EXPLORATION, DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT

1492-1700

“Thus, out of small beginnings greater things have been produced…so as one small candle

may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many…”

Europe Moves to Expansion

Improvements in Technology The Renaissance led to an

explosion of new technology that made distance travel an option

Religious Conflict The Catholic Church took

hold in Spain and began an aggressive exporting

The Protestant Revolt in North Europe led pilgrims to seek freedom of worship

Each group wanted its own Christianity to be dominant

Expanding Trade This provides an

economic motive for expansion

The land route to Asia had been made dangerous by the emergence of the Ottoman Turks

Developing States These nations that

developed began to gather the vast resources needed to finance the trips of exploration

Columbus

As we know, Columbus did not “discover” America

Columbus did have a great impact on the world

His legacy is the opening of the “new world” to trade and exploitation by Europeans.

Spain and Portugal were the pre-eminent naval powers of the time

They felt a right and a duty to spread Catholicism to the new world and to exploit its resources

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Early English Settlement

Early Problems in Jamestown:DiseaseSwampy landIndian attacksPoor leadership and focus

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Jamestown

How did it survive?John SmithTobaccoThe colony of Virginia came under control of

the British monarchy as the Virginia Company went bankrupt

The Puritans

The Plymouth ColonyThe Puritans wanted to

remove all vestiges of Catholicism from the Anglican Church (Church of England)

The Pilgrims established the Plymouth colony as a place to practice the Puritan religion

They were NOT tolerant of other religions!!

In a view of things to come in New England, fish, fur and lumber become economic staples

Massachusetts Bay Colony In 1629 a new group of

Puritans gained a royal charter for a new colony

Just one year later, a wave of new Puritan immigrants, including John Winthrop, came to the New World

This was known as the Great Migration

Most were seeking freedom or fleeing the civil war in England

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The Baby Steps to Democracy!!

Early Political InstitutionsMajority Rule

Took the form of the Mayflower CompactRepresentative Government at Jamestown

The establishment of the House of Burgesses

Representative Government in Massachusetts Members of the Puritan Church The town hall meeting

Limited Democracy: Only white male landowners were generally

allowed to participate in the political process

Native Americans

Spanish Policies:Conquest, disease and conversionA class system developed w/ the Spanish at the

topEnglish Policies:Initially, trade and coexistenceEnglish had limited respect for the N.A. cultureFrench Policies:The French generally supported the Native

populations in the NorthThis was to maintain control of the fur trade