First Contact Section 1.5

Main Idea Columbus’s voyages to the Americas established contact with American Indians and led to European colonies and an exchange of goods and ideas.

Vikings Scandinavian sailors known as Vikings were the 1st Europeans to visit North America. Viking leader Leif Eriksson accidentally sailed to the coast of Canada around 1000 CE. The Vikings never established a permanent settlement, and most Europeans did not know of the discovery.

Christopher Columbus Born in Italy, Columbus became a master sailor. Like others, he was interested in sailing to Asia. Unlike everyone else CC was convinced that Asia lay west across the Atlantic Ocean.

Spain Lends a Hand Columbus convinced the Queen of Spain to finance (pay) for the voyage. Columbus’s goals Find a westward route to Asia. Spread Catholicism. Find treasure (gold). In August of 1492, CC sailed west with 3 ships, toward the unknown.

“Land! Land!” On October 12th the crew spotted land. Columbus believed that he was in the East Indies off the coast of Asia. In reality, he was in the Caribbean. When he met the inhabitants, he called them “Indians”. Columbus explored the Caribbean, discovered a little gold, and then sailed back to Spain.

Spanish Settlements Columbus made 3 more trips and established permanent settlements in the Caribbean. When CC died, he believed he was in Asia, no idea that this was a totally different land. These settlements were economic failures, and soon CC began warfare with, and the enslavement of the Indians.

Indian Slavery On his 1st trip, CC brought took Indian slaves back to Europe. The Queen was against Indian slavery, and ordered it illegal. However, the Queen was far away from the Caribbean, and this law was largely ignored.

Columbian Exchange The trade of ideas, materials, goods, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas is called the Columbian Exchange. These drastic changes brought positives (new sources of food) but also brought devastation (untold number of Indian deaths due to smallpox).