European Imperialism 6-1 (part II)

The Spanish Empire Spanish conquerors of the Americas were called conquistadors They were incredibly successful in gaining territory from native peoples

The Spanish Empire Hernan Cortes overthrew the Aztec Empire in Central America Francisco Pizarro took control of the Incan Empire in South America

The Spanish Empire By 1535, the Spanish had created a system of colonial administration in the Americas Queen Isabella declared the Native Americans to be her subjects

The Spanish Empire Forced labor, starvation, and disease took a terrible toll on Native American lives. Between 30% and 40% of natives died due to diseases brought by the Europeans

Economic Impact Wherever they went, Europeans searched for gold and silver. Soon it flowed into Europe from the Americas Agricultural products, such as potatoes, cocoa, corn, and tobacco, were also shipped to Europe.

The Columbian Exchange In turn, Europeans brought horses, cattle, wheat, and cane sugar to the Americas. This exchange of goods between Europe and the Americas is called the Columbian Exchange

New Rivals Enter the Scene By the end of the 16th century, several European countries were vying for the eastern trade Ferdinand Magellan sailed to the Philippine Islands on behalf of Spain Spanish colonies were established

New Rivals Enter the Scene Soon, the English and Dutch arrived and began competing with Spain and each other

Early North American Colonies Dutch established a colony called New Netherlands in the Hudson River Valley Eventually, the English seized that colony and renamed it New York They also founded Virginia and the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Trade and Colonies In the 1500s and 1600s, European nations established trading posts and colonies in the Americas and the East A colony is a settlement of people living in a new territory, linked with the parent country by trade and direct government control. important because they were sources of raw materials and were markets for finished goods

Mercantilism http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Mercantilism.html Colonies played a role in the theory of mercantilism The idea that the prosperity of a nation depended on a large supply of gold and silver.

Balance of Trade To bring in gold and silver, nations tried to have a favorable balance of trade It’s the difference in value between what a nation imports and what it exports over time. When the balance is favorable, the goods exported are of greater value than those imported.

High Tariffs Governments tried to keep foreign goods out of their countries/colonies by placing high tariffs (taxes) on these goods