North American Founders

I. Pre-Columbian Civilizations

• A. Where does the history of

the United States begin?

• B. The discovery of

Columbus?- Americas

inhabited prior to arrival

• C. Pre-Columbian

Civilizations?

– 1. Theory of Origins

• a. Bering Strait

– 2. Dispersal & diversity

• a. Maize

Agriculture=complex

societies

I. Pre-Columbian Civilizations

• b. 600 social systems

• c. Culture Areas

• 1. In North America

– Southwest-permanent homes

– Great Plains-nomadic, teepees

– Eastern Woodlands-small villages

Chaco Canyon

Anasazi

Mississippi Valley

Cahokia Mounds

Pre-Columbian Civilizations

Examples: Meso America

Olmecs 1500 BC-300BC

Mayans 250-900 A.D.

Aztecs 1325-1521 A.D.

Tenochtitlan Quetzacoatl

Inca

Machu Picchu, Peru

II. Did Columbus Really “Discover”

America? • A. Ocean Travel Possible long before 1492

• B. Vikings 1000 AD- Christianity arrives to North America

– 1. Erik the Red- Greenland

– 2. Leif Erikson- Vinland, Christian missionary

• C. What prepared Europeans for role as explorers of NA?

– 1. 1096 Crusades- organize & finance large expeditions

– 2. Launch explorations to Middle East and Orient in Search of Riches & Trade

• 1271 Marco Polo

– 3. Portuguese Experience

• Prince Henry the Navigator

• Trade gold, ivory, slaves in Africa- 1488

• 1498 Vasco de Gama around the coast of Africa

– 4. Christopher Columbus

• Expeditions

• Significance of 1492

• Columbian Exchange

• Two Views of Columbus

Irony of Unintended

Consequences

• Case Study: Island of

Hispaniola

• 1496 Estimated

Population1.1 million

• 50 years later 200

Exploitation in mines

Crippling effect of disease

Significance of 1492-

discuss

Demographic consequences of European

arrival in the Americas

• “Columbian exchange” of goods and

people

• Devastation of Indian population

– Causes

• War

• Enslavement

• Disease

• Displacement

III. European Exploration

• 1. Americas first an obstacle

– A. Search for all water route through America

spurs explorations

• 1. Ferdinand Magellan: sailed @ South America

• 2. Vasco Nunez de Balboa: across Panama

– B. Rumors of a Northwest Passage spurs

explorations in NA

– C. But Religious wars occupy Europe until

the 1600’s so little English settlements are

established

Map 3

Map 4

III. European Exploration

• 2. New World Extraction

– a. Spanish conquistadores- Case Study of the 3

G’s (Gold, Glory and God)

• 1. Hernando Cortez 1521

– Fall of the Aztec Empire

– Montezuma, Quetzalcoatl

– Factors: Indian allies, superior technology,

biological, psychological

• 2. Pizzaro defets Incas in Peru 1532

Explorers

Permanent

Settlers

European

Colonial

Empire

III. European Exploration:

impact-Religion

Lasting impact of introduction of Western Faith in Latin America today

1. Spanish practice of securing an adequate and cheap labor supply – land and Indians to work the land “granted” to deserving subjects of the King

2. Conquistador controlled Indian populations •Required Indians to pay tribute from their lands •Indians often rendered personal services as well.

3. In return the conquistador was obligated to •protect his wards •instruct them in the Christian faith •defend their right to use the to live off the land

4. Encomienda system eventually decimated Indian population.

5. Repartiemento system replaced encomienda

►Advocated use of slaves from Africa,

later regretted- Dark Continent

•Believed Native Americans had been treated harshly by the Spanish.

•Indians could be educated and converted to Christianized.

•Believed Indian culture was advanced as European but in different ways.

Recap: Fate of the New World

• 1492 Spain (Voyage of Columbus)

• 1521 Spain (Cortes conquers Mexico)

• 1599 Spain (Colonizes northward)

• 1600’s Rival settlements from France, Holland, England…etc.

• Spain’s hold on the New World uncontested for over 100 years

• Riches from New World made Spain a leading world and wealthy power but inflation wore away at Spanish economy and had all but dwindled by mid 1600’s. Also adventurers at sea often attacked Spanish galleons (under Royal orders from England) for the bullions- sea dogs: like Sir Francis Drake. The defeat of the Spanish Armada by Protestant England sealed Spain’s fate and cemented the virtually uncontested role Protestants would play in populating the shores of North America.

IV. France in the New World

• Principle rival to Spain

– A. Jacques Cartier (1534)

• St. Lawrence River

• Settlements abandoned

• Riches in Fur trade

• Claim established

– B. Samuel de Champlain (1608)

• Settlement at Quebec

– Huron/Algonquin Allies

• Acculturation, intermarriage

– C. Robert La Salle (1682)

• Mississippi River

• Louisiana Territory

D. Extraction vs. settlement

French Huguenots prohibited

V. Dutch in the New World

– New Amsterdam (1625) – First Europeans to establish colonies between the Connecticut

and Delaware Rivers

– Aristocratic society with large feudal estates along the Hudson

River granted to stockholders who promised to have fifty adults

living on the estate within four years. Hard to find volunteers to

work the land.

–

Dutch Company ran the colony

– In England, James (the Duke of York) granted proprietorship

over the general area. Unable to raise enough defenders for

the colony, Gov. Stuyvesant surrendered without firing a shot.

– Colony renamed New York

First English Settlements

VI. Background in England

• A. Political Explanation: Tudor Kings= Rise of Nation-State/Competition & Power – A. King Henry VIII- 1530’s

• 1. Navy

• 2. Search for an heir – a. Catherine

– b. Anne Boleyn

• 3. Crown over Church

• 4. Protestant England

– B. Queen Elizabeth • 1. Sea Dogs

– Sir Francis Drake

• 2. Supports colonization – Virginia

VI. Background in England

• B. Religious Explanation: preparing the way for a Protestant

America

• Roots

– Mentality: State Churches, no freedom of conscience

– Message: Early reformers- sola fida

– Means: Gutenburg Printing Press- (moveable type) the means

allowing for the production and distribution of the Bible in mass

quantities- sola scriptura, & in own language

– Means: Cross-cultural trade and communication=spread of

movement

• Birth of the Reformation:

• Case Study: Martin Luther- 95 Thesis

VI. Background in England

• B. Religious Explanation: preparing the

way for a Protestant America

• Result of the Reformation:

– Diverse Protestant groups

– Religious wars and persecution in Europe

– Seek religious freedom- “freedom of

conscience” supports political dissent

– Examples: Separatists vs. Puritans emigrate

to America

VII. First English Attempt at

Settlement • Roanoke Colony

• Private Investment:

(Not financed by Crown)

• Sir Walter Raleigh

• 3 attempts

• Failed 3rd Attempt in 1587

– Promises to return with supplies

– Cut off by Spanish Armada

– Mysterious disappearance

• Croatoan

VIII. The Lure of Colonization Push/Pull Factors to America

• 1. Cheap Land – Enclosure Movement in England

– Overpopulated

– Rising Prices

• 2. Economic Opportunity – Rigid class system in Eng.

– Aspiration & ambition

– Laws of entail & primogeniture

• 3. Religious Freedom

• 4. Prior Experience – Conquest of Ireland

IX. First English Settlements

• A. What factors will help influence the fate of the first

English settlements?

• B. Survival Experiences

– Geography

– Climate

– Flora & fauna

– Needs: food, shelter, protection

• C. Dependency on tribes

– Peace v. aggression

• Result: 3 Distinct Colonial Regions – New England, Middle & Southern Colonies

Extra Slides

European Exploration: The

Spanish Empire Pueblo Revolt

– Sources of Pueblo resentment of colonial authorities

• Labor exploitation

• Pressure to convert to Catholicism

• Assault on Pueblo religious traditions

• Failure to protect Pueblos from drought, external attacks

– The 1680 Revolt • Popé

• Unity of Pueblo rebels against forced conversions

• Defeat and ouster of Spanish colonizers

European Exploration: The

Spanish Empire Pueblo Revolt

3.Aftermath of revolt

• Eradication of Spanish cultural presence

• Collapse of Pueblo unity

• Return of Spanish colonial rule

• Easing of colonial practices toward Pueblos

• SIGNIFICANCE: Native Americans not passive

participants of history- their resistance and efforts

to preserve land and way of life forced the

Europeans to respond and adapt their conquest

and colonization practices.