Chapter 2 - European Exploration Of The Americas 

Section 1 - Spain Claims an Empire

• 3 main goals during European Age Of Exploration
  • %%Spread Christianity beyond Europe%%
  • %%Expand their empires%%
  • %%Become Rich%%
• European Countries got many benefits from colonies
  • %%Mined for gold and silver%%
  • %%Grew crops that could be traded for gold and silver%%
  • %%Colonies bought goods from the home country%%

%%Mercantilism%%- “An economic system in which nations increase their wealth and power by obtaining more gold and silver”

• Conquistadors were Spanish conquerors who claimed American land for Spain.
  • Cortes invaded Central America (Mexico) and conquered the Aztecs
  • Pizarro invaded Peru and conquered the Incas
• Spain was successful in its conquest of The Americas for 3 Reasons
  • The spread of European diseases killed Native Americans
  • The Spanish were good soldiers and had superior weapons
  • Spain made an alliance with Native Americans who were enemies of the Aztecs and the Incas

Section 3 - The Impact of Colonization

%%Plantations%% - Large farms that raised cash crops such as tobacco or cotton

%%Slavery%% - The practice of holding a person bondage for labor

%%African Diaspora%% %%-%% The forced Removal of Africans from their homeland to serve as slave labor in the Americas

%%Racism%% - The belief that some people are inferior because of their race ( Long-term effect of slavery)

• %%The Spanish were the European country that introduced slavery to the Americas%%
• Main goal of missions for Spanish colonization was to %%convert Native American to Christianity%%
• The Spanish tried to replace Native American traditions
• Forced Natives to work in mines and on plantations
• Were abusive and many Native Americans Died
• The aspect of European settlement in the Americas that was the most destructive to the Native American population was the %%spread of European diseases%%
• 4 reasons why Europeans enslaved Africans
  • %%Immune to most European Diseases%%
  • %%Had no friends or family in the Americas to help them try to escape%%
  • %%Permanent source of cheap labor%%
  • %%Many had prior experience working on farms%%

%%Middle Passage%% - The voyage of slave ships from Africa to the Americas

• Slaves resisted slavery by rebelling or running away
• Europeans came to associate slavery with black Africans. Dark skin became a sign of inferiority. Slavery lead to racism.
• Slave trade lasted 400 years (1500’s to the 1800’s)
• Africans survived in part by clinging on to their cultures ( dance, music, storytelling)