Chapter 2 Exploring the Americas

What Led to European Exploration?

1096-1300

Europe

- In 1095, European monarchs launched the Crusades into the Middle East to take Jerusalem from the Islamic Caliphates.

- This brought Europeans into contact with spices, sugar, silk, and other goods from traders in India and China.

- In 1296, Marco Polo wrote an account from his travels to Asia, increasing interest in creating trade routes.

- Merchants would begin to buy and ship luxury Asian goods bought from Middle Eastern traders to sell in Europe.

- European traders began to look for sea routes save money by cutting reliance on Middle Eastern traders for these goods.

Renaissance Europe

- Wealthy Europeans begain to study the classical works (Ancient Greek and Roman)

- This led to a revival of learning known as the Renaissance in Europe.

- Strong nations such as England, France, Spain, and Portugal began to finance exeditions to find trade routes to Asia to make their country wealthly.

1300-1492

Europe

Spanish Exploration

Spanish

Exploration

-Vikings had reached North America first in the 1000s, and had set up communities.

- Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. When he reached land, he believed he had landed in India but he had actually landed in the Caribbean, with Spain financing his voyages.

-Spain and Portugal began to compete for the "New World", dividing control of the new continents.

- Amerigo Vespucci is credited with the conclusion that these new lands were not part of Asia or Africa.

-Ferdinand Magellan was the first to sail around the world.

Spain in America

Spain in Central America

-Conquistadors: Spanish explorers that were granted special permissons by the Spanish crown to explore and establish settlements in the Americas.

- Hernan Cortes: landed in current day Mexico and conquered the Aztec Empire.

-Franciso Pizarro landed in South America and conquered the Incan Empire.

- Reasons for easy victories for the Spanish: 1) better weapons and horses

2) smaller tribes disliked the Incans and Aztecs

3) disease

In North America

-Ponce de Leon explored Florida, searching for the fountain of youth. Establishes the fort at St. Augustine.

- Spain will begin to explore the Southwest, setting up pueblos, missions and forts, known as presidio.

- The Spanish government will allow conquistadors the right to demand taxes or labor from Native Americans living on Spanish land. This system will turn many natives into slaves, and many will die.

- In the West Indies, Spanish plantations began to use African slave labor and produce tobacco and sugarcane.

Spain in North America

Notable Protestant Denominations

Protestants

- Protestant: Christian but not belonging to the Catholic Church

- Martin Luther: German monk who founds Lutherism. Very similar to Catholic but no indulgences or Pope, impasis on the teachings of the Bible

- John Calvin: French religious thinker who expanded on Luther's teachings but rejected Luther's teachings that good works alone would get a person to heaven.

- King Henry VIII: breaks away from the Catholic Church after being denied a divorce. Founds the Church of England.

Economic

Economic

Rivary

- Mercantilism: a nation's power is based on its wealth. Done by aquiring gold, silver and continuing trade with other regions.

- Columbian Exchange ------>

The triangular trade between Africa, Europe and the Americas

- England, France and the Netherlands searched North America for a Northwest Passage, or water route through the Americas to Asia. This will lead to these countries to send explorers who will map out the new continent.

- John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, Henry Hudson

- French Fur Traders