1. European Colonization of the New World 1500’s – 1700’s

2. Context to Colonization: Europe in the 1500’s
Protestant Reformation (1500’s):
Protest over corruption in the Catholic Church
Protesters formed groups that broke away to found their own Christian religions that they felt were more pure
Age of Exploration (late 1400’s-1600’s):
European nations sponsored exploration of the “New World” in an effort to:
search for more direct trade routes to Asia
expand their empires
increase wealth

3. Establishing Colonial Empires: Terms
Colony A settlement begun in a distant region that is governed by the home country Colonial Empire A group of colonies controlled by the same home country

4. Establishing Colonial Empires
Motivations for Building Colonial Empires
Wealth
Natural resources/raw materials
Expand markets (people to sell goods to)
Tax revenue (settlers pay taxes to home country)
Power
More land/resources  more power
Colonies serve as military outposts

5. Establishing a Colony Charter
A document giving the king’s permission to start a colony and establish local government
Colonial Founders
Merchants Joint Stock Companies Proprietors Religious Groups Royal Supporters etc
King
Colonists

6. Push and Pull Factors Pull Push Opportunity Economic Political
Why Colonists Chose America?
Why Colonists Left Europe?
__________ Factors
Economic ___________ (New World seen as land of abundance)
____________ freedom
____________
________ Factors
Escape _________ problems (____________, lack of _________________)
Escape __________ conflicts
Escape _____________ intolerance (Protestant Reformation in Europe)
Pull
Push
Opportunity
Economic
Poverty
Opportunity
Political
Political
Religious
Religious
Adventure

7. Triangular Trade (1600s and 1700s)
During the Age of Exploration, European nations established sophisticated systems of trade among the continents bordering the Atlantic Ocean:
____________ from Africa to Americas,
_____________ from the Americas to Europe,
___________________ from Europe to the Americas & Africa.
Slaves
Raw Materials
Manufactured Goods

8. Europeans Native Americans Africans Convergence 3 one colonizers
50-100
4-7
Africans
3/4ths