1. Europeans come to the Americas
First Contact
Europeans come to the Americas

2. Early Contact - Vikings
According to oral history, Leif Ericson was the first Viking explorer to find North America. He established a colony in what he called Vinland in around 1000 A.D.
In 1960, archaeologists found evidence of a Viking colony (probably that of Leif Ericson) in northern Newfoundland.

3. Early Contact - What about others?
There are many theories about other people arriving in the Americas before Columbus. Theories exist about voyages by the Welsh, West Africans, and Chinese.
Most of these theories have very little actual evidence to support the theory. Until any solid archaeological evidence is found, these theories can remain only speculation.

4. Europe In 1492
Much of Western Europe was still recovering from the end of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance had begun in Italy and spread through Western Europe throughout the 1400s.
Things were getting better now, but there were still many problems.

5. Europe In 1492
England and France had recently finished the 100 years war and were still recovering.
Populations throughout Western Europe were still lower than they had been in 1300, due to the plague.

6. Europe In 1492
Records are inexact and historians differ on the numbers, but estimated populations in Western Europe (according to The Encyclopedia of World History, 2001) were:
Country
Population
in 1300
in 1500
Italy
10 million
7.5 million
British Isles
5 million
3 million
France
17.5 million
12.5 million
Iberia (Spain & Portugal)
9 million
7 million
Germany & Scandinavia
11.5 million

7. Europe In 1492
Spain emerged from a long war to gain control of the Iberian Peninsula. A series of battles against the Muslim Moors had driven them out, leaving behind only the remnants of their sophisticated culture.

8. Europe In 1492
A very important marriage between Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile united the country in the hands of one Christian monarch.

9. Early European Explorers
Now, Spain was ready to expand its power and looked across the ocean to do so.
Ferdinand and Isabella gave Columbus the money and ships to explore. He “discovered” the Americas.
Christopher
Columbus

10. Early European Explorers
There were many explorers involved in the exploration of the “New World” by the Europeans. Some of the important early explorers are listed here.
Year
Explorer
Area Explored (with today’s names)
1492
Christopher Columbus
Several islands of the Caribbean
1497
John Cabot
Newfoundland
1501
Amerigo Vespucci
South American Coast – Brazil
1519
Hernando Cortes
Mexico – Conquered the Aztec Empire
1531
Francisco Pizarro
South America – Conquered the
Inca Empire
1535
Jacques Cartier
Canada – Maritime provinces

11. Early European Explorers
These explorers represented several different European countries. The ones that came to dominate large parts of the Americas were Spain, Portugal, France, and England.
Though there were some differences between these countries, they tended to follow very similar patterns in their exploration and colonization.

12. Steps to Exploring & Colonization1.
Send out explorers. 2.
Claim land for the home country. Conquer any Native people who inhabited the land. Accidentally spread disease amongst those Natives, to make conquest easier. 3.
Begin exporting the wealth of the new land (e.g. Gold, silver, lumber, and furs) to the home country. Steal these natural resources from the Natives first.

13. Steps to Exploring & Colonization4.
Send colonists to set down more permanent roots. The settlers should steal more land from the few remaining Natives and engage in activities like farming, mining, lumber, and the fur trade. 5.
Import slaves (usually from Africa) to provide cheap labour on farms and in mines. 6.
Fight with other European nations when necessary to defend or expand colonies.

14. Why did the Europeans defeat the Natives?
A Case Study of the Aztec and Inca
Despite the strength of the Aztec Empire, it was conquered in 1521 by Hernando Cortes.
Cortes had an army of 600 soldiers (plus some native allies), 20 horses and 10 cannons.

15. Why did the Europeans defeat the Natives?
Despite the strength of the Incan Empire, it was conquered by Francisco Pizarro in Pizarro’s army of 168 soldiers defeated 80, 000 Incan soldiers.

16. Why did the Europeans defeat the Natives?
Why were Europeans so successful in defeating the Natives, in both of these cases and in many more?
Guns
Germs
Steel
Conquest

17. Guns, Germs, and Steel Weapons (Guns)
The Spanish had steel swords against the blunt clubs and bronze knives of the Aztec and Inca.
They also had guns (harquebuses) – though these were not yet very advanced

18. Guns, Germs, and Steel Disease (Germs)
Europeans brought diseases they had developed from contact with farm animals
examples: Smallpox, Influenza, Measles

19. Guns, Germs, and Steel Technology (Steel)
Europeans had steel armour vs. the quilted armour of the Aztec and Inca
Europeans had horses, and the equipment to ride them into battle

20. Guns, Germs, and Steel Technology
Europeans had written language and learned through writing of other battles against Natives. The Incans had none and didn’t learn about the Aztec experiences
Codex Zouche-Nuttall
Aztec Writing

21. End Result = Conquest
These same three things (Guns, Germs, and Steel), gave Europeans an advantage over the Natives in every part of the two continents.
The battle was not always so easy. Sometimes the Natives fought on for a long time. Inevitably though, the Europeans won the battles and established colonies, while the Native populations were almost wiped out.

22. European Land Claims by 1750