Beginning in the Late 1400s

Early Exploration

Portugal’s Advances

Factors Encouraging European Exploration

• Factors:• Europeans Seek Greater Wealth• Trade spices and other luxury goods from Asia• Italian merchants controlled the land routes to

Asia, so other Europeans had to find a sea route

• The Spread of Christianity• Felt they had a duty to convert no-Christians

throughout the world• Technological Advances• Made exploration possible

• Caravel – could sail against the wind and was sturdier

• Astrolabe – using rings to sight the stars, a sea captain could tell how far north or south of the equator he was

Portugal Leads the Way

• Prince Henry• Determined to reach

the wealth of the east, so in 1419, Henry found a navigation school• By the time Henry

died, Portuguese traders had moved down the western coast of Africa

Getting Around Africa• In 1488, Portuguese

captain Bartolomeu Dias ventured down the coast of Africa until he reached the tip• But the captain returned

home• In 1498, Vasco da Gama

reached the port of Calicut, India• First direct sea rout to India

Spain’s Envy

Spain Envious• Spain watched

Portugal with envy• In 1492, an Italian

sea captain, Christopher Columbus, convinced Spain to fund a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean

Columbus’s Voyage• Arrived on Hispaniola on

October 12, 1492• Called the inhabitants los indios• Translates to Indians

• In early 1493, Columbus returned to Spain• Recounted his tale to the

Spanish monarchs• Spain funded three more

journeys• Intended to transform the islands

of the Caribbean to colonies• Colonies – lands that are

controlled by another nation

Treaty of Tordesillas

• Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494• A north to south line that split the world so that Spain

would not encroach on Portugal’s land• Gave most of the Americas, except for Brazil, to Spain

Spain Builds an Empire• In 1519, Hernando Cortes

landed on the shores of Mexico• Known as a conquistador, or

conqueror• Cortes learned of the vast

and wealthy Aztec Empire• Montezuma II believed Cortes to be

an armor-clad god• In 1521, the Spaniards

finally conquered the Aztecs and toppled their empire.

Pizarro Conquers the Incas• In 1532, Francisco Pizarro marched into South America• Pizarro and 200 men met Atahualpa who commanded a force of 30,000• Crushed the Inca force and captured Atahualpa

• Pizarro received a ransom for Atahualpa and then killed him• Pizarro finally attacked the capital of Cuzco and defeated the Inca Empire

Spain’s Pattern of Conquest

• Marriage between Spanish settlers and native women was common• Created a large mestizo population

• Forced the Native Americans to labor within a system known as encomienda• Natives farmed, ranched, or mined for Spanish landlords

Bartolome de Las Casas• “There is nothing more

detestable or cruel than the tyranny which the Spaniards use toward the Indians for the getting of [riches].”• Bartolome Las Casas

• Las Casas pushed for the use of Africans• Something that would

become more prevalent

French, English, and Dutch Claims

Early French Explorers• In 1534, Jacques

Cartier sailed down the river the St. Lawrence and founded Montreal• In 1608, Samuel de

Champlain sailed the same rived and founded Quebec

• Created New France• France’s colonial empire

in North America

The Lucrative Fur Trade• In 1672• Sieur de La Salle

sailed down the river Mississippi River and claimed in for France by calling the area Louisiana

• Helped spur New France’s main economic activity• The fur trade

English Settle Jamestown• In 1607, settlers reached

the coast of Virginia and created the settlement Jamestown• Settlers were first more

interested in finding gold than planting crops

• Jamestown’s Importance• Jamestown would soon

become England’s first permanent settlement in North America• Main cash crop would

become tobacco

Jamestown Sketch

Puritans Sail for the Americas

• In 1620, the Pilgrims founded a second English colony, Plymouth, in Massachusetts

The Dutch and New Netherland

• In 1609• Henry Hudson

explored the Hudson River, the Hudson Bay, and the Hudson Strait

• Created New Netherland• The Dutch holdings

in North America

English Push for Dominance

The English Oust the Dutch

• Problem:• New Netherland separated England’s north and south

colonies• Solution:• In 1664, Charles II told his brother the Duke of York to

drive out the Dutch• He renamed it New York

England Battles France• Problem:• England pushed west on

the continent of North America and collided with France’s North American holdings

• Solution:• French and Indian War• A conflict that began in

1754 over the Ohio Valley and was fought between the British and the French on the North American continent• French ended up giving the

British most of their North American holdings