1. Spanish Exploration & French Colonization
Age of Contact

2. Reasons for Colonization
England
Religious Freedom-Escape religious persecution
Cheap Land- Second, third fourth etc. sons left England for economic opportunity
Power-Gain more land, wealth and resources for the mother country
Spain
Gold-Wealth
God-Spread Catholicism
Glory-Expand the power and wealth of Spain
France
Fur- gain wealth through the fur trade
Co-habitation- live with native Americans & did not create large permanent settlements
Did not attempt to convert native Americans
England & Spain failed to gain support from the Native Americans due to their attempt to alter their religious and social structures. The Native Americans supported France because they did not attempt to alter their social structure.

3. New Technologies led to Spanish success
•Spanish Conquistadores:
Armor
Weapons
Gunpowder
•Spanish Navigators:
Astrolabe
Magnetic Compass
Caravel (rudder)
Advanced Map

4. Spanish Explorers- Alonso Alvarez De Pineda
In 1519 he mapped the Texas coastline.
This began the process of Spanish colonization in North & South America.

5. Spanish Explorers-Cabeza de Vaca
He explored Texas as Indian captive and shaman and reported about Texas in his writings La Relacion.
A large group of conquistadors went to North America and South America to gain wealth and prestege.

6. Spanish Explorers-Francisco de Coronado
He explored the Southwest for Spain looking for riches; reported that the area north of Mexico had little value for Spain, named settlement Amarillo.
Many conquistadors stopped sailing to North America after Coronado’s report.

7. French Explorer- Robert La Salle
He wanted create a settlement on the Mississippi river and missed his destination.
He built Fort St. Louis at Matagorda Bay for the French.
It eventually was abandoned after LaSalle was murdered.
It threatened Spain’s domination of the area which led to the mission system in Texas

8. Spanish Explorers-Alonzo de Leon
He discovered LaSalle’s abandoned fort and established some of the early unsuccessful missions in East Texas.
This began the Spanish colonization period.

9. Columbian Exchange-Triangular Trade
New world crops like maize, potatoes and tobacco spread to Europe, resulting in a population growth. Cacao made into chocolate became a luxury product in Europe along with sugar from the Americas
Sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were introduced in the Americas, changing the diets of Americans
Lifestyles of Native Americans were changed by the introduction of horses
Coffee was planted in the New World
The Americas became a source for cotton and sugar
Sugarcane production promoted the Trans-Atlantic slave trade
Native populations of the Americas were decimated by diseases brought by the Europeans