How did European exploration affect the Americas? a.Land was conquered; b.They exploited their wealth; c.And, convert its people to Christianity

Why was Spain eager to find a new route across the Atlantic Ocean? a.Spain took interest from profitable discovery and exploitation earlier in the century of islands in the Atlantic. Perhaps, they thought, similar islands could be found across the Atlantic

Portuguese: a.Sought a route around Africa’s southern tip into the Indian Ocean; b.Search for India, East Indies, and China c.Dominated the trade routes south and east around Africa

Spain and Portugal Divide the Americas: a.Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Split the world of new discoveries by drawing a north-south boundary line through the mid-Atlantic west of the Azores

The Conquistadors March On: a.Spain extended their empire deep into North and South America b.Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas of Peru c.Aside from wealth, conquistadors were motivated by their religious faith (Christianity) and loyalty to their king;

Strengths of the Conquistadors: a.Superior weapons; b.Guns gave the Spanish a psychological advantage; c.Had horses d.Disease carried by conquistadors

Devastation of Disease: a.Smallpox, typhus, bubonic plague, and cholera; b.These diseases existed in Europe for centuries; as a result, the Europeans developed natural defenses against these diseases c.The Native Americans did not have this “natural defense” so their population dramatically decreased in numbers.

MAJOR EFFECT OF DISEASE: a.Because of the death of so many Native Americans the Spanish turned to importing Africans as slaves to work the new sugar plantations on the tropical coasts.

The Transatlantic Exchange: the dispersion of so many of the world’s plants, animals, and microorganisms been so mixed