EUROPE AND AMERICA COLLIDE

I. Reasons for European Exploration  A. The three G’s  1. God, Gold, and Glory  B. European Renaissance: renewed interest in exploration due to new knowledge  C. New navigation technologies  D. World competition for empires  1. new markets for goods  2. colonies could be used for cheap raw materials

 E. Prince Henry the Navigator:  1. set up a school for training explorers in Portugal

II. Vikings as the First Explorers  A. Peoples from Scandinavia  1. present-day Sweden, Denmark, and Norway  2. most traveled southward to Europe  B. Used longboats to cross Atlantic Ocean

 C. Expedition led by Leif Ericsson believed to be the first Europeans in the Americas  1. around A.D  2. attempts to set up colonies failed-did not have superior weapons

III. Spain and Columbus  A. Columbus believed that he could travel to Asia more quickly if he sailed westward  1. attempts to gain funding failed-risky venture  2. Bartolomeu Dias had rounded tip of Africa in Portugal would get to Asia by this route

 B. Finally convinced Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain to fund the voyage  1. said it would bring them money and new converts to Catholicism  C. Landed on islands in the Caribbean during his first voyage in 1492  1. Present day Bahamas, Cuba, Hispanolia  2. called the native peoples “Indians,” since he believed he had reached India

 D. Relations with the Natives  1. enslaved many to mine for gold  2. millions died of European diseases

IV. Other Spanish Explorers  A. Spain claimed the Americas for colonization  B. Treaty of Tordesillas-pope settled dispute over land between Spain and Portugal  1. created a line of demarcation  2. Spain controlled west of line, Portugal controlled East

 C. Amerigo Vespucci-sailed along South America  1. named it “America” after himself when he concluded it was not actually Asia  D. Juan Ponce de Leon-Spanish governor of Puerto Rico  1. sailed north in 1513 looking for the Fountain of Youth  2. discovered present-day Florida

 E. Vasco de Balboa-became the first to reach the Pacific coast by going through Panama  F. Ferdinand Magellan-his crew was the first to circumnavigate the globe  1. Magellan died in the Philippines

 G. Hernan Cortes: conquered the Montezuma and the Aztec empire  1. used conquered peoples to his advantage  2. had superior weaponry  3. disease had wiped out much of the population of the Aztecs  H. Francisco Pizarro: conquered the Incan empire  1. kept the emperor Atahualpa hostage  2. murdered the emperor and installed his own

 I. Hernando de Soto: explored much of what is today the Southeastern United States  J. Francisco Vazquez de Coronado: explored present day Southwestern United states in search of the Seven Cities of Gold The Road to El Dorado

 G. Vasco da Gama: first explorer to reach India by sailing around the tip of Africa

V. French Explorers  A. Giovanna da Verrazano: sent to find a Northwest Passage across North America  1. Europeans believed there was a water passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans  B. Jacques Cartier: mapped the St. Lawrence River

 C. Samuel de Champlain: founded French colonies of Nova Scotia and Quebec

VI. English Exploration  A. English started exploring much later than Spain, France, and Portugal  1. government had little money during this time period  B. John Cabot: 1497 explored parts of Canada  1. disappeared on his second voyage to America  2. had not discovered gold or wealth, so the English made no effort to colonize quickly

VII. The Columbian Exchange  A. Food traveled between Europe and the Americas  1. corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.  2. tobacco also made its way to Europe  3. Europeans brought coffee, oats, wheat, bananas, citrus fruit, etc.  B. Firearms and weapons were exchanged

 C. Diseases the most significant exchange  1. influenza, measles, chicken pox, small pox, typhus  2. Native Americans had no immunity; killed millions and decimated the population  3. Natives gave syphilis to Europeans