UNIT 2: FACTORS THAT LED TO EXPANSION LESSON 2.1: EUROPEAN BACKGROUND

Unit Overview The purpose of this unit is to understand the factors that led to exploration, settlement, movement, and expansion and their impact on United States development over time.

Warm up List as many reasons that you can think of as to why Europeans would be interested in exploring the Americas.

TECHNOLOGY AND HISTORY New technologies helped launch the European age of exploration in the 1400’s. The caravel was highly maneuverable and fast. Their small size allowed them to sail along shallow coast lines and rivers.

TECHNOLOGY AND HISTORY The astrolabe helped sailors stay on course by using the position of the sun and stars to determine time, direction, and latitude. The compass was invented by the Chinese. It would always point north.

SPAIN CLAIMS AMERICA In 1492, Spain’s king Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to finance Christopher Columbus’s voyage across the Atlantic. His goal: to find a better route to India What did Christopher Columbus actually discover?

SPAIN CLAIMS AMERICA In March 1943, Columbus made a triumphant return to Spain with gold, parrots, spices, and Native Americans. The Age of Exploration now turned its sights on the Americas! Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian map maker, eventually realized that the New World was not a part of Asia. America is named after “Amerigo, the discoverer.”

NEW SPAIN

NEW SPAIN CONQUISTADORS = INDEPENDENT SPANISH ADVENTURERS WHO SPREAD CATHOLICISM AND ATTEMPTED TO GAIN WEALTH AND POWER. SPANISH CONQUISTADORS HAVE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS AGAINST NATIVES DUE TO DISEASE, GUNPOWDER, DISUNITY AMONG NATIVES HERNANDO CORTES TOOK ONLY THREE YEARS TO DESTROY MIGHTY AZTEC EMPIRE IN CENTRAL MEXICO. BY 1550, SPAIN CONTROLLED ALL OF NORTHERN MEXICO. FRANCISCO PIZARRO TOOK CONTROL OF THE INCA EMPIRE

SPANISH AMERICAN SOCIETY Cortes rewarded his men by giving them control of some towns in the Aztec empire. This became the encomienda system: Based on protection and conversion to Christianity. Sadly, many natives were worked to death.

England looks to the Americas

REFORMATION In England, the rebellion against Catholicism began in 1527, when Henry VIII declared himself the head of England’s church, or Anglican Church. Puritans wanted to “purify” the Anglican Church of any remaining Catholic elements. King James (NOT LEBRON) refused to tolerate any changes to the church, and as a result, many Puritans left for America!

ECONOMIC CHANGES IN ENGLAND Economic changes also gave people a motive to migrate to America. In the 1500’s the wool market led to thousands of tenants being evicted so landowners could enclose their land for sheep. Many immigrated to America. Enclosure movement. When wool prices fell, many merchants organized joint-stock companies to raise large amounts of money for colonization Joint-stock companies could afford the cost of colonization Gold, access to precious metals. They see what Spain was getting and want a piece of the pie!

ENGLAND RETURNS TO THE AMERICAS

activity http://geography.about.com/od/historyofgeography/a/ageexploration .htm Answer these questions: What were Europeans in search of? How were the voyages of Prince Henry the Navigator different than those previously conducted by Portuguese? What was the main goal of the Portuguese voyages? What was the intended purpose of the Christopher Columbus voyage? What happened as a result of the Treaty of Tordesillas? What did Ferdinand Magellan attempt? What were 2 factors that led to the end of the Age of Exploration? How did the Age of Exploration impact Geography?

REFLECTION In your journal, summarize what you have learned today about European exploration. Consider answering the following questions in your writing: What led Europeans to begin exploring in the 1400’s? How did Christopher Columbus contribute to the Age of Exploration? Summarize how the Spanish were able to defeat the Aztecs. What was the intended purpose of the Encomienda system? What was the outcome of using such a system? For what reasons did the English begin to be interested in the America’s?