“First Americans & Explorations”

1. It is (uncertain) believed that homo-sapiens (humans)

originated in Central Asia or Africa.

Theory of Human Evolution; Could it be

true? Hey, “Lucy” are you my “cousin?”

Cartoon of Human

Evolution (4:15)

Lucy in the Sky

With Diamonds

(3:10)

Right Here, Right

“Lucy” or also

Australopithecus

afarensis No, I don’t

always look

this good.

Why don’t we know

for sure where the

first “human/s”

lived? Africa… Asia…

Central America…?

Right Here, Right

Now (Fat Boy Slim)

(3:50)

They probably

began to migrate to America during the ice age/s. The

ice age opened a land bridge near the Bering Strait

which was exposed in 30,000 & 11,000 BC or BCE

(Before the Common Era). The land is called “ .”

1.

A Timeline using B.C.E. (B.C.) & C.E. (A.D.)

10,000 B.C.E.--------50 B.C.E.--------0--------50 C.E.-----------2010 C.E. or TODAY

1.

Woolly Mammoth

Video Clip (1min)

1. It is (uncertain) believed that homo-sapiens (humans)

originated in Central Asia or Africa. They probably began to

migrate to America during the ice age/s. The ice age opened a

land bridge near the Bering Strait which was exposed in

30,000 & 11,000 BC or BCE (Before the Common Era). The

land is called “Beringia.” Animal herds crossed this bridge into

North America and the first human Americans followed this

food source (i.e. buffalo or woolly mammoths) arriving in

today’s United States between the years 10,000 & 20,000 BCE. today’s United States between the years 10,000 & 20,000 BCE.

2. Archaeologists study the past using…

A. Radiocarbon dating…

B. camp sites of early human ancestors to develop theory…

C. artifacts such as the “Clovis Point”…

Results… Clovis People (or Paleo-Indians)

Clovis Point

Demonstration

Video Clip

(3:12 min)

Radiocarbon

Demonstration

Video Clip

(6:54 min)

Results… Clovis People (or Paleo-Indians) evolved… they were nomadic hunters of game and gatherers of wild plants.

Clovis Points

are made

from “Flint-

rock” thus we

get… Flintstones

Clip (35 sec)

3. First discoveries of the …

A. Reasons for exploration… LAND + WEALTH = POWER

LAND

W

E

A

L

T

H

+=

B. Norsemen or Vikings in Greenland 985 AD or C.E. (Common Era)-

1. Eric the Red, a Norse navigator, makes a settlement in

Greenland in 985 which led further exploration.

2. Bjarni Herjulfson, in 986 searches for Eric the Red’s

settlement on the coast of Greenland… he drifts off course

& reported a new land mass, most likely today’s Cape Cod

region.

3. Leif Ericsson, son of Eric the Red, discovers Baffin Island,

Newfoundland, and Cape Cod.

Video Clip from

movie The Vikings

(6:36 min)

Valhalla:

Viking

Heaven

Odin:

Chief

Viking

God

Viking Ship

The Scandanvians: Norsemen or Vikings

The Empire of Portugal

The Empire of Spain

The Empire of England

The Empire of France

C. Marco Polo inspired Europeans to go East in an attempt to gain wealth from Asia. A book on Polo’s adventures was published around the year 1299. However, a water route was preferred over taking the land route known as the Silk Road.

Marco Polo

Kublai Khan

Marco Polo

Marco Polo was gone for 24 years visiting Kublai Khan in his

Mongolian Empire; when he returned his book, titled The

Adventures of Marco Polo, became common reading. The spices, silk

and other treasures were sought after by everyone in Europe.

VS.Marco Polo; Silk Road

Prince Henry; Water

Route & his Fleet of

ships…

Sam The Smart

Donkey Video

Clip (1:36)…

He… Ha… although I can’t

carry as much treasure as a

ship… I am very SMART ☺ Q? Which is better to

carry more treasure

back to Europe?

VS.Marco Polo; Silk Road

& his Donkey…

ships…

Q? Is there a quicker route

to India than around Africa?

RESA: New

World

Encountered

(26 min)

D. Portuguese Explorations:

1. Prince Henry establishes navigation school...

2. Bartolomeu Dias discovers Cape of Good Hope in the 1487...

3. Vasco da Gamma sails to India & around the Cape of Good Hope from

1497-1498...

DIAS & da GAMMA

The Cape of Storms; later to be

called the Cape of Good Hope

Lisbon, Portugal

Prince Henry

and his son…

The Astrolabe

E. Spanish Explorations:

1. Christopher Columbus sails West to reach the East. The destination intended was

Asia. Actually arrives in today’s San Salvador 12 October 1492. Voyage began 3

August 1492. On a second voyage, Columbus colonized the area using slave labor...

COLUMBUS

Portuguese

Route to

India

Christopher

Columbus

Hi

Parcells…

it’s me by

the “Nina”

replica…

Columbus proved that one

could sail WEST to reach the

EAST… at least he thought

he had… really he discovered

a new area for Europe.

Columbus

Cartoon (5:36)

Columbus’

Discovery of

Land (3:45)

E. Spanish Explorations Continued…

2. Vasco Nunez Balboa discovers the Isthmus of Panama & gets word of wealthy Indian

tribes when on land viewing the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

3. Hernando Cortez, in 1519, goes to the Mexican coast to setup a trading post.

However, his 11 ships and 500 men end up conquering the Aztec Indians and leader

Montezuma.

4. Francisco Pizarro is sent by Spain to conquer the Incan Indians of South America in

1532.

BalboaRESA: New

Cortez

Pizarro

RESA: New

World

Encountered

(26 min)

5. Central & South America were conquered by the Spanish with the use of gun

powder, cannons, and the horse. These areas were then setup as supply stations,

using slave labor, to gain power for the empire.

6. In 1580 King Philip II, of the united Spain & Portugal, seek reprisal against

England because of “Sea Dogs” like Sir Francis Drake who were robbing Spanish &

Portuguese vessels returning from the New World. As a result the Spanish

Armada attacked England at the English Channel. 8 years later the Spanish Armada

is defeated when attempting to invade England. England and France are left to

battle over the POWER gained from the LAND and WEALTH of the Western

Hemisphere.

Sir Francis Drake

Defeat of the

Spanish

Armada, by

Philippe-

Jacques de

Loutherbourg,

painted in

1797, depicts

the battle of

Gravelines.

Sir Francis

Drake

Cartoon

Song

(1:33)

F. French Exploration:

1. Giovanni Verrazano in 1524 discovers the area of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and

Strait of Belle Isle.

2. Jacques Cartier explores the St. Lawrence Seaway region from 1534-1535.

3. Samuel de Champlain founds the first permanent settlement in Quebec in 1608.

4. Jacque Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1673, while trapping for fur find the Mississippi

River.

RESA: Native American

First Contact (14 min)

5. Sieur de Ia Salle, between the years 1679 & 1682, explores the Great Lakes region and

the entire length of the Mississippi River thru the Gulf of Mexico. He names the new

region “Louisiana”.

Robert Cavalier; also

known as Sieur de la Salle.

G. English and Dutch Exploration:

1. John Cabot finds the Newfoundland in 1497. Then, years later with his son,

Sebastian, he finds the Hudson Straits.

2. Henry Hudson, an English sailor hired by Dutch merchants in 1609, finds the

Hudson River and sailed on it thru to Albany. 50 years later this region of New York,

New Jersey, Delaware, & Connecticut became the Dutch controlled area of the New

Netherlands.

What

Hudson

would

have seen?

(1:36)

Create a Timeline?

985 AD 1487-90’s 1513 1524 1580 1608 1673

30,00BC

985 AD

1299

1487-90’s

1492

1513

1519 1532

1524

1497 1534-35

1580 1608

1609

1673

1682