Unit One: Looking for the New World

Prehistory Land Bridge Theory 8000 BC- Paleolithic Indians are migratory hunters Cross on glacier during Ice Age Adaptation to environments along route south

“Discussion Time” Take a few moments and write in your journal what you think is the greatest “invention” that was ever created in the age of mankind. Make sure you have a solid reason, in your answer, to defend why you believe this to be true.

Agriculture/Domestication? Was you answer: Agriculture/Domestication? The discovery of agriculture/domestication led to civilized societies -Surplus of time led to specialization of labor -Specialization led to advancements in technology

Civilization! Egypt Greece Rome

The fall of the Roman Empire led to the Dark Ages in Europe, while the Islamic Empire prospered. -Crusades expose Europeans to lost Greek and Roman ideas as well as Islamic advancements -Trade with the Middle East (and far East) increases

Crusades The Crusades helped to increase trade, but also brought something else to Europe……..

The Black Death, or The Plague -347A.D. : Italian merchants, returning from Asia, bring back the bubonic plague, probably through fleas on rats. -In 2 years, killed about 75 million (1/3 of pop.) -Created a labor shortage, which caused wages to increase. -Specialized crops and goods were sold at distant markets.

New ideas from the East and specialization of labor due to the plague help to create the Renaissance! No, really!

Trade Monopolies Italian and Muslim traders developed an agreement for how goods would be distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, thus developing a monopoly of trade.

Question: If you are a European country that wants to trade with the Middle East, but you do not want to do the dangerous trip overland, nor do you want to pay the tax that Italian and Muslim traders charge to sail the Mediterranean, what do you do? Here is a map of the known world at this time. (1400s) What do you notice that is different about this map?

Henry the Navigator Prince Henry the Navigator: improved sea navigation and ships (caravel and astrolabe). Paid for expeditions to explore the west coast of Africa. Bartolomeu Dias-Cape of Good Hope Vasco da Gama- route to India Other European countries are forced to look for alternate trade routes

Christopher Columbus Wanting to find a new trade route to Cathay (the Far East) Columbus calculated (incorrectly) that he could sail west across the ocean. He determined it would be about 2500 miles when in reality it was 10,000!

Why was Columbus’ proposal to sail west so controversial?

Columbus influences Spain to look west across the Atlantic for a new route to Asia   Discovers new continent Opens up a new means for European exploitation of resources and empire- building

Voyages of Columbus

Columbian Exchange

Impact of Columbus Spanish enslaved the native Taino population to mine gold, killing many. European disease was brought to the New World killing millions of natives Spanish forced natives to become Catholic. (Beginning of Spanish missions)

Now that you know that Columbus, not only was not the first to discover the New World, but also that he really wasn’t a nice guy, why was his discovery so important? Why do we celebrate a holiday each year commemorating him?

End of Part I review Time for a test!

Protestant Reformation 1517- German monk Martin Luther protested the “indulgences” of the Catholic church. Wanted reform Followers became known as “protestants” Led to a series of wars between Catholics and Protestants

Henry VIII of England Wanted a divorce from wife Catherine (Spain) Pope refused, so Henry broke away from Catholic Church Created Anglican Church Seized church land and money Granted himself a divorce

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I Sir Francis Drake Spanish Armada

Spanish Armada Many attacks on the Spanish at sea by the English. Queen Elizabeth sent reinforcements to help the Dutch fight the Spanish. Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed –she is next in line to the throne and a Catholic. The Pope agrees that Spain can attack England to restore the Catholic Church. Philip II of Spain was angry that Queen Elizabeth had not punished Sir Francis Drake for attacking Spanish ships.

Spanish Armada