1. Chapter 2: Contact and Colonization
The Legacy of European Interference

2. Pre-Contact
Aboriginal societies were diverse in terms of governance, geographical adaptations and culture. This diversity was the result of thousands of years of development
Six Major Cultural Regions:
Woodlands
Lowlands
Interior Plains
Northern Sub-Arctic
Pacific Coast
Arctic
Task 2.1:
Write down a brief note about the characteristics of each of the cultural regions.

3. Egalitarian & Centralized Governance:
A form of governance that took the needs of the group superseded those of the individuals. This was used amongst nomadic tribes predominantly.
Centralized governance better served the needs of larger groups with disparate interests. These were usually more sedentary and agriculturally based societies.
In each individual cultural-group governance was specific to their needs.
Trade between groups had the benefit of helping each society fulfill their needs and allowed it to develop over periods of time.
Trade also allowed for territorial alliances to form.
Task 2.2:
Why were specific government types needed for different lifestyles?

4. Contact
1500 CE--though it happened at different times (over 200 years) across North and South America.
In the beginning the relationship was cordial (for the most part) and mutually beneficial. Trade of goods, knowledge and skills assisted both groups.
Task 2.3
In a paragraph explain the benefits and detriments of this early contact on aboriginal peoples

5. Task 2.4: In a page Research the differences between RCC and Protestant belief systems
European Societies
Beginning of the Modern Age -- Rise of new seafaring & military technologies; desire to explore for the purposes of trade and a sense of competition between the different countries on the continent.
Church and State
Reformation -- began as a movement to re-engage European societies with Christian values and morals while at the same time pulling away from the Roman Catholic Church. It expanded to influence politics, daily life, art, science and trade. This effort also saw the creation of the Protestant religion as a split from the Roman-Catholic Church.
This split between the RCC and the Protestant Church raised tensions between the nation- states of Europe with France, Spain and Portugal all siding with the RCC while the British Empire became staunchly protestant.
This religious division has an impact on North American through the attempted conversion of native groups to Christianity.

6. European Societies II Colonialism Expansionism The Route to Asia:
Task 2.5: Research why Asia was so desireable for trading with.
Colonialism
Essentially the desire to rule over other people and place and to exploit their resources for the benefit of the dominant country.
Expansionism
This term is used to describe the way in which European nations sought to expand their holdings. For example, Portugal sought to expand its trading territory by going around the Horn of Africa and trading with India and China--they developed colonial holdings along this route with the use of African Slaves as labourers.
The Route to Asia:
In 1492 Christopher Columbus lead an expedition for Spain to find a more effective trade route to the markets of Asia. He sailed West into the Atlantic Ocean and found what is now known as Haiti and the DOminican Republic--though he thought that it was India. Hence, the use of Indians for the indigenous people of the Island.

7. Early Trade Routes:

8. Colonialism and expansion drove the development of the slave trade which began in Portugal and Spain and spread through other European countries.
people were being sent yearly to the Americas as slave labourers.
They were met with brutal conditions, cruel punishment and the destruction of their family connections.
The plantation structure in the Southern US and the Caribbean served as the economic backbone of Europe’s industrialization and empire building.
The Slave Trade:
Task 2.6 Explain the Mercantilist Model and it’s connection to colonial and the slave trade.

9. Exploration & Further Imperial Expansion
After Columbus’ arrival in South America, the Spanish followed with invasion and Empire building. Any resistance was met harshly as, for example in Mexico, population decreased from 27 million people to 1 million between the mid-1500s and 1650.
John Cabot (in the employ of English Merchants) set sail looking for a passage to Asia. His travels took him to Newfoundland (or potentially Cape Breton) which he immediately claimed for England--despite the native Beothuk population already present.
He also discovered the Grand Banks and the abundance of fish there. This was an economic boon as for Catholics fish was a dietary staple on the days that meat was banned. Hundreds of fishing fleets began to exploit these natural resources.
The French trade in furs was also part of the appeal of the new world. Jacques Cartier’s contact with the Mi’Kmaq and the Iroquois introduced him to the concept and lead to his declaration of the lands for France (Nova Scotia Westward).
Beaver pelt was very popular and profitable so much so that it convinced the French government to become more invested in the continent and began to construct fortresses.

10. Champlain Place...
Samuel de Champlain went further into the St. Lawrence Seaway and established trading centres in current-day Quebec.
He understood the need for connect with the aboriginal peoples (for financial gain) so he sent young traders to work with them and learn their languages. He also sided with the Algonquins and Wendat against the Haudenosaunee in a aboriginal conflict.
In New York (then called New Amsterdam) the Dutch allied themselves with the Haudenosaunee and sold them firearms. The British continued this practice when they took over the area. This was a decisive advantage as the French only sold weapons when aboriginal groups converted to Catholicism--resulting in an imbalance in power.
Task 2.7: Choose one of the above aboriginal groups to prepare a small research presentation on--5 minutes in length.

11. The British are Coming...
In 1668 the British decided to get in on the Fur Trade’s profits and sailed into James Bay to set up a trading camp.
This was followed by a larger effort to stake a claim in the heart of North America by the charter offer to the Hudson’s Bay Company (hence Hudson’s Bay) to all of the land South and West of the Bay.
This amplified the competition in the fur trade and lead to the creation of the Coureurs de Bois (many of whom were Metis) to protect French interests. Conflict followed until 1760 when the English eventually took much of the land and all of the fur trade.
Task 2.8
Define both the Metis and the Coureurs de Bois--explain their historical significance.

12. Compare and Contrast: Impact of Contact on Aboriginal People:
Task 2.9:
Complete this chart using pages
Compare and Contrast:
Impact of Contact on Aboriginal People:
Impact of Contact on Europeans: