
convert non-Christians to the faith
Explorers were encouraged to
spread Christianity or bring
missionaries who would focus
only on conversions
Glory
Kings who
voyages
of exploration
Thesponsored
Renaissance
inspired
new
gained
overseas colonies,
new
sources of
possibilities
for power
& prestige
wealth for their nation, & increased power
Exploration presented Europeans
the opportunity to rise from poverty
and gain fame, fortune, & status
began
looking for
quick,
direct
Gold
(MGoldoney)
A Merchants
desire
for
new
sources
of
wealth
was
the
trade routes to Asia to avoid Muslim & Italian
main reason
for European
merchants
& increase
profits exploration
The Crusades & Renaissance
stimulated European desires
for exotic Asian luxury goods
Also, other historical events were at
play…
•In the mid 1450s, overland trade routes
connecting Europe with Asia were severed
•This occurred when Muslim Turks
conquered the city of Constantinople
•European monarchs imported a wide variety
of goods from Asia including spices, silks, tea,
gold & silver
•In desperation, they began to finance
expeditions to find an western ocean passage
from Europe to Asia
Trade routes to Asia
European/Asian trade routes were
closed in the mid 1400s when
Constantinople was conquered
Means:
The Age of Exploration
How were explorers able to sail
so far & make it back again?
Before the Renaissance, sailors did not have the
technology to sail very far from Europe & return
Navigation
Trade & cultural diffusion during the Renaissance
introduced new navigation techniques to Europeans
Astrolabe
Maps
usedwere
starsmore accurate and
Magnetic compass
made
to show direction
used longitude & latitude
sailing more accurate
European shipbuilders built a better ship;
The caravel was a strong ship that could travel
in the open seas & in shallow water
Caravels had
triangular lateen
sails that allowed
ships to sail
against the wind
Cannons & rifles
gave ships protection
A moveable
rudder made the
caravel more
maneuverable
WhoAge
wereofthe
explorers, where did they go,
The
Exploration
& how did they change world history?
Europeans were not the first to explore
the oceans in search of new trade routes
Islamic merchants explored the Indian Ocean
& had dominated the Asian spice trade for
centuries before European exploration
Early Exploration
From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He led the
Chinese treasure fleet on
7 expeditions to SE Asia, India, &
Africa during the Ming Dynasty
But in the late 1400s, the European sailors did
what neither Muslim nor Chinese explorers could:
Begin global (not regional) exploration &
create colonies to increase their wealth & power
In Portugal, Prince Henry
the Navigator started a
school of navigation to train
sailors
He brought in Europe’s
best map-makers, shipbuilders, & sailing
instructors
He wanted to
discover new
territories, find
a quick trade
route to Asia,
& expand
Portugal’s
power
Portugal was the
early leader in the
Age of Exploration
Prince Henry, the
Navigator
School for Navigation, 1419
Prince Henry’s navigation school & willingness
to fund voyages led the Portuguese to be the 1st
to explore the west coast of Africa
Vasco da Gama was
the 1st explorer to
find a direct trade
route to Asia by
going around Africa
to get to India
Portugal gained a
sea route to Asia
that brought them
great wealth
During the Age of
Exploration, Portugal
created colonies along the
African coast, in Brazil, &
the Spice Islands in Asia
The Spanish government
saw Portugal’s wealth &
did not want to be left out
More than any other
European monarch,
Ferdinand & Isabella
of Spain sponsored &
supported overseas
expeditions
Christopher
Columbus[1451-1506]
Columbus’ Significance
Columbus ushered in a new era of
European exploration and domination in
the world!
 Columbus was also the first of many
Europeans to horribly mistreat the
Indigenous populations of the Americas

Like most educated men of
the Renaissance, Columbus
believed the world was
round & thought he could
reach Asia by sailing west
He made 4 trips to
“India” never knowing
he was in “America”
Columbus reached the
Bahamas in the
Americas but thought
that he had reached
islands off the coast of
India
Columbus’ Four Voyages
Despite the fact that
Magellan became the
Columbus never found
first explorer to
Asia, Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigate the Earth
still thought he could
(go all the way around)
reach Asia by sailing West
The Northwest Passage

After becoming aware of North America's
existence, Europeans looked for the
Northwest Passage, a route around
North America through the Arctic Ocean
John Cabot and the Northwest
Passage
After hearing about Columbus's voyages,
England commissioned Italian navigator
Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) to find the
Northwest Passage.
 In 1497, reached Newfoundland, raised a
cross and England's banner and claimed the
land for England, believing he was in Asia
 Cabot reported waters full of codfish
 Soon many European nations were
seasonally fishing in NA

Subsequent Exploration of the
Northwest Passage
A route to Asia was still desired by many
European countries,
 Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, and England,
sent hundreds of adventurers to find the
Northwest Passage
 British explorers who looked for the
Northwest Passage included:

◦ Sir Martin Frobisher (1576, 1577, 1578
expeditions)
◦ John Davis (1585, 1586, 1587 expeditions)
◦ Sir John Franklin (1845-1847)
Henry Hudson’s Voyage






The best-known northern mariner was Henry Hudson.
In 1610, he ventured into a strait that would one day be
named in his honour
He then sailed southward into a wide expanse of water
that he supposed to be the Northwest Passage to Asia.
The water proved to be an inland sea (Hudson Bay)
After spending a winter in the Bay, his crew mutinied
and the captain and his close associates were set adrift
in the ship's small rowboat.
Four mutineers survived to tell the story in England, but
Hudson's party was never heard from again.
The Colonization of the Americas
 WHY?
◦ Abundant Natural Resources
◦ The Economic system of Mercantilism
◦ Competition between European
Nations
◦ Religion
Abundant Natural Resources
As explorers reached the Americas,
European countries began to realize the
riches these lands possessed.
 As the Spanish harvested an abundance of
rich minerals, the French and British
increased their efforts to explore, settle,
and exploit natural resources in the NA
 Competition became more intense and
these nation began to colonize the New
World to deter their European competitors

Mercantilism





A popular economic theory in Europe at this time
was mercantilism.
Mercantilism is the belief that a country could
accumulate wealth by exporting more goods than it
imported.
A steady supply of raw materials was needed for
this to work
Countries created empires to secure these raw
materials
Mercantilism spurred further exploration, and
European settlement of NA
◦ Colonies not only secured raw materials, but also
created markets for finished goods
Competition Between Countries
This was an era of intense rivalry for power
among European countries.
 Colonialism, the control and exploitation
of a territory through settlement, increased
power of European nations

◦ In North America, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and
France competed to colonize the most
territory.
The Religious Impulse to Colonize



Many religious groups believed it was their
duty to spread the Christian faith to unknown
cultures in the New World
Religious groups believed that they were
“saving” these people and completely ignored
their rich spiritual traditions
The potential for religious converts prompted
religious leaders(primarily the ultra wealthy
Catholic Church) to fund exploration and
colonization
During the
Age of Exploration,
Spain created colonies in
North & South America
Spain sent explorers called conquistadors
to the New World to find gold, claim land,
& spread Christianity
Cortez
conquered
the Aztecs
Pizarro
conquered
Thethe
influx
Incaof gold from
America made Spain the
most powerful country
in Europe during the
early years of the
Age of Exploration
England, France, & the Netherlands became involved
in overseas exploration & colonization as well
Other Voyages of
Exploration
After failing to do so,
Champlain founded the
French colony of Quebec
The
French
explorer
Samuel
de
Champlain
Thesearched
French would
soon
carve
out
a
large
colony
along
Canada
for
a
northwest
passage
to
Asia
the Mississippi River from Canada to New Orleans
Unlike other
European nations
whose kings paid
for colonies, the
English colonies
were paid for
by citizens who
formed joint-stock
companies
English colonies
formed along the
Atlantic Coast of
North America by
colonists motivated
either by religion
or wealth
Early Explorers and Aboriginal
Knowledge
European explorers in NA quickly realized they needed
help First Nations peoples.
◦ First Nations people understood the land
◦ they knew the geography
◦ they had developed trade routes and effective
methods of transportation
◦ they could use resources from the environment
around them to create medicine and to feed and
clothe themselves.
 This knowledge was essential for survival
 Jacques Cartier was one of the first Europeans to realize
this

Jacques Cartier
•Sailing from France, he traveled west to
find gold in the new World & to find a
passage to the Far East
•Made three voyages to the New World
between 1534-1542
Jacques Cartier
In 1534 Jacques Cartier convinced the French
monarch, Francis I, to fund his expedition to
North America
 Cartier entered Canada through the Gulf of St.
Lawrence., believing it to be a passage through
the North American continent
 During his first voyage, Cartier placed a cross
on what is now the Gaspe Peninsula, claiming
the land for the King of France
 Cartier made three voyages to the New World
between 1534-1542

The Doctrine of Terra Nullius

When European explorers sailed to North America, they
claimed their "discovery" for their mother country
◦ despite the fact that First Nations peoples had been living there for
thousands of years.
the fifteenth century European worldview was totally confident
in the superiority of European cultures.
 They also believed in the doctrine of terra nullius.

◦ a Latin expression meaning "land belonging to no one" or territory
over which no country had claimed authority.
Explorers believing that no one owned the land of NA, even
though it was clear that other people were living on the land.
 The European explorers also believed that because First
Nations cultures could not possess the land because they were
not Christian
 This European worldview helps explain why Europeans seized
the lands which they explored

Consider the Following:
Why did the Europeans feel like they
could claim the lands of the Americas?
2. Explain the European worldview in
this era
3. What effect did this worldview have
on Natives in the Americas?
4. Does that worldview still exist today?
i.
Give some examples
1.
Cartier’s First Contact






In 1534, when Cartier met the St. Lawrence River
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), he was introduced to their leader,
Donnacona
Cartier “persuaded” Donnacona to allow his two sons,
Domagaya and Taignoagny, to go back to France with Cartier
◦ The exact manner of persuasion is a bit foggy and was
recorded by the French
In France, they were taught French so that they could be
effective translators
Cartier gained valuable information about the region's
geography from them
Cartier had not discovered a route to Asia, however did report
on the abundant resources of fish, furs, timber, and fertile land
The French administration funded Cartier's second expedition
Cartier’s Second Voyage







In 1535 Cartier travelled further up the St. Lawrence River
He stopped at the First Nations community called Stadacona
(present day Quebec City).
He continued upstream until he reached the large Haudenosaunee
city of Hochelaga (present day Montreal).
That winter, Cartier left Hochelaga too late in the fall and was iced
into the St Lawrence near Stadacona
The French were totally unprepared for an N.A. winter and Cartier
lost twenty-five of his men to scurvy.
Domagaya saved many of the French by showing them how to
prepare a medicinal drink, called annedda, from cedar leaves and
bark.
It is believed the name Canada came from a meeting with Natives
on this second voyage
◦ When the French asked the locals where they were, they replied
“Kanata”, likely referring to that specific area
Cartier’s Second Voyage







Cartier's second voyage in 1535 took him up the St. Lawrence
River
He stopped at the First Nations community called Stadacona
(present day Quebec City)
He continued upstream until he reached the large
Haudenosaunee city of Hochelaga (present day Montreal)
Cartier left Hochelaga too late in the fall and was iced into the
St Lawrence near Stadacona (Donnaconas stronghold)
The French were totally unprepared for a North American
winter and that winter and Cartier lost twenty-five of his men
to scurvy.
The death toll would have been much higher if Domagaya had
not showed the Europeans how to prepare a medicinal drink,
cal
Againled annedda, that combined cedar leaves and bark.
The Effect of First Contact
The First Nations people at Stadacona began to die
from European diseases such as smallpox.
 Indigenous populations had no natural immunity to old
world diseases, and no one had cures in this era
 Relations between the French and the Stadaconians
detyeriorated as more people died,

◦ Yet Cartier still needed they’re help
Before leaving for France, Cartier captured Donnacona,
his two sons, three other leaders, and four children and
took them to France.
 None of the captives ever saw their homeland again,
and all but one died in France before Cartier's return
voyage.
 Cartier's treatment of the Stadaconians proved to be
disastrous for his next voyage to North America…

Cartier’s 3rd and Final Voyage





While being held captive in France, Donnacona spun some very tall
tales about the fictional Kingdom of Saguenay full of gold and riches,
in an attempt to inspire the French to take him home
This helped to prompt the funding for Cartier's final expedition in
1541.
◦ Cartier intended to stay in Canada for some time,
◦ he brought cattle, supplies, and even planted crops upon his arrival.
This third expedition, however, was plagued by scurvy, a formidable
winter and, not surprisingly, a hostile reception from the
Haudenosaunee, who had not forgotten what the French had done in
1535
The Haudenosaunee attacked on the French in retaliation, and
Cartier lost thirty five of his men.
By the next spring, Cartier was forced to return to France, and all
plans for colonization were abandoned.
What is Cartier’s Legacy?
The legacy of historical figures are often
complicated and contentious
 Complete the following chart about Cartier:

Positive Contributions





Negative Contributions





Considered the Following: Legacy
1. Is it fair to apply 21st century Western ethical
standards when viewing historical events?
2. Is it arrogant of us to use hindsight to evaluate
Cartier and other historical figures?
3. Would you have acted differently than the
French in that time and that place?
4. How can we marry our 21st century focus on
human rights with a fair and balanced
evaluation of history?
 This
is complicated, but important
stuff…