European Settlement of the Americas

Possible discoverers Native Americans across Bering Strait Vikings Pacific Islanders Columbus

Why Columbus, Why then? Conditions were right  Unification of Spain  Marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella Renaissance  Spirit of adventure  Desire for more knowledge Technology  Caravel ships  Compass  Latitude/Longitude

What did the explorers want? Find an all water route to Asia  Wanted the luxury goods from there  Silk, spices, etc  Hoped to make their lives more comfortable and hoped to make vast fortunes selling the trade goods

Who went where? Portuguese  South around Africa then East to India  Diaz-Southern Tip of Africa, Vasco De Gama-All way to India Spanish  Went West to go East  Caribbean, South and Central America English  Canada and North America French  Canada, St Lawrence River Valley, Dutch  East Indies

Portuguese Settled and explored the West Coast of Africa Set up slave posts Blocked the way South to Asia Diaz made it to Cape Town 1488 Vasco De Gama made it to India 1498

Portuguese Exploration

Spanish Explorers (Conquistadors) Columbus  Caribbean –named first island Hispaniola Pizarro  Incas Cabeza de Vaca  Lost in Southwest for 8 years Hernando Cortez  Conquered the Aztecs De Soto  Mississippi River Ponce De Leon  Florica Magellan  First to circumnavigate the globe, he died in the Philippines but his ships and crew made it

English Explorers John Cabot  Newfoundland Henry Hudson  Hudson Bay Gilbert and Raleigh  Newfoundland and Virginia Sir Francis Drake  Circumnavigated the globe

England on the Eve of Empire Religion broke the Spanish/English alliance Henry VIII, English Protestant Reformation 1530’s Elizabeth reenergizes England Sir Francis Drake 1580 circumnavigated the globe fighting the Spanish along the way Knighted by Queen Elizabeth 1588 Spanish Armada Spanish navy was destroyed Allowed the English to compete and eventually control the Atlantic National spirit following the Armada’s defeat

Six wives of Henry VIII Henry VIII Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon m Divorced Daughter (Mary) Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn m Executed Daughter (Elizabeth) Jane Seymour Jane Seymour m Died son (Edward VI) Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves m Jan. - July Divorced Kathryn Howard Kathryn Howard m Execute d Katherine Parr Katherine Parr m Widowed

England on the Eve of Empire Cont  Increase in population from 4 to five million  Enclosure  Forced many small farmers into the city  These areas were the Puritan strongholds  “Surplus population”  Primogeniture  Ambitious younger sons of the gentry had to fend for themselves, most went on to Americas or Ireland  Joint-stock company  Allowed investors (adventurers) to pool their money  Peace with Spain