1. The Quest for Empire Map Study: European nations
this activity.
You will need your spiral, pen and map pencils for
The Quest for Empire
Students will create a set of map notes detailing European empires in North America, some major explorations, the goals of each empire as well as the policies they carried out in North America to reach their goals. In addition to map notes, you may also have students complete Cornell Notes over readings and video segments in this presentation.
Map Study: European nations
create empires in North America

2. Trace the outline of the map of the western Hemisphere on page___ in your spiral. Place the map along the top edge of your spiral.
Adapt to fit your needs.
Provide students with traceable copies of maps or give working copies for students to use.
Some students may need maps that are partially filled in to help them independently complete this lesson.

3. Trace the map of Europe on page _____ in your spiral. Place
the map along the top edge of your page.
Adapt to fit your needs.
Provide students with traceable copies of maps or give working copies for students to use.
Some students may need maps that are partially filled in to help them independently complete this lesson.

4. Print the labels as shown here.
Great Britain
France
Use this opportunity to reinforce mapping skills. Label size and color is used to connect information on a map. Labels should be printed.
Italy
Portugal
Spain

5. Print labels as shown here
New France
(Canada)
English Colonies
New Spain
Present day
Brazil

6. Henry wanted to find a water route to
India. The passage to India over land was
long, slow, and dangerous. A ship could carry
more goods to and from India than the largest
caravans, but Europeans could only guess that
sailors could circumnavigate, or go around,
Africa. Prince Henry helped unlock the secrets
of Africa. Henry set up a school for sailors to
learn the secrets of the ocean. He paid for
many sailing expeditions out of the Portuguese
treasury. Henry also employed cartographers
who created the most sophisticated maps of
their time. The maps made it possible for
sailors to learn from previous expeditions.
Circumnavigate- to sail around the world
Cartographers- map makers

7. From http://streaming. discoveryeducation
From insert: Portuguese Explorers: Exploration of the African Coast , a segment from The Explorers: The Dawning of the Era of Exploration.
Portugal

8. Color Portugal orange Portugal Goal: Control sea trade with Africa
Circled Africa in 1488

9. Draw a red line from Italy to Spain
Color Italy purple
Draw a red line from Italy to Spain
Italy
Christopher Columbus goes to
Spain with plans to sail around the world

10. Columbus was born in 1451, in Corsica and grew up
in Genoa He was the oldest of five children.
As a child, he helped his father as a weaver. He always
liked the sea.. Genoa was an important seaport.
There is no doubt that as a child he caught rides on
ships. He had little schooling but was a genius with
the sea. His plan was not to prove
that the world was flat, but it was to find a shortcut to
the Spice Islands. He wanted to establish a city
there for trade, seaports, and much more.When he
grew into a man he was interested in sailing to Asia
by going west. First he went to the king of Italy and
presented his idea before him. Italy wasn't looking
or a way to Asia, they were still receiving riches from
their old trade routes.

11. This panel depicts Queen Isabella listening attentively to Columbus's
Ask students to analyze and comment on the body language of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella as they hear Colombus’ proposal. Which monarch is showing the most attention?
This panel depicts Queen Isabella listening attentively to Columbus's
explanation of his map, with King Ferdinand at her side. On April 17,
1492, the agreement to finance the voyage was signed.
Beside this panel are figures of Alonzo d’Ojeda, a Spanish adventurer
who accompanied Columbus to the New World, and Queen Isabella.

12. Spain:
Goals= 3 G’s
Gold
God
Glory
Columbus reaches America in 1492

13. From http://streaming. discoveryeducation
From insert: The Aztec Empire: Life in Tenochtitlan (1502 A.D.) , a segment from Exploring the World: The Conquistadors and the Aztecs .
Aztec Empire

14. -make them Spanish citizens -obtain wealth and power
Nina
Pinta
Santa
Maria
Cortez conquers Aztec
Empire, 1521
Cortez sails to Mexico, 1519
Spain’s Policy:
convert Indians
-make them Spanish citizens
-obtain wealth and power

15. From http://streaming. discoveryeducation
From insert: The Spanish Conquest of Mexico ( ) , a segment from Exploring the World: The Conquistadors and the Aztecs

16. Spain rewarded Columbus by granting him a title of
The King and Queen of
Spain rewarded Columbus
by granting him a title of
nobility and giving him
permission to create a
coat of arms.
Columbus would make a
total of four voyages to
the New World and was
appointed governor
of the Spanish colony in
Hispanola. His leadership
was quite poor and he was
replaced.
Discuss the symbols that Columbus chose for his coat of arms. Point out to students that he was rather presumptuous to use the symbols of the families of the King and Queen of Spain. The image on the lower left is supposed to represent the islands of the Caribbean.

17. Demarcation- dividing line
Disagreements soon arose between Spain and
Portugal over who could claim newly discovered
lands for their empires.
Both nations were Catholic.
Both considered the Pope the final authority.
Popes had already decided questions of territorial
conflict between them.
The pope decided to draw a line of demarcation to separate the two
empires. The pope's line ran from the arctic pole to the Antarctic,
one-hundred leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde
Islands. Anything to the west of that line belonged to Spain.Anything
to the east, belonged to Portugal. The exception was if any other
Christian king or power already held lands within
those areas by Christmas day, 1493.
Demarcation- dividing line

18. Draw a purple line on your map as shown here.
Line of Demarcation
Pope gives all land to the
east to Portugal and all
land to the west to Spain

20. From http://streaming. discoveryeducation
From downlaod: John Cabot's Search for a Northwest Passage to Asia ( )
a segment of: The French Explorers: The Beginnings of French Exploration and Settlement in North America:
John Cabot

21. Label map and add details as shown
Great Britain
Goal: Find more
resources and
wealth
Cabot sails to North
America in 1497
A major resource England was lacking was forests. By this time forests were royal lands and carefully guarded. Without trees, England could not build a navy and thus could not compete for empire.

22. Great Britain’s Policy:
- remove all Indians
- get resources ( trees)

24. From http://streaming. discoveryeducation
From download and insert: The First Voyage of Giovanni da Verrazano
a segment of: The French Explorers: The Beginnings of French Exploration and Settlement in North America:
Verranzo

25. Label as shown
France::
Goals: Obtain wealth,
Make trade
agreements
Verranzano sailed to
North America in 1524

26. From http://streaming. discoveryeducation
From download and insert: The Explorations of Jacques Cartier ( )
a segment of: The French Explorers: The Beginnings of French Exploration and Settlement in North America:
Cartier

28. In 1682, La Salle led an expedition that followed the Mississippi
From download and insert: The Expeditions of the Sieur de La Salle ( )
a segment of: The French Explorers: The Exploration of the Mississippi River: Marquette, Jolliet, and LaSalle:
In 1682, La Salle led an expedition that followed the Mississippi
To the Gulf. He claimed all land (including Texas ) for France.

29. Label as shown
France’s Policy:
Establish friendly trade with Indians
Trade for wealth (furs)
Cartier claimed land
for New France in
La Salle claimed more
Land in 1682

30. Effects of European Empires on North America
From and insert one of the following video clips:
The Effects of New World Exploration on Trade and Expansion
a segment of: The New World: Explored and Assessing the Great Age of Exploration
a segment of: The Great Age of Exploration ( )
Effects of European Empires on North America