European Expansion

Jacques Cartier

French explorer who explored Canada and helped establish the French fur trade.

Samuel de Champlain

Founded Quebec in 1608 and helped establish New France.

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement that divided New World territories between Spain and Portugal; Portugal got what became Brazil.

Spanish Requirement of 1513

Spain claimed God gave them the right to conquer Native peoples and convert them to Christianity.

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

First European to reach the Pacific Ocean by crossing Panama in 1513.

Juan Ponce de León

Spanish explorer who led the first European expedition to Florida.

Ferdinand Magellan

Led the expedition that became the first to circumnavigate the Earth (1519–1522); died before it was completed.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire.

Conquistadores

Spanish/Portuguese soldiers and explorers who conquered and colonized the Americas.

Encomienda

Spanish system that gave colonists control over Native labor and tribute; basically slavery in practice.

Repartimiento

Replaced encomienda; Native people were technically free and paid, but Spanish authorities still forced them into harsh labor.

Juan de Oñate

Spanish conquistador who established a permanent settlement in the Southwest and became infamous for massacring Native people at Acoma.

Sir Walter Raleigh

English explorer who received permission to colonize North America and founded Roanoke.

Roanoke

First attempted English colony; became known as the “Lost Colony” after its settlers mysteriously disappeared.

Virginia Company

English joint-stock companies created to establish colonies in North America, eventually leading to Jamestown.