Chapter 2: New Empires in the Americas
Section 1: Europeans set Sail
1. Scandinavia and the Vikings
a. First Europeans to make contact with North America
b. Ships – longships
c. Leif Erikson – (son of “Erik the Red”)
d. Vinland
2. Portugal
a. Prince Henry the Navigator
i. Early 1400s
ii. Known for 3 things
1. Build an observatory
2. Financed mapmakers
3. Paid for explorations around the west coast Africa
iii. Reasons for Exploration
1. Asian spices
2. Religion – wanted to convert people to Christianity
3. Interest in Asian cultures
iv. Technology
1. Magnetic compass (consider your compass on cell phone)
2. Astrolabe (google pic)
3. Caravals
v. deGama
1. Portugal won European race for a sea route to Asia
2. Discovered the Sea Route
Section 2: Europeans Reach the Americas
3. Spain
a. Christopher Columbus
i. Convinced he could reach Asia by sailing west (ECONOMICS)
ii. Asked King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for funding
b. Amerigo Vespucci – First European to think a “new world” had been found – “America”
c. Ferdinand Magellan – First to attempt to “circumnavigate” the globe. Was killed in the Phillippines. 40,000 miles
d. Columbian Exchange – Exchange of plants and animals between Europe and the Americas (New World)
i. New World ->Europe: Corn, potatoes, tobacco, and cocoa.
ii. Europe -> New World: Horses, cattle, pigs AND diseases.
iii. ****** for the new World wheat and barley were significant new crops.
Section 3: Spain Builds an Empire
4. Spanish Conquistadors
a. Moctezuma: ruled the Aztec Empire, which was at the height of its power in the early 1500s.
b. Cortez: captured Moctezuma and seized control of the Aztec Empire.
c. Francisco Pizarro: had fewer than 400 men in his army, but had superior firepower; guns and swords – his troops captured and burned the Inca capital at Cuzco and killed the Inca leaders.
Reasons for Spanish Victory
"Quick Facts" p. 48
(Insert table here)
** Estevanico: Enslaved African who traveled the Southwest with de Vaca.
Encomienda System: Gave settlers the right to tax local Native Americans or to make them work. In exchange, the settlers were supposed to protect the Native American people and convert them to Christianity.
Plantations: Large farms that grew just one kind of crop.
Bartolome’ de LaCasas: Spanish should try to convert Native Americans to Christianity by showing love, gentleness, and kindness. Note: he was a Spanish Priest.
Section 4: The Race for Empires
Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther criticized the Catholic Church. First -- Infant baptism. Second -- Protestants believed God meant for religion to be simple. Note: the printing press helped spread the ideas of the Reformation.
Note: Seadogs – English sailors who raided Spanish treasure ships. P. 53
Northwest Passage: Europeans wanted to find a water route through North America that would allow ships to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Charter: a document giving a person permission to start a colony. Usually included goals and expectations.
Note of Economics: French settlers allied and traded with local Native American groups; based on the value of furs (especially beaver). Because of this the French treated the N.A. with more respect than other Europeans.
Economics: This was the driving force for Europeans to come to the Americas in pursuit of land and riches.
Inflation: The rise in the price of goods caused by an increase in the amount of money that is in use by a country's economy. Lowers the value of a dollar resulting in the need for more dollars to buy the same amount of goods.
Section 5: Beginnings of Slavery in the Americas
* Diseases had a devastating effect on the Native Americans; Europeans were "immune".
* The drop in the native population created a need for an alternative labor force.
* The colonists agreed that slaves from West Africa could provide labor
*1510 the Spanish government legalized the sale of slaves.
* Middle Passage: the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean for slaves
*African Diaspora: the scattering of a people; Enslaved Africans were scattered across the New World. ** refer to map on p. 60 or here.
Slave Culture in the Americas
1. Families provided a refuge
2. Religion gave slaves a sense of self worth and a hope
3. Music, folktales, and dance were used to tell their stories of sorrow, hope, agony, and joy.