Contact: Europeans and Amerindians New World Beginnings Contact: Europeans and Amerindians

The First Americans The Amerindians

Coming to America First nomads 35,000 years ago Around 50-100 million inhabitants Over 2,000 languages and widely differing cultures

Northern Amerindians Less developed than South American tribes Small, semi-sedentary societies Local resources shaped culture Matrilineal (Family passed through mother’s lines) and matrilocal (women owned the property) No personal ownership of land “You think you own whatever land you land on/The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim”

Who Really Discovered America? -or- Why Columbus Was a Big Stinky Liar

European Motives for Exploration Europe’s motives for exploration can be linked to either the quest of God, Gold, or Glory: Desire to Christianize Needed a faster and cheaper method of acquiring goods from Asia and the Middle East. Power and influence, rivalries with other nation-states

Spanish Colonization

LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME Did Columbus really think he was in India? Christopher Columbus

How was Columbus able to conquer the New World? “How to Get to India”: European Edition How was Columbus able to conquer the New World?

SMALLPOX! Columbus’ men purposefully infected the blankets with diseases to make the natives easier to conquer. The natives contracted these diseases from the blankets the Europeans gave them as “gifts” Why do you think diseases like smallpox affected the natives to such a great degree? An estimated 90% of Native Americans were killed due to European diseases

The Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange: The widespread exchange of plants, animals, food, and diseases between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (Americas).

Old World New World Animals Plants Diseases bee cat chicken cow goat horse pig sheep alpaca guinea pig llama turkey Plants almond apple banana black pepper carrot coffee citrus garlic lettuce olive onion peach pea pear sugarcane tea turnip wheat watermelon avocado bean bell pepper blueberry cashew chicle (chewing gum base) chili pepper cocoa maize (corn) peanut pineapple potato rubber squash (incl. pumpkin) sunflower strawberry sweet potato tobacco tomato vanilla Diseases bubonic plague cholera influenza malaria measles scarlet fever smallpox tuberculosis typhoid syphilis yaws (disfiguring bone bacteria) yellow fever

Results of Contact between Native-Americans and Europeans For Native Americans Mass death and genocide (nearly 90% by 1600) Introduction of domesticated work animals, alcohol, and firearms changed culture and intensified warfare Enslavement under the encomienda and mission systems

Results of contact between Native-Americans and Europeans For Europeans Global empires for 1st time in human history Explosion of capitalism (Commercial Revolution) Improved diet  higher mortality  higher population  bigger push for emigration Stimulants: coffee, cocoa, and tobacco

The French

Settlements in Canada, the Mississippi River Valley, the port of New Orleans, and the Caribbean

French Settlement Most French settlers were young, single men They were known as great gift-givers towards the Indians Focus was on fur trade, especially beaver pelts Jesuits: Catholic missionaries who sought to convert the natives.

The English

England v. Spain Protestant England vs. Catholic Spain King Philip II sent the invincible Spanish Armada against England Defeated due to severe storms and English military strategy Changed the power structure of Europe

The First English Colony Virginia founded by Sir Walter Raleigh for Queen Elizabeth I joint-stock company: A group of investors who pool their money to support big projects The Virginia Company Jamestown (1607): First English settlement in the New World “Gentlemen” would not work; Jamestown nearly collapsed

LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME Pocahontas

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Indian princess

A handsome explorer landed nearby

They met and fell in love

She saved him from certain death at the hands of her father

And they lived happily ever after.

LIES!

The REAL Pocahontas Was around 12 years old when she supposedly “saved” John Smith Married John Rolfe, NOT John Smith Died at the age of 22 in England of Small Pox

"He who will not work shall not eat.” The REAL John Smith Smith kidnapped in Dec. 1607 by Chief Powhatan Smith perhaps "saved" by Pocahontas, Powhatan's daughter, but evidence is shaky at best Captain John Smith led the colony beginning in 1608 "He who will not work shall not eat.”

John Rolfe The Disney Version The REAL John Rolfe

Jamestown Virginia Charter Overseas settlers given same rights of Englishmen in England Foundation for American liberties; rights extended to other colonies. Colonists felt that, even in the Americas, they were still Englishmen

The Jamestown Nightmare Nearly failed due to starvation, disease, and attacks by the Powhatans John Rolfe introduced new tough strain of tobacco given to him by the Powhatans Europeans become addicted Tobacco economy grew Plantation system emerged