Spanish Exploration & French Colonization Age of Contact

Reasons for Colonization England Religious Freedom-Escape religious persecution Cheap Land- Second, third fourth etc. sons left England for economic opportunity Power-Gain more land, wealth and resources for the mother country Spain Gold-Wealth God-Spread Catholicism Glory-Expand the power and wealth of Spain France Fur- gain wealth through the fur trade Co-habitation- live with native Americans & did not create large permanent settlements Did not attempt to convert native Americans England & Spain failed to gain support from the Native Americans due to their attempt to alter their religious and social structures. The Native Americans supported France because they did not attempt to alter their social structure.

New Technologies led to Spanish success •Spanish Conquistadores: Armor Weapons Gunpowder •Spanish Navigators: Astrolabe Magnetic Compass Caravel (rudder) Advanced Map

Spanish Explorers- Alonso Alvarez De Pineda In 1519 he mapped the Texas coastline. This began the process of Spanish colonization in North & South America.

Spanish Explorers-Cabeza de Vaca He explored Texas as Indian captive and shaman and reported about Texas in his writings La Relacion. A large group of conquistadors went to North America and South America to gain wealth and prestege.

Spanish Explorers-Francisco de Coronado He explored the Southwest for Spain looking for riches; reported that the area north of Mexico had little value for Spain, named settlement Amarillo. Many conquistadors stopped sailing to North America after Coronado’s report.

French Explorer- Robert La Salle He wanted create a settlement on the Mississippi river and missed his destination. He built Fort St. Louis at Matagorda Bay for the French. It eventually was abandoned after LaSalle was murdered. It threatened Spain’s domination of the area which led to the mission system in Texas

Spanish Explorers-Alonzo de Leon He discovered LaSalle’s abandoned fort and established some of the early unsuccessful missions in East Texas. This began the Spanish colonization period.

Columbian Exchange-Triangular Trade New world crops like maize, potatoes and tobacco spread to Europe, resulting in a population growth. Cacao made into chocolate became a luxury product in Europe along with sugar from the Americas Sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were introduced in the Americas, changing the diets of Americans Lifestyles of Native Americans were changed by the introduction of horses Coffee was planted in the New World The Americas became a source for cotton and sugar Sugarcane production promoted the Trans-Atlantic slave trade Native populations of the Americas were decimated by diseases brought by the Europeans