1. Geographic Factors Influenced European Exploration and settlement in North and South America
Level 1

2. Vocabulary Mother Country: a country that created a colony
Colony: a group of people who leave their mother country to start a new settlement but are still under the rule of the mother country
Explorer: someone who investigates a new area
NW Passage: a sea route connecting Europe to Asia by connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
Mayflower Compact: made by the Pilgrims as an agreement of government
Missionary: a person sent by a church to spread the faith of the church

3. Essential Questions
How did weather and natural hazards affect the explorers?
What are the similarities between settlement locations?
What are the similarities and differences between “New England”, “New France”, “New Netherland”, and “New Spain”?

4. Effects of weather and natural hazards on the Atlantic crossings
Diseases on ships led to a high death rate
Lack of food and clean water led to disease and malnutrition
Atlantic Ocean has more violent stroms than the Mediterranean Sea that led to the sinking of ships
Landing proved difficult because of the lack of knowledge of the sea floor and led the ships to be damaged
Ships leaked in water and some sank
Weather such as hurricanes and tropical storms destroyed or damaged ships

5. Characteristics of physical environments where different Europeans settled
New England
Hills with rocky soil
Natural resources: fish, whales, trees, furs
Cold climate short growling season
Settled next to waterways
New France
Settled near waterways
Temperate to arctic climate short growing season
Natural resources: beaver, fish, trees
Mostly Plains
New Netherland
Short winters
Fertile soil
Mountains, island and coastal plain
Natural Resources: fish, timber, beaver
New Spain
Tropical to desert climate
High, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, desert, islands
New England map:
New France map:
Spain:
New England info:
New France info:
New Netherland:
New Spain info:

6. The Development of “New England”
Massachusetts:
Original purpose: Religious Freedom for the Puritans
Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower
Signed the Mayflower Compact
Education was important in order to read the bible
Rhode Island:
Roger Williams, kicked out of Massachusetts Bay, started Rhode Island
Wanted separation of church and state and religious freedom
Connecticut: settled by Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonists in the 1630’s
New Hampshire: was settled in 1679
Economy: fishing, ship building and fur trading
All were English Colonies
It is ironic that religious freedom was the purpose of the settlement of New England because it was rarely provided to others as they settled there in the future

7. The Development of “New France”
Exploration of Cartier
Exploration of Champlain
Cartier:
Champlain:

8. The Development of “New France”
Why did the explorers come?
To find a trade route to Asia as well as gold and gems
Who came to New France to colonize?
Soldiers : came to build forts and protect against the Iroquois and then stayed
Catholics:
Jesuits: Roman Catholic priests who set up schools for boys and converted Natives to Catholicism
Fur Traders: Traded furs with the Indians
Farmers: owners of land granted to them by the King
Filles du Rois: mostly orphan girls were sent to encourage marriage for the large male population
Slaves: mostly Natives but also Africans
Territory: Eventually stretched to what is now Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana
Info:

9. The Development of “New Netherland”
Why did they come?
To find the NW Passage to Asia; Hudson sailed up the Hudson River to Albany and claimed the area for the Dutch East India Co.
Who came?
Dutch West India Co. was founded and sent 30 families to what is now Manhattan to settle there and New Amsterdam was created (now New York City)
Economy:
Focused on the fur trade but eventually moved to food, timber, tobacco and the slave trade after the Dutch West India Co. gave up its claim to the area
Taken over by the English
Info:
Be careful of the Hudson link because there are advertisements on before it. When I put it in, it was for one of the jackass movies.
Please be aware that you will need to register for pbslearningmedia.com in order to use the Hudson, Dutch West India Co. and New Amsterdam links. It is a free registration at this point.

10. The Development of “New Spain”
Why did Spain come?
Gold, silver, convert Natives to Catholicism, land
Who came?
Families, adventurers and Catholic missionaries
Explorers:
De Soto
De Leon
Coronado
Balboa
Pizarro
Cortez
Economy: sugar plantations and mining, farming, ranching
Colonized to protect their land claims

11. Essential Questions
How did weather and natural hazards affect the explorers?
What are the similarities between settlement locations?
What are the similarities and differences between “New England”, “New France”, “New Netherland”, and “New Spain”?