The Discovery of the The Discovery of the AmericasAmericas

Explorers and the Age of Explorers and the Age of ExplorationExploration

The Age of Exploration occurred The Age of Exploration occurred from the early 15from the early 15thth to the early 17 to the early 17thth CenturyCentury

European ships traveled around the European ships traveled around the world to search for new trading world to search for new trading routes and partners to feed routes and partners to feed burgeoning capitalism in Europe burgeoning capitalism in Europe

The Age of Exploration was rooted The Age of Exploration was rooted in new technologies and ideas in new technologies and ideas growing out of the Renaissance growing out of the Renaissance including advances in cartography, including advances in cartography, navigation, firepower and navigation, firepower and shipbuilding. shipbuilding.

Much of new exploration was Much of new exploration was rooted in the desire to find a route rooted in the desire to find a route to Asia through the west of Europe. to Asia through the west of Europe.

Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus In 1492, Christopher In 1492, Christopher

Columbus began his Columbus began his exploration of the exploration of the Americas – he became Americas – he became famous when he famous when he discovered a new discovered a new continent and he ignited a continent and he ignited a competition among many competition among many of the other European of the other European nations to find new landsnations to find new lands

Columbus discovered what Columbus discovered what is now known as the San is now known as the San Salvador in the BahamasSalvador in the Bahamas

The Columbian ExchangeThe Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange refers to the movement of refers to the movement of peoples, cultures, peoples, cultures, technologies, plants, technologies, plants, animals, diseases and animals, diseases and other things between other things between Europe and North America Europe and North America in the wake of Columbus’s in the wake of Columbus’s voyagesvoyages

This exchange This exchange fundamentally changed fundamentally changed human life and the human life and the environment in both worldsenvironment in both worlds

The Columbian ExchangeThe Columbian Exchange

Examples of the ExchangeExamples of the Exchange

Potatoes, grown by the Incas, were Potatoes, grown by the Incas, were brought back and introduced to Spain in brought back and introduced to Spain in the early 1500sthe early 1500s

Spain introduced the horse to Spain – Spain introduced the horse to Spain – which assisted the natives in becoming which assisted the natives in becoming more efficient in the huntmore efficient in the hunt

Europeans traded alcohol with the Europeans traded alcohol with the nativesnatives

Europeans also introduced small pox Europeans also introduced small pox and tuberculosisand tuberculosis

Spain and PortugalSpain and Portugal Spain and Portugal were Spain and Portugal were

the major players early the major players early on in the search for new on in the search for new landslands

This drive for new lands This drive for new lands put the two countries in put the two countries in direct competition which direct competition which caused Pope Alexander caused Pope Alexander VI to convince the two VI to convince the two countries to divide any countries to divide any new overseas trading new overseas trading interests between theminterests between them

The Treaty of TordesillasThe Treaty of Tordesillas In 1494, “for the sake of In 1494, “for the sake of

peace and concord” peace and concord” Spain and Portugal Spain and Portugal resolved their resolved their differences in the Treaty differences in the Treaty of Tordesillasof Tordesillas

This Treaty established a This Treaty established a line at 48 degrees west line at 48 degrees west longitude and extended longitude and extended it around the earthit around the earth

Any lands to the west of Any lands to the west of this line belonged to this line belonged to SpainSpain

America gets a name!America gets a name!

In 1499, a Portuguese In 1499, a Portuguese expedition captained by expedition captained by an Italian-born an Italian-born navigator named navigator named Amerigo Vespucci sailed Amerigo Vespucci sailed down the coast of South down the coast of South AmericaAmerica

Vespucci believed that Vespucci believed that this land was a vast new this land was a vast new continent and he continent and he erroneously received erroneously received credit for discovering credit for discovering what German what German mapmakers named mapmakers named “America”“America”

What? Another Ocean?What? Another Ocean?

On expeditions to Panama, On expeditions to Panama, Vasco, Nunez de Balboa Vasco, Nunez de Balboa learned from the native learned from the native peoples of a huge body of peoples of a huge body of water called the “great water called the “great waters”waters”

He led an expedition with He led an expedition with the assistance of the native the assistance of the native peoples and he was the first peoples and he was the first European to set his sights European to set his sights on this great new body of on this great new body of waterwater

To Balboa, the water To Balboa, the water appeared calm and peaceful appeared calm and peaceful so he gave it the name so he gave it the name ‘Pacifica’ (latin) which later ‘Pacifica’ (latin) which later became the became the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean

England vs. Spain!England vs. Spain!

By the 1570s, Queen By the 1570s, Queen Elizabeth I was concerned Elizabeth I was concerned with Spain’s increasingly with Spain’s increasingly global influenceglobal influence

Fearful of an open Fearful of an open confrontation with Spain she confrontation with Spain she gave her unofficial approval gave her unofficial approval to piracy against Spanish to piracy against Spanish ships and settlementsships and settlements

Men such as Sir Francis Men such as Sir Francis Drake cruised the shores of Drake cruised the shores of Spanish America stealing Spanish America stealing from ships, settlements and from ships, settlements and people – These men became people – These men became know as Privateersknow as Privateers

Watch Out! Here Comes the Watch Out! Here Comes the Armada!Armada!

Eventually Spain, Eventually Spain, seeking revenge against seeking revenge against England for attacks on England for attacks on her colonies dispatched her colonies dispatched her huge fleet of ships her huge fleet of ships known as the Spanish known as the Spanish Armada against Armada against England’s fleetEngland’s fleet

King Philip II felt he had King Philip II felt he had to destroy the English to destroy the English fleet to solve the fleet to solve the problemproblem

Defeat of the Armada!Defeat of the Armada! Despite being greatly Despite being greatly

outnumbered, the English fleet outnumbered, the English fleet was faster and pounded the was faster and pounded the huge Galleons with artillery huge Galleons with artillery before they could get close before they could get close enough to board the smaller enough to board the smaller vesselsvessels

Having been badly damaged in Having been badly damaged in the battle the fleet was forced the battle the fleet was forced up through the English Channel up through the English Channel into the North Sea where a into the North Sea where a fierce storm further crippled the fierce storm further crippled the fleetfleet

In a single battle, Spain lost In a single battle, Spain lost almost all of her naval forces almost all of her naval forces and the English way to the and the English way to the Americas was clearAmericas was clear

MercantilismMercantilism

Beginning in the 1600s, many of the Beginning in the 1600s, many of the European nations, including England started European nations, including England started to follow a theory of national economic to follow a theory of national economic policy called ‘mercantilism’policy called ‘mercantilism’

This theory believed that a state’s power This theory believed that a state’s power depended on its wealthdepended on its wealth

For this reason, colonies became For this reason, colonies became increasingly important to the European increasingly important to the European PowersPowers

Colonies provided raw materials and Colonies provided raw materials and provided markets for manufactured goods provided markets for manufactured goods from the parents countryfrom the parents country

French Presence In AmericaFrench Presence In America

1608 Samuel de Champlain founded 1608 Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec CityQuebec City

1682 Robert de La Salle followed 1682 Robert de La Salle followed Mississippi River to Gulf Of Mexico Mississippi River to Gulf Of Mexico and claimed the land for France and claimed the land for France calling it Louisianacalling it Louisiana

French gov’t disinterested in N. French gov’t disinterested in N. American colonies preferring American colonies preferring Caribbean sugar col. Caribbean sugar col.

The Dutch In AmericaThe Dutch In America

1609 Henry Hudson sailed for the 1609 Henry Hudson sailed for the Dutch and set up a trading post on Dutch and set up a trading post on Manhattan Island calling it New Manhattan Island calling it New AmsterdamAmsterdam

Profitable trade in furs took place, Profitable trade in furs took place, but poor leadership and weak gov’t but poor leadership and weak gov’t lead to England taking over in 1664lead to England taking over in 1664