Discovery and Settlement of the New World, 1492-1650
In the dark of the night…America today
In the beginning… No human beings in the Americas until 15,000 BC First humans crossed over land-bridge (Bering Strait) Diffused southward all the way to Cape Horn Sparse pop. leads to lack of large-scale societies
Tide of Migration
Diversity of Tribes Depended on environmental features We classify tribes according to where they lived
Woodlands Native Americans
Plains Native Americans
Southwest Native Americans
Great Societies of the South Aztecs Incas Mayas These societies developed because pop. accumulated in one place, this never happened in North America
European Exploration Fueled by: New stronger nations Seeking Wealth Nationalist Competition Empire building Religion
3 G’s of Motivation GOLD!!! GLORY!!! GOD!!!
Early Leaders Portugal Prince Henry the Navigator explores coast of Africa Dias and da Gama round Africa Spain Columbus seeks western route Pope declares Line of Demarcation in New World
Line of Demarcation
Immediate Effects By 1550, Spain had claimed much of the interior of NA and almost all of SA Used native pop. as slave labor Up to 95% of native pop. dies due to smallpox Conquistadors Cortes Pizzaro De Soto
Early English Exploration Northwest passage to the Orient Not much progress for 100 years Charter Companies form Mercantilism takes hold Success of state important, not citizens Import wealth from overseas
Jamestown After Roanoke disaster, Jamestown established 1607 Jamestown meets disaster repeatedly in first years Order restored through discipline Rolfe kick-starts tobacco industry, colony grows
Jamestown
William Bradford’s Landing
New England Bradford & the Puritans settle at Plymouth Mass. Bay Co. follows and settles over present day MA and NH Boston becomes capital of colony Co. becomes a gov’t Winthrop: “city upon a hill”
Native American Population in North America
North America No cities to loot or large pop. to convert, Spain focuses on SA (Catholic tradition Other European nations fill the void in NA (typically Protestant Dutch, French, and English make claims
Map of New World
Map of New World
Outcomes of Early Settlement Little profit for investors Miserable existences for inhabitants Conflict over land claims with natives
Three Worlds Collide Eastern NA suddenly find themselves besieged by Europeans Europeans get “room to grow” Africans used as human capital by Europeans