Transcript American History - Good Shepherd School

American History
The Early Days part 2
The Europeans Are Coming!
Europe Before Transatlantic
Voyages
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The ideas of
ancient Greece and
Rome flourish in
the Renaissance
and bring the idea
of democracy and
Roman Law back
into focus. Years
of feudalism in the
Middle Ages gave
most few rights.
Crusades and Black Death
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The Crusades
provided an
opportunity for
people from all
over the world to
come together and
share goods and
ideas and was a
great influence on
trade.
Crusades and Black Death
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Trade routes would
open up and towns
would grow into
trading centers. The
Mongols would
become the known
protector of the Silk
Road. These trade
routes could have
been the way the
Black Plague made its
way to devastating
Europe, killing almost
half of the population.
Renaissance
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The Renaissance brought
about a search for
knowledge and a search
for wealth. As cities grew
and encouraged the works
of Michelangelo, DaVinci
and Dante, they were also
becoming rich from trade
and wanted it to expand.
The Medici family were the
best known – rich Italian
merchants so powerful
they provided several of
the popes.
Setting Sail: The Vikings
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The Vikings would be
the first Europeans to
reach North America.
The Vikings had raided
Europe for years and
would under Leif
Erickson would go to
Greenland and onto
the Labrador
peninsula of Canada.
This was in 1000AD.
Other Europeans
would not show up for
several centuries.
Prince Henry is Next
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In the 1400’s,
Portugal under Prince
Henry the Navigator
became a leader in
exploration. Although
Henry never sailed
himself, he built a
school and
observatory and
trained explorers and
even financed
voyages.
Riches in Asia
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Reasons to Explore the World
Desire for Asian spices and other
goods, if a route could be found their
they could deal direct.
Christians in Europe wanted to
convert more to the faith.
Marco Polo spurred and interest in
Asian culture.
Technological Advances
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Many advances helped
sailing. The magnetic
compass and
astrolabe helped
navigation and
building ships that
were lighter and
easier to steer and
caravel sails that
allowed ships to sail
into the wind were all
big advances.
Early Sea Routes to Asia
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Portuguese sailors
Dias would go to the
tip of Africa and da
Gama who would go
around the tip to India
were the first to
attempt. Da Gama
was shocked when
Muslim traders spoke
to him in Portuguese –
how’d that happen?
Results of Exploration
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This start would
mark Portugal for
major impact in
other European
nations seeing the
wealth coming
from trade and the
beginning of
transatlantic slave
trade.
Slave Trade Starts
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Portuguese sailors
would trade for gold,
ivory and slaves.
They would send the
slaves to the islands
of the Atlantic. Slaves
would be captured by
other Africans and
turned over to the
Portuguese. It would
devastate interior
Africa by increasing
warfare and breaking
up many families.
African Slave Trade
Europeans Reach the Americas
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Christopher
Columbus, an Italian
explorer will have King
Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella of Spain
eager to pay for his
transatlantic voyage
in hopes of parlaying
their investment into
great wealth. A good
bet!
Landing and Meeting the Natives
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It was a rough
journey, but in
October of 1492,
Columbus and his
crew would land on a
small island in the
Bahamas – thus
making it to the New
World. He would also
visit Hispaniola on this
trip and meet up with
the Natives there, the
Tainos. Believing he
was in Asia, he called
these natives, Indians.
First Relations
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The Tainos lived a
simple life of farming.
Columbus would write
of how generous they
were. Columbus and
his crew were not
interested in Taino
culture, but gold and
the exotic plants and
animals, which they
brought back to
Spain.
Final notes on Columbus
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Columbus would
make three more
trips to the
Americas,
returning to Spain
for good in 1504 in
poor health. He
would believe he
had been in Asia
for the rest of his
life.
Impact of Columbus Voyages
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Columbus’s voyages
changed the way
Europeans saw the
world, brought about
intensified rivalries.
Pope Alexander VI
would decree a line of
Demarcation dividing
the Atlantic between
Spain and Portugal.
To avoid war they
would agree to Treaty
of Tordesillas – 800
miles farther west –
great idea Portugal.
Other Explorers
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Vespucci will chart the North American coast.
Balboa will go farther west and be the first
European to touch the Pacific,
Magellan will be credited with being the first to
circumnavigate the globe although, he was killed
but his crew did finish.
The Greatest early accomplishment would be the
trade of goods between Europe, Africa and the
New World known as the Columbian Exchange.
The French, Dutch and English will soon follow
with their own explorers – but that is for another
time.
Columbian Exchange
Stay tuned next time for …
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Empires and Settlements
American History
The Early Days part 3
Empire Building in the New
World
Conquest of the Aztecs

The Aztecs and mighty
Montezuma would see
the Spanish first as
Gods or messengers
of a God and made it
easy for the Spanish
to take over. They
destroyed Tenochtitlan
and killed Montezuma.
Small pox and
overwork would take
care of the rest.
Conquest of the Inca
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Pizarro would do the
same thing to the
Incas. He and 400
men brought down
the entire Inca Empire
and killed its leaders
with the help of other
natives. The
motivation for both
conquests – gold and
riches … and maybe to
convert the natives.
Spanish Settlements
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Spanish settlements had several specific
items as part of its set up.
Non Christians not allowed in New Spain
New Spain was ruled through Royal
office with Viceroyalty at top.
They built Missions for the Church,
Presidios to protect the region, Pueblos
as government/trading centers and
finally towns.
The largest and most central building in
each settlement was the church.
Checking out the Borders
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In the Southeast, Ponce de
Leon landed in Puerto Rico
and would famously
discover Florida and search
for the Fountain of Youth.
20 years later, DeSoto
would explore the Gulf
Coast region and then
move up the Atlantic Coast
of Georgia and the
Carolinas. He would
discover the Mississippi
River and the Oklahoma
territory in 1541 before his
death a year later.
Checking out the Borders
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Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and his
group would go from Florida around
the Gulf Coast to the American
Southwest. The group would
become shipwrecked on Galveston
Island almost wiping the entire party
out (Only de Vaca and 3 others
survived). Luckily, the survivors
were captured by the natives and
enslaved. Wait???
Checking out the Borders
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After 6 years, they
escaped and walked
on foot throughout the
southwest, receiving
help from other native
groups as they
traveled. De Vaca
would return to Spain
and become an
advocate for better
treatment of Natives.
Checking out the Borders
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De Vaca would also
write a book of his
adventures and
stories of rumors of
the great riches that
could be found in
North America –
Eldorado, if you will.
This inspired many
other explorers such
as Coronado to search
the region for the 7
cities of Gold.
Riches
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From 1503 to
1660, Spanish
ships loaded with
gold, silver and
other riches would
travel between
Spain and the New
World. However,
somebody would
have to pay a price
Woe to the Native
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The Spanish government would set up the
system called encomienda that allowed
Spanish settlers to tax the Natives and
force them to work. In return, they would
protect the Natives and convert them to
Christianity …. If they didn’t die first.
Natives were treated as slaves,
overworked, treated cruelly and along with
disease, killed most of them off. However,
the large plantations did provide huge
profits to the owners.
Spanish Plantation
Role of the Catholic Church
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The Church played a
major role in the
interaction between
Natives and the
Spanish. They were
commissioned to
convert the Natives.
A priest by the name
of Las Casas would try
to use kindness, love
and gentleness as
methods to
conversion. Although
agreed to by Spanish
monarchs, few
followed this lead.
Changes in Europe: Reformation
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The Protestant
Reformation would
split Europe into
Catholic and
Protestant regions.
These regions had
a healthy rivalry
that would spread
to the race for
Empire building.
Spain V. England
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Spain’s King Philip II
would lead a
Reformation against
the Protestants. This
would culminate in the
battle between
England and the
Spanish Armada. A
smaller and quicker
English Navy will
shock the world be
defeating the mighty
Armada.
Search for the Northwest Passage
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The Northwest
Passage was rumored
to be a quicker way
through the New
World to the Indies
and all of Europe
would search for it
and find things along
the way. John Cabot
would sail for England
and although he left
little records of his
voyages, they were
the basis for later
voyages.
Northwest Passage
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Verrazano would
travel the Atlantic
Coast from the
Carolinas to Maine.
Cartier would sail
for France twice
and go down the
St. Lawrence and
claim the areas of
Quebec and
Montreal for France
Northwest Passage
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The Dutch would
send Henry Hudson
who would sail into
northern Canada
and find Hudson
Bay – although in
his 2nd trip for
England. None of
the Explorers
would find the
Northwest Passage
English Presence
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In the late 1500’s,
England decided to set
up shop permanently
on North America. Sir
Walter Raleigh was
given a charter and
sent an expedition
that landed in present
day Virginia and North
Carolina. He named
the area Virginia.
English Presence II
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The next
expedition would
land at Roanoke
Island. This colony
has lots of issues
that we will
examine next week
in our video The
Lost Colony. A lot
was learned from
this effort.
French Presence
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The French would
come to the New
World in two areas.
Huguenots built
settlements in Florida
in 1564. The Spanish
would come along and
destroy these
settlements and drive
them out. I guess
nobody liked the
Huguenots!
Canada
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Samuel de Champlain
began to explore
North America and
opened up much of
the region along the
St. Lawrence River.
Many Frenchmen
would come to hunt,
trap and fish in the
region. Missionaries
would also move into
the area.
French Presence: Interior
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Marquette and
Joliet would
explore and find
the Mississippi
River and follow as
far as Arkansas.
La Salle would
later follow the
Mississippi to the
Gulf of Mexico.
French Forts
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The French would
build forts to protect
their interests, trading
posts to take care of
business and
developed good
relations with the
Natives as they traded
fairly, lived amongst
them and even
intermarried – my
family is an example.
Dutch Presence
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The Dutch would come and
claim the area between the
Delaware and Hudson
Rivers, naming the land
New Netherlands. The
story of Peter Minuit
buying Manhattan Island
from the Natives for $24 is
part of this. The Dutch
allowed members of all
religions to settle there.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=EB6VGKccul8
Swedish Presence
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Peter Minuit would
also help form New
Sweden along the
Delaware River. Fort
Christina was
established in 1638.
The colony was small,
but the Dutch felt
threatened, so they
took it in battle. They
did however allow the
Swedes to stay.
Portuguese Presence
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Yeah … not really.
Remember the
Treaty of
Tordesillas?
Portugal will have
Brazil and an island
or two, but not be
a major player in
things to come –
they will even give
up Brazil in the end
The Russians
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We often forget about
the presence of
Mother Russia in the
New World. From
early times they had
colonies in Alaska and
along the Pacific coast
almost to Washington.
They mined and
trapped and formed
communities like Sitka
in Southern Alaska.
Stay Tuned Nest Time For …
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Africans Come to the Americas