Early Exploration of North America & The Colonial Era

United States History

Who preceded Columbus in reaching the New World (North America)? What was the difference?

-Norse explorers (Scandinavian explorers like Vikings) preceded Columbus in reaching the New World (The Americas), but Columbus was the first explorer to establish and govern major settlements. 

Where was Columbus from?

-Columbus was Italian but his explorations were funded by Spain.

Who made the first voyage to America for England?

John Cabot

Who explored the American Southwest?

Coronado

What did Columbus do on his first 4 major trips to America?

During his four major trips to the America, Columbus took Native American slaves back to Spain and also established poorly managed agricultural and mining camps in which Native Americans were often raped, tortured, and forced to perform slave labor. 

What is considered the Old World? What is considered the New World?

Old World: Europe

New World: America

What were important things taken from the Old World to the New World?

diseases like Smallpox which killed many Native Americans, Christianity, horses

What were important things taken from the New World back to the Old World?

corn that was being grown in north and south america which became a staple crop, canoe from native americans, slaves, diseases like Syphilis.

What did the USA start out as?

13 British Colonies

What were the three main original regions of the colonies and how were each of them economically founded?

1. New England Colonies (North): economically founded in shipbuilding and commerce

2. Middle Colonies: economically founded in farming (food crops) and commerce

3. Southern Colonies: economically founded in cash crops like tobacco and cotton (sold for profit but not something you would eat); big on slavery

Jamestown Settlement

in Virginia, was the first permanent British settlement in North America, founded by the London Company (organization of merchants), founded because the royal crown gave a charter (written grant) to somebody.

Massachusetts Bay Colony/Plymouth Colony

Puritans/Separatists who wanted to break away from the church and establish a more pure church in the Americas (Pilgrims)

New York

originally was settled by Dutch, but then British overtook it, gave it to the Duke of York, New York city used to be the Dutch city of New Amsterdam, but then the British renamed it)

Pennsylvania

founded by Quakers a farming/religious group

What was the French and Indian War?

(1754-1763) During the colonial era, the French and Indian War fought in the Americas was an extension of the 7 years war that was being fought between the British and French in Europe.

-Spanish/French were on a team against Britain.

Why were the Native Americans involved in the French and Indian War?

Native Americans were recruited by the French to fight against British colonists in America.

What was the result of the French and Indian war?

As a result of the British victory, they acquired substantial new land holdings, but also acquired serious debt, and problems of controlling this new large territory, resources became very thin