U1:Early Contact with the New World (1491-1607)

1. European Exploration & Discovery (Pre-Jamestown)

1.1 The Race for Resources and Routes 🗺

• European Powers: England, Spain, Portugal, and France were all competing for resources and trade routes. It was like a high-stakes game of global Monopoly!

• Columbus's Voyage (1492): He wasn't looking for America, but he bumped into the Bahamas while trying to find a westward route to Asia. Oops! 🤷🏽‍♀️ *

Quick Fact

Columbus landed in the Bahamas at San Salvador.

* Consequences: News of the "New World" spread fast, kicking off a wave of exploration.

1.2 Spanish Dominance 👑

• Conquistadors: Think of guys like Francisco Pizarro and Hernán Cortés. They were after gold and silver and weren't afraid to use force.

• Aztec and Inca Empires: These powerful empires in Mexico and Peru were conquered, leading to massive wealth for Spain but also horrific loss of life for the natives. 💔 *

Key Concept

Advanced weaponry + European diseases = devastating losses for Native populations.

* Disease: Smallpox and other European diseases decimated Native populations. It's like they had zero defense against these new germs.

2. The Columbian Exchange 🔄

2.1 Economic Transformation 💸

• What is it? The exchange of plants, animals, ideas, and diseases between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (Americas).

• New World to Old World: Potatoes, corn, beans, and tobacco. The potato was a game-changer in Europe! 🥔

• Old World to New World: Wheat, rice, sugarcane, horses, cows, and pigs. These animals transformed the environment and economies of the Americas. *

Quick Fact

The introduction of the potato to Europe led to a population boom.

2.2 Social & Cultural Impacts

• Interconnected World: The exchange led to a more globalized world, with cultures mixing and changing. 🌍

• Joint-Stock Companies: England and the Dutch formed these to fund colonies and find riches. Think of it as early venture capital.

• Roanoke: The first English colony mysteriously disappeared. Spooky! 👻

• Jamestown (1607): Funded by the Virginia Company, it became England's first permanent colony, focused on tobacco production. 🌿

3. Social & Labor Systems

3.1 Encomienda System ⛓

• Spanish Labor: This system forced Native Americans into labor for mining and farming.

• Brutal Reality: It was a harsh system that led to exploitation and abuse. *

Common Mistake

Don't confuse the Encomienda system with chattel slavery. The Encomienda system was a forced labor system primarily targeting Native Americans, while chattel slavery involved the ownership of individuals as property, primarily Africans.

3.2 Shift to African Slavery

• Why? The Encomienda system was failing, and the demand for labor was high. Enslaved Africans became the new labor source.

• Caste Systems: Social systems based on lineage and ethnicity created rigid hierarchies. *

Key Concept

The shift to African slavery was a direct result of the failure and inhumane nature of the Encomienda system.

3.3 Religious Impact ⛪

• Missionaries: Spanish missionaries like de las Casas and Sepulveda tried to convert Natives to Catholicism. It wasn't always peaceful.

• Forced Conversion: Natives faced persecution and violence if they didn't convert.

• Religious Justification: Religious and social beliefs were used to justify the use of both Native and African labor.

4. Key Context for Period 1

4.1 Big Picture

• Causes of Exploration: Think about the 3 Gs: God, Gold, and Glory. Plus, a little bit of curiosity!

• Impacts: Focus on how the Europeans affected the Natives and vice-versa. It's a two-way street.

• Columbian Exchange: Understand how this exchange changed the world. It's a major theme!

• Labor Systems: Pay attention to the shift from the Encomienda to slavery. This is crucial for understanding later periods.

• Caption: The Triangular Trade system, while not fully developed in Period 1, began to take shape, with the exchange of goods, resources, and enslaved people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

• Caption: Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, played a key role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire, marking a significant moment in the history of European colonization in the Americas.

• 5. Major People and Events

  • Christopher Columbus: Italian explorer sailing for Spain, "discovered" the New World.

  • Aztecs, Mayas, Incas: Indigenous tribes conquered by the Spanish.

  • Francisco Pizarro & Hernan Cortes: Spanish conquistadors.

  • Columbian Exchange: The exchange of goods, ideas, plants, and diseases.

  • Bartolome de las Casas: Spanish missionary against Native enslavement.

  • Juan de Sepulveda: Spanish priest supporting the Encomienda System.

  • Encomienda System: Harsh Spanish labor system.

  • Slavery: Use of people for labor against their will.

  • The Black Legend: Term describing harsh Spanish practices on Natives.

  • Maize: Corn. 🌽

  Memory Aid

  Remember the key players: Columbus, Cortes, Casas. All starting with "C"!

  6. Key Timeline

  • 1492: Columbus Voyage

  • 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas

  • 1565: St. Augustine founded by the Spanish

  • 1587: Roanoke founded by the English

  • 1607: Jamestown founded by the English

  Memory Aid

  Use the mnemonic "CRJS" (Columbus, Roanoke, Jamestown, St. Augustine) to remember the order of major events!

  7. Major Trends

  • Environmental Issues: Increased as people searched for resources.

  • Competition: European powers competed, fueling joint-stock companies and rivalries.

  • Agricultural Exchange: Goods and practices spread between Europe and the Americas.

  • Economic Shift: From feudalism to capitalism.

  • Technological Advancements: Caravel and compass helped exploration.

  • Labor Expansion: Encomienda and slave labor systems expanded.