Exploring North America Chapter 2, Sections 3 & 4

Spanish Rule The Spanish set up three kinds of establishments in the Americas: 3

#1 Pueblos: Spanish towns that were established as centers of trade.

#2 Missions: Were religious Spanish communities that usually included a small town, farmland and a church. Their original purpose was to convert the natives to Christianity.

#3 Presidios: Were military forts usually built near missions.

Spanish Rule Why did the Spanish establish missions? The king of Spain hoped that someday they would be powerful cities in the Americas filled with loyal peaceful subjects.

Spanish Rule The missions would be led by Fathers (priests) who would pursue the Catholic calling of converting non-believers into Christians. Their converts, the Native Americans, would also work on the missions.

Spanish Missions The actual labor of the missions fell to the Native Americans. Because they practiced a polytheistic religion, did not speak Spanish, had dark skin and a very different way of life, the natives were viewed as savages Their way of life was considered inferior by the Spaniards. The Spanish made it clear that refusing to work on the missions was not an option.

Spanish Plantations Some Spanish settlers made large profits by exporting crops and raw materials back to Spain. To raise the crops, Spanish settlers built large estates known as plantations. The Spanish used both Native Americans and Africans for labor. Plantations were an important part of the economy in the Spanish colonies.

Spanish Plantations

Social Classes High class: Peninsulares (Spanish born people). They were allowed to own land in the Americas, serve the Catholic Church and ran local government. Middle Class: Creoles (People born in the Americas to Spanish parents) Lower Middle Class: Mestizos (People with Spanish and Native American parents.) Lower Class: Native Americans (lived in poverty)

Encomienda In the 1500’s the Spanish government granted conquistadors who settled in the Americas an encomienda. An encomienda is the right to demand taxes or labor from Native Americans living on the land. Basically, this system turned Native Americans into slaves.

Spanish Settlement The Spanish referred to their settlements in North and South America as “New Spain”.

Religion Leads the Way In the 1500’s people had divided ideas about religion. European nations became divided into Catholics and Protestants. Spanish and French Catholics worked to spread their faith to Native Americans. Dutch and English Protestants establish colonies along the Atlantic coast in an effort to practice their beliefs in peace.

Economic Rivalry Religion was only one factor that led European nations and people to come to the Americas. The promise of great wealth was equally as strong…… Especially as other European countries watched Spain get rich from its conquests and colonies.

Economic Rivalry During this time, European nations believed in mercantilism, a theory that acquiring new lands would bring them more money and power. This theory promoted not only exploration but colonization as well. European nations considered their colonies as sources of raw materials, which were used to manufacture goods.

The Columbian Exchange The voyages of Columbus and other explorers brought together two parts of the globe that previously had no contact: Europe, Asia and Africa in one hemisphere and the Americas in the other. This contact is referred to as the Columbian Exchange. It led to an exchange of plants, animals and diseases that altered life on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Columbian Exchange

A Northwest Passage Europe had a huge desire for Asian goods. Powerful European countries began sending explorers to chart the coast of North America. Explorers from England, France and even the Netherlands were hoping to discover a Northwest Passage- A more direct water route through the Americas to Asia.

The French The French had shown little interest in building an empire in the Americas. The French viewed North America as an opportunity for profits from fishing and fur trading. The French set up trading posts in Quebec and other parts of Canada.

Samuel de Champlain French explorer Founder of “New France” located in modern Quebec

New France The French referred to their North American colonies as “New France”.. Unlike Spain, France did not try to colonize their new territories. Instead they focused on trade French had better relationships with Native Americans than did the Spanish.

The Dutch The Dutch made settlements in the northern regions of the New World as well.

Henry Hudson In 1624, Henry Hudson established “New Netherland”, for the Dutch. Eventually the British would seize this colony and rename it “New York”.