Transcript File

The Atlantic World
1492 – 1800
Overview
 Starting in 1492, Spain builds a large
empire in the Americas
 The Dutch, English, and French fight for
control of North America
 Contact between the Old World and New
produced an exchange of ideas
 What’s this known as??
Europeans Explore the
East
 Motivations for exploration
 God
 Desire to spread Christianity
 Glory
 Gold
 Seeking new trade routes
 Technology makes exploration possible
 Shipbuilders designed a new vessel – the caravel
 Astrolabe
 Compass
Prince Henry
 Son of Portugal’s
king
 Supporter of
exploration
 Wanted gold and
other treasures and
spread Christianity
 Founded the
navigation school
Vasco da Gama
 Portuguese explorer
 In 1497, began
exploring the east
African Coast
 In 1498, he reached
India
 First explorer to leave
Europe and directly
sail to India
Spain builds an empire
 1492, Christopher
Columbus sailed to
America
 Intended to reach
Asia
 Claimed land for
Spain
 Sent another voyage
to form colonies
Spain builds an empire
 1501, Amerigo Vespucci explored
eastern coast of South America
 Discovered that these lands were not Asia
but a new world
 Soon afterwards, a mapmaker showed the
lands as a separate continent
 Named America after Vespucci
Spain builds an empire
 Ferdinand Magellan
 Sailed completely around the world
 Died halfway around but a few members of
his crew survived
 Returned to Spain after almost three years of
sailing
English Exploration
 James Cook
 mapped the Pacific, New Zealand and
Australia
 in 1770, discovered and charted New
Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of
Australia on his ship Endeavor
 provided the first accurate map of the Pacific
 died in a skirmish with islanders in Hawaii,
on February 14, 1779.
Cook’s Voyages
French Exploration
Samuel de Champlain
“Father of New France”
 Sailed as far as
Quebec in 1608
 Explored much of
northeast Canada:
St. Lawrence River,
Niagara Falls
 Founded Quebec, a fur
trading post
Columbian Exchange
 Constant movement of people form Europe
and Africa to the Americas
 Large scale mixing of people and culture
Columbian Exchange
 Food
 Corn and potatoes taken to Europe
 Bananas, black-eyed peas
 Animals
 Cattles, pigs, and horses were brought to Americas
 New businesses
 Rise of capitalism
 Based on private ownership
 Joint-stock companies
 Investors pooled their money to start a new business and
share in profits
Columbian Exchange
 New Businesses
 Mercantilism
 Country’s wealth depended on its wealth
 Getting more gold and silver increased wealth
 Selling more goods would also increase wealth