NEW WORLD ENCOUNTERS America: Past and Present Chapter 1
Native American Histories before Conquest n 20,000 years ago--Siberian hunters become first American inhabitants
Routes of the First Americans
Aztec Dominance n Aztecs settle valley of Mexico n Center of large, powerful empire n Highly organized social and political structure n Rule through fear and force
Eastern Woodland Cultures n Atlantic Coast of North America n Native Americans lived in smaller bands n Agriculture supplemented by hunting and gathering n Likely were the first natives encountered by English settlers
Locations of Major Indian Groups and Culture Areas in the 1600s
A World Transformed n Large numbers of whites profoundly altered Native cultures n The rate of change varied from place to place n Native traditions changed radically for cultural survival
Threats to Survival: Trade n Native Americans were eager for European trade n They became dependent on and indebted to Europeans n Commerce also influenced warfare patterns
Threats to Survival: Disease n Contact brings population decline among American Indians n Cause: Lack of resistance to epidemic disease u smallpox u measles u influenza n Rate as high as ninety-five percent
The Columbian Exchange n The Spanish brought more than just people when they came to the Americas n Brought the movement of plants, animals, and diseases between hemispheres u The Columbian Exchange F Germs were transferred (many communities were wiped out) Measles Smallpox Influenza F Possibly 20 million Native American in Mexico were killed by European diseases F Populations decreased by 90-95% between 1519 and 1619
West Africa: Ancient and Complex Societies n Diversity of sub-Saharan Cultures u Islam u Strong traditional beliefs
Beginnings of the Slave Trade n 15th-century Portuguese chart sea lanes from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa n Native rulers sell prisoners of war to Portuguese as slaves
How Many Slaves? n 17th century--ca. 1,000 Africans per year n 18th century--5.5 million transported to the Americas n By ca. 11 million n Before 1831, more Africans than Europeans came to the Americas.
Voyages of European Exploration
From Plunder to Settlement n Encomienda System rewards Conquistadors u Large land grants u Indian inhabitants provide labor or tribute n Appointed officials answer only to Crown n Catholic Church u Protects Indian rights u Performs mass conversions n By 1650, 1/2 million Spaniards in New World u Unmarried males intermarry u Mixed-blood population emerges
The French Claim Canada n Samuel de Champlain founds Quebec n French Empire eventually includes St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes, Mississippi n French Crown makes little effort to foster settlement n Fur trade underpins economy n Indians become valued trading partners
Birth of English Protestantism n English rise influenced by Protestant Reformation u Martin Luther sparks reform in Germany u John Calvin’s Institutes published in Geneva n Reformation pits European Protestants against Catholics
Religion, War, and Nationalism n Spanish hostility makes Elizabeth the symbol of English, Protestant nationhood n Sea Dogs’ seizure of Spanish treasure makes them English heroes n Elizabeth's subjects raid Spain's American empire n Spanish Armada defeated
Irish Rehearsal for American Settlement n English experiences in Ireland shaped how they would conquer the New World n To the English the Irish were wild and barbaric u They would view Native Americans the same way
English Conquest of Ireland n Ireland was a laboratory for English colonization u Irish viewed as backward u English under Elizabeth seize Irish land
An Unpromising Beginning: Mystery at Roanoke n Sir Walter Raleigh established Roanoke colony in 1584 u He named the region Virginia after the Virginia Queen n The colony failed and Raleigh tried again in 1587 n The colonists disappeared without a trace and their fate remains a mystery
Campaign to Sell America n By 1600 no English settlements in New World n Richard Hakluyt advertises benefits of American colonization u Claimed that England needs American colonies