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AP/DC U.S. History – Lecture #1
New World Beginnings
Early North Americans
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35,000 years ago, an ice age created a land bridge between what is now Eurasia and
North America.
This allowed immigration between the two continents to take place thus causing the
peopling of the Americas.
Those early cultures that settled North America developed as adaptations to their local
natural environments.
Europeans Enter Africa
• Marco Polo’s stories of the treasures of the East helped to spur a desire to sail to the East
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Indies.
Christian Crusaders also brought back stories of silks, drugs and riches.
Traveling to Asia is expensive and dangerous, so a new route is needed.
Europeans want more profit, cheaper goods and the chance to take business away from
the Muslim merchants.
Advancements in sailing such as the caravel and astrolabe made sailing easier, but still
expensive.
Slavery existed in Africa prior to European arrival; however, the Portuguese began the
slave trade in Europe.
Spain then united and expelled the Muslim Moors creating an opening for exploration.
Columbus (1492)
• Before Columbus ever sailed, the Norse (Vikings) had landed in North America around
1000 A.D.
• He landed on an island in the Bahamas, Oct. 12, 1492 and mistakenly believes he has
discovered the East Indies and mistakenly calls its inhabitants, the Taino people, Indians.
He believes that they will be good and intelligent servants. He also brutalized the Taino in
his quest for riches.
• His discoveries lead to eventual colonization of the New World by Great Britain, France,
Spain and Portugal.
• At the time of his arrival the population of Native Americans in North America was
approximately 4 million.
Effects of European Colonization
“The Columbian Exchange”
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Tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes and the lowly potatoes, revolutionize the international
economy.
• The staple crop of the New World was corn.
• Today, three-fifths of crops cultivated around the world came from the Americas.
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Slavery spread across both continents of the New World
Domesticated animals such as horses, cattle and swine were introduced to the New World
and affected the Native Americans of the U.S.
Disease and mistreatment by the Spaniards would kill 90% of the Indians within 50 years
after European contact.
Syphilis was introduced to the Old World for the 1st time when Indians transferred the
disease to the Europeans.
One of the most important New World activities became silver mining.
One could say that the most important treasure plundered from the New World
became Indian labor itself.
The New World possessed many valuable things that the Europeans could
take advantage of with their superior weapons.
Conquistadores
• The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) divided Columbus’s discoveries between Spain and
Portugal when the Pope issued the “Line of Demarcation”.
• The result is that Spain received the majority of New Spain and Portugal received what is
now Brazil.
• Early advanced civilizations like the Mayans were expert mathematicians. No one is sure
what led to the downfall of the Mayan culture.
• Native Americans had a disadvantage from the beginning of European contact due to their
lack of unity, modern military technology and their resistance to European disease.
Aztecs
• The warrior Aztecs were superior architects had an accurate calendar and written language
and believed in human sacrifice to honor their gods. They also controlled a huge empire
and redistributed the wealth of those they conquered as well as offering them up as human
sacrifices.
• In a description of the Mexica (Aztec) empire, conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo wrote
about tall buildings and temples, a massive and diverse market place and a tremendous
skill in creating crafts of precious stones, gold, silver and feathers.
• Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztecs of central Mexico (1519) due in large part to the fact
that the Aztec leader, Montezuma believed that Cortes was a god. Cortes was also able to
use thousands of Indian allies who favored the destruction of the Aztec.
Incas
• The Incas of Peru had an intricate system of paved roads and were successful in trade.
• The More advanced civilizations had established large cities, studied math and understood
astronomy by the time the Europeans had arrived.
• Francisco Pizzaro conquers the Incas (1532) by killing their leader Athualpa.
The Encomienda System
• The Spanish begin to enslave the Indians through the Encomienda System.
• The system distributed conquered towns to Spaniards, gave them the right to rule the
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Indians and the land around them, and gave them the right to exact a tribute and labor from
the Indians.
This system grew directly from the assumption on the part of the Spaniards that they were
superior to the Native Americans.
•
New ethnicities such as Mestizo were introduced as a direct result of relations and
intermarriage between the Spanish and Indian populations.
Explorers
Vasco Balboa
- Discovers the Pacific Ocean (the world is larger than believed)
Ferdinand Magellan
- 1st expedition to complete a full circumnavigation of the world(1522).
Juan Ponce DeLeon
– explored Florida looking for the “fountain of youth”.
Hernando De Soto
– discovers the Mississippi River
Settlement of North America
• Juan De Onate – founds New Mexico (1609)
• John Cabot (English) – explores the Northeast U.S.
• Spain also begins a push to settle North America because they are afraid of French and
English intrusions in what they believe to be their land. Missions begin to appear in Texas,
New Mexico, and California by the 1500s.
• Verrazano (French) – explores the eastern seaboard.
• Jacques Cartier (French) – explores the St. Lawrence River
• St. Augustine erected by the Spanish (1565) – oldest continually inhabited settlement in the
U.S.
AP/DC U.S. History – Lecture #1
New World Beginnings
Early North Americans
 ______________ years ago, an ice age created a land bridge between what is now Eurasia
and ___________________.
 This allowed immigration between the two continents to take place thus causing the
____________________________.
 Those early cultures that settled North America developed as adaptations to their local
______________________________.
Europeans Enter Africa
• ________________ stories of the treasures of the East helped to spur a desire to sail to the
__________________.
• Christian Crusaders also brought back stories of _______________________.
• Traveling to Asia is _________________________________, so a new route is needed.
• Europeans want more profit, cheaper goods and the chance to take business away from the
_____________________.
• Advancements in sailing such as the _________________________ made sailing easier, but still
expensive.
• Slavery existed in Africa prior to European arrival; however, the ___________ began the slave
trade in ____________.
• Spain then united and expelled the _________________ creating an opening for exploration.
Columbus (1492)
• Before Columbus ever sailed, the Norse (____________) had landed in North America around
____________________.
• He landed on an island in the ________________________ and mistakenly believes he has
discovered the East Indies and mistakenly calls its inhabitants, the _____________
people,___________. He believes that they will be good and _____________ servants. He also
_____________ the Taino in his quest for riches.
• His discoveries lead to eventual colonization of the New World by Great
_______________________________________________.
• At the time of his arrival the population of Native Americans in North America was approximately
____________________-.
Effects of European Colonization
“The Columbian Exchange”
• Tobacco, maize, beans, _________________________________, revolutionize the
_____________________.
• The staple crop of the New World was __________.
• Today, ______________ of crops cultivated around the world came from the Americas.
• Slavery spread across both continents of the _______________
• Domesticated animals such as ___________________________ were introduced to the New
World and affected the _________________ of the U.S.
• ____________ and mistreatment by the Spaniards would kill ______ of the Indians within
_____________ after European contact.
• ______________ was introduced to the Old World for the 1st time when Indians transferred the
disease to the _________________.
• One of the most important New World activities became ___________ mining.
• One could say that the most important treasure plundered from the New World
became __________________ itself.
* The New World possessed many valuable things that the Europeans could
_____________________________________________________.
Conquistadores
• The ______________________ (1494) divided Columbus’s discoveries between Spain and
Portugal when the Pope issued the “________________”.
•
The result is that Spain received the majority of New Spain and ____________ received what is
now ______________.
• Early advanced civilizations like the ________________ were expert ________________. No one
is sure what led to the downfall of the Mayan culture.
• Native Americans had a disadvantage from the beginning of European contact due to their lack of
unity, ____________________ technology and their resistance to European
____________________.
Aztecs
• The warrior Aztecs were superior ______________ had an accurate _______ and written language
and believed in human sacrifice to _________________. They also controlled a huge empire and
redistributed the wealth of those they ________________ as well as offering them up as
_____________________.
• In a description of the _____________ (Aztec) empire, conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo wrote
about tall buildings and temples, a massive and diverse ________________ and a tremendous skill
in creating crafts of precious stones, ____________________________________.
• ____________________ conquered the Aztecs of central Mexico (1519) due in large part to the
fact that the Aztec leader, ____________ believed that Cortes was a _________. Cortes was also
able to use thousands of Indian __________ who favored the destruction of the Aztec.
Incas
• The Incas of Peru had an intricate system of _____________ and were successful in
_____________.
• The More advanced civilizations had established _________________, studied _______ and
understood _______________ by the time the Europeans had arrived.
• Francisco ______ conquers the Incas (1532) by killing their leader _________.
The Encomienda System
•
•
•
•
The Spanish begin to enslave the Indians through the ___________________.
The system distributed conquered towns to _______________, gave them the right to rule the
Indians and the ________ around them, and gave them the right to exact a
_______________________ from the Indians.
This system grew directly from the assumption on the part of the Spaniards that they were
________________________________.
New ethnicities such as _______________ were introduced as a direct result of relations and
_____________ between the Spanish and Indian populations.
Explorers
____________________
- Discovers the Pacific Ocean (the world is larger than believed)
____________________
- 1st expedition to complete a full circumnavigation of the world(1522).
____________________
– explored Florida looking for the “fountain of youth”.
____________________
– discovers the Mississippi River
Settlement of North America
• _______________________ – founds New Mexico (1609)
• ________________ (English) – explores the Northeast U.S.
• Spain also begins a push to settle North America because they are afraid of _________________
intrusions in what they believe to be their land. Missions begin to appear in
____________________________________ by the 1500s.
• __________________ (French) – explores the eastern seaboard.
• ___________________ (French) – explores the St. Lawrence River
• ______________________ erected by the Spanish (1565) – oldest continually inhabited settlement
in the U.S.