Period 1 1491-1607

Pre-"discovery" Native Americans migrated to the Americas via land bridge formed diverse and complex societies lack of livestock limited farming South America and Central America developed advanced societies societies often lacked governments or fixed laws matrilineal

Indians of Eastern North America Extremely diverse Hundreds of languages Unique political systems and sets of religious beliefs Did not think of themselves as a single unified people No ownership of land Families were assigned land to use by village leaders Unclaimed land could be used by anyone Did not believed that land could be bought and sold

Spread of Native Peoples

"Discovery" 1492: Christopher Columbus' initial voyage Watling Island (Columbus named it San Salvador) 1493,1498, & 1502 believed he had found a westward rout to Asia

Other Voyages of Exploration John Cabot Sailed for England: reached Newfoundland 1497 Pedro Cabral Claimed Brazil for Portugal 1500 Vasco Nunez de Balboa First European to see Pacific Ocean from Americas (Panama) Ferdinand Magellan Crew first to sail around the world 1519-1522 Magellan killed in the Philippines

Hernando Cortez 1519 Conquered Tenochtitlan/Aztecs Francisco Pizzaro Conquered the Incas

Columbian Exchange Native Americans Corn, tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts, tobacco, & cotton Europeans Wheat, rice, sugar cane, horses, cattle, sheep, pigs Diseases ***

Destruction of Native Peoples Hispaniola Population est. 300,000 to 1 million in 1492 50 years later they were almost completely gone Diseases such as smallpox, influenza, & measles Forced labor & starvation of Native peoples on haciendas killed many Bartolome de Las Casas 1514 freed his slaves and began to preach the evils of colonization

Social Structure Peninsulares- top Born in Europe Mestizos- middle Native and European descent Native Americans Forced labor

Justification of Conquest Belief in superiority of culture Spread religion Find immense wealth

Spanish Exploration & Colonization in the 1500s Often looking for wealth with the excuse of spreading religion Brutal to Native inhabitants First region colonized was Florida Disease and attack by Native peoples proved to make colonization difficult Pueblo Revolt 1680 Successfully expelled the Spanish Reconquered in 1692

French Colonization Depended on trade with Native peoples, not agricultural settlement Treated them better Settled the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley region and much of present day Canada Samuel de Champlain’s attitude unique for the time period with respect to Native Americans and treatment of religion because he: Denied that Native Americans were inferior Insisted on religious toleration

Dutch Settlement Henry Hudson established New Netherland and settled Manhattan Island Allowed private religious liberty and freedom of the press Not democratically controlled Patroons- granted land which they were allowed to divide among tenants Received 10% of profit Law enforcement authority over their property Patroons supposed to purchase their land from the Native Americans