Transcript European Explorers

European Explorers
SS4H2- The student will describe European exploration in North America.
a. Describe the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of the
Spanish, French, and English explorations of John Cabot, Vasco Nunez
Balboa, Juan Ponce de Leon, Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, and
Jacques Cartier.
b. Describe examples of cooperation and conflict between Europeans and
Native Americans
What started it all:
Because of explorations to Asia (Marco Polo),
Europeans wanted more Asian goods such as
silks, spices, and perfumes.
• The land route to Asia required passage
through the Middle East, and at the time, the
Arabians would not let them pass. Instead, the
Arabians sold Asian goods at high prices.
Click on the globe to view a map:
• Europeans decided to find their own route to
eastern Asia (or “the Indies”), so they could
purchase the goods for cheaper prices.
• So…
Europeans find another way…
• Europeans believed
that sailing would be
quicker than by land,
and the ships would in
turn carry more goods.
The only known way:
Around Africa!
Portugal led the way with
Vasco Da Gama sailing
around the Cape of Good
Hope, the most southern tip
of Africa.
To Asia
How did they do it?
• Not only were silks and spices
brought back from Asia, but
technology was too. The
compass was a tool that
helped navigate through the
seas. Out of sight from land,
navigators had to make a
calculated guess, which they
called dead reckoning.
The Dead Reckoning
Sounds like something from this:
But… the dead reckoning was a
strategy used to estimate the
position of the ship in the middle
of the ocean using:
The direction the ship was traveling
The travel time
The speed
Check out this website for more info: (Navigation)
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/TudorExploration/NMMFLASH/index.htm
Christopher Columbus
Feeling more confident and
bold with the help
navigational tools,
Christopher Columbus
believed he could reach Asia
faster by sailing west
instead of around Africa. He
thought he would sail
straight into the Indies.
One Problem… The $$$!
• The Italian Christopher Columbus went to
the King of Portugal with his idea and
was rejected.
• He then went next door to Spain. After a
few attempts of trying to convince King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, The
Spanish monarchs (mainly Queen
Isabella) finally agreed to fund/sponsor
Columbus’s trip out west.
• In 1492, Columbus set sail due West!
Do you know the names of the
ships that Columbus used for
his first voyage?
• The Nina
• The Pinta
• The Santa Maria
The Results:
On October 12, 1492, after
sailing 33 days, Christopher
Columbus arrived in the
“Indies”, but actually he was
in the Bahamas. Since being
sponsored by Spain, he
claimed the island for the
country and called it San
Salvador. He truly believed
that he found the western
route to Asia/Indies, that he
even called the native people
Click on the Map to enlarge:
there… Indians.
Land!
European Reaction
• After the discovery of the “short
cut” to Asia, others followed
behind.
• It wasn’t until later that
Europeans found out the land was
new territory. After the fact was
known, countries (Portugal, Spain,
France, England, and others)
started to send fleets out west to
claim as much land as possible.
Most wanted to find gold, others
glory, and some, Christianity.
John Cabot
• Like Spain,
England wanted
to trade with the
Indies. In 1497,
England’s King
Henry hired the
Italian explorer,
Giovanni Caboto,
to find a quicker
way.
Cabot Continued:
• Instead of sailing southwest like
Columbus, Giovanni decided to sail
northwest to find a passageway to Asia.
Bad weather, food shortages, and
conflicts with his crew forced Cabot to
turn back. The second trip, he found new
land and called it Newfoundland which he
claimed for England. He returned to
England as hero and was called by his
English name, John Cabot.
Click on the Map to enlarge:
Vasco Nunez Balboa
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
(1475-1519) was a
Spanish conquistador
and explorer who was
the first European to see
the eastern part of the
Pacific Ocean (1513),
crossing the Isthmus of
Panama.
It wasn’t easy…
• Balboa was born in western Spain in 1475
and sailed for America in 1500. He began
a plantation on the island of Hispaniola
(Cuba) in the West Indies, but he soon
fell into debt. After receiving money from
Spain, he sailed to region known as
Darién, in what is now Panama.
Balboa
• Soon after settling, he set out to conquer
nearby territory. Balboa used brutal
tactics to defeat the Native Americans
living on neighboring lands. He heard
from the natives that an ocean existed
on the other side.
• He set out to cross the Isthmus of
Panama—the narrow strip of land
joining Central and South
America. Balboa and his party cut
their way through dense jungle
and climbed across mountains.
When they reached the top of the
last range they saw before them a
vast expanse of sea. The body of
water they discovered was the
Pacific Ocean. Balboa called it the
South Sea.
Juan Ponce de Leon
• A Spanish explorer of the New World,
Juan Ponce de León explored the island of
Puerto Rico and went on to discover the
land that is now Florida.
• He is also famous
for his search
for the mythical
Fountain of
Youth.
The Fountain of Youth
• Local Native Americans told stories of a
magical fountain that gave powers of
everlasting life to anyone who drank its
water.
• Ponce de Leon wanted to find this
fountain, and in turn found Florida
(Flower in Spanish).
• Conflict between the natives and himself
ultimately caused his demise... He died
from the result of a brutal attack in
Florida.
Jacques Cartier
In 1534, the King of
France, François I, sent
Cartier to "discover
certain islands and
lands where it is said
there is a large amount
of gold and other riches
to be found.“
Sailing near John
Cabot’s mapped routes,
Jacques Cartier landed
in present day Canada.
Cartier’s Routes
Cartier explored the St. Lawrence River and
followed it until rapids laid in the way. Along the
exploration, he traded with the Native Americans
and established relationships with them. The
harsh winters forced him to go back to France,
where in turn, Cartier returned 2 more times. The
friendship between the Natives dissolved once he
kidnapped the chief and other Native Americans.
Click on the Map to enlarge:
Quest for the Northwest Passage
By this time, Europeans knew they found
a new continent, but they were
determined to find a faster way to Asia.
Spanish and Portuguese explorers
found out that sailing south led to
another continent (South America) and
claimed the land and routes. Other
countries still thought there was a
shortcut,
a Northwest Passage…
Going North…
• Henry Hudson was an
English explorer hired
by the Dutch East
India Company.
• He wanted to find the
Northwest Passage,
sailing far North into
the Arctic to find a
waterway to Asia.
Problems…
• The combination of the extreme cold and
other excruciating conditions were so
horrible that the crew threatened mutiny
unless Hudson agreed to sail southward.
• Sailing south, Hudson and his crew found
the Hudson River (New York) by chance
and claimed it for Holland.
Hudson
• Click on the map for
video clip:
• Henry Hudson continued to find the
Northwest Passage. Hudson managed to
make his crew miserable. In 1611, the
crew put him and his son on a small boat
near Newfoundland and cast them off…
They were never seen again.
Explorer Wrap-up:
• Why did Explorers go West?
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To find a shortcut to Asia
Gold and riches
To claim land
To spread Christianity
• What obstacles did Explorers endure?
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Dangerous uncharted waters
Lack of food and water
Poor Maps and navigational tools
Discouraged crew members
Weather