1. Europeans Compete in North America

2. How did conflicts in Europe spur exploration in North America/
Conflict between the countries of Europe caused them all the explore and colonize.
Better trade routes and foreign colonies = wealth and power and each wanted to be more powerful than the other
Gold from colonies = $ to pay for wars
Conflicts meant that trade between European countries was unreliable. They couldn’t count on each other for goods/resources. Looked to colonies for these goods.

3. European Conflicts Religious Conflict Economic Conflict
Protestant Reformation
Men like Martin Luther and John Calvin believed and spoke publicly that the Catholic Church was on the wrong track.
Eventually many European countries split with the Catholic church and set up Protestant churches
Catholic vs. Protestant
Inflamed by religious conflict
Constant war and shifting of alliances
European countries believed they couldn’t count on their neighboring countries for trade
Began to look elsewhere

4. Solution to economic problems?
Mercantilism: colonies exist to make the home country more wealthy and powerful.
In stead of trading with other (unreliable) European countries we can get what we need from colonies
Example: Spain required that 1/5 of all gold found would be sent to the king.

5. Queen Elizabeth of England (Protestant) vs
Queen Elizabeth of England (Protestant) vs. King Phillip of Spain (Catholic)
Phillip wanted to make England a Catholic country again.
Elizabeth was a Protestant
England was raiding Spanish ships and taking gold that had come from America
Phillip sent powerful navy known as the Spanish Armada
Smaller, faster English ships won the battle by sinking ½ of the Armada

6. What changed? Spain greatly weakened especially on the seas
Allows for countries like England and France to establish colonies in America
European conflict spreads to America

7. What is the Northwest Passage, and what did explorers eventually discover about it?
NW Passage: sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific that passed through or around NA.
Didn’t exist…until recently