U1

DISCOVERY AND COMPETITION { SECTION 2.1 }

  • Before Columbus, Europeans had zero knowledge of the people or the land of the Americas

    • More interested in land to the east

    • Two events introduced Europeans to the 4 S’s (Spices, Silk, Scents, and precious Stones) from Asia and the Middle East

      • The Crusades (11th-13th centuries)

        • Nine expeditions by Europeans to win back control of their holy sites from the Muslims

      • MARCO POLO’s travel (late 13th century)

        • Italian explorer who spent 17 years in China (traveled by land to get there)

        • Told stories of “the indies” when he returned to Italy

        • Known  as “the man with a million stories”

        • Rare spices, gold, jewels, luxury

        • His stories encouraged explorers to find a faster route to China by traveling to the west



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS [1492] 

  • Italian who was convinced that the shortest route to the Indies lay to the west, across the Atlantic Ocean (knew the world was round, but didn’t know how big it was)

  • Convinced King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to sponsor a voyage by supplying ships (appealed to their desire to spread Christianity and promised riches)

  • Sailed west with three small ships on August 3rd, 1492

    • On October 12th, 1492 he finds a small in the Caribbean Sea

    • What he thought was the Indies was actually the Bahamas, so he called the people Indians

    • Named the land San Salvador (holy savior)

  • Made three more trips from Spain to the Caribbean, finding more islands, as well as the coasts of Central and South America

  • Claimed the land for Spain

  • Died believing he had found Asia

  • Was not the first European to reach the Americas - Vikings from Scandinavia had briefly settled near present-day Newfoundland, Canada in the late 10th or early 11th century

  • Columbus’s exploration led to the Columbian Exchange and eventually slavery

  • JOHN CABOT [1497]

    • Italian explorer sent by King Henry VII of England

    • Sailed west and landed in Newfoundland 

      • Thought and reported back that he was in Asia

      • Most likely the first European encounter with the North American continent since the viking

      • Claimed the land for England

    • Most likely to be lost at sea during his second attempt at exploration 

    JUAN PONCE DE LEON [1513] 

    • After Columbus’s voyages, Spain sent soldiers called conquistadors across the Atlantic

      • Wanted to conquer a vast empire for Spain, convert people to Christianity, trade for goods, and find lots of gold

    • Made one of the first Spanish expeditions into North America

    • Had most likely sailed with Columbus to the Caribbean

    • Became wealthy by discovering gold in Puerto Rico

    • Sailed north, maybe in hopes of finding a ‘fountain of youth’ 

      • Landed in Florida

      • Returned 8 years later to establish a Spanish colony

        • American Indians used poisoned arrows to drive off the invaders

        • Died from poisoned arrow

      • In 1565, the land he explored in Florida became the first Spanish settlement in what would be the Us (St. Augustine)

HERNAN CORTES [1519]

  • A Spanish conquistador who arrived in Mexico with about 500 soldiers, along with horses and cannons (NATIVES THOUGHT they were deities or gods because of clothing and armor and how great their belongings were)

    • During his first trip in 1519, the Aztecs mistook Cortes for a god and welcomed him (he used this)

    • During his second trip in 1521, he conquered Tenochtitlan and overthrew the Aztec capital

      • Took advantage of American Indians who hated their Aztec rulers and spread of smallpox

    • Built Mexico City on the sight



FRANCISCO PIZARRO [1531]

  • A Spanish conquistador who led a successful attack on Incas in Peru

    • Captured the Incan ruler, Atahualpa, but promised to release him in exchange for gold

    • To save their ruler, the Incas filled three rooms with gold and silver treasures

    • Pizarro killed Atahualpa anyway and took over the Inca Empire

    • Spanish conquistadors conquered most of South America



French were friendlier

JACQUES  CARTIER [1534]

  • Goal was to find the Northwest Passage, an all-water route through the North American continent to the Pacific Ocean, but he could not find it. (no such thing as northwest passage)

  • Claimed land for France in parts of Canada

  • Beginnings of the fur trading business

    • Beaver hats were fashionable in Europe

    • Coureurs de bois - French fur trappers who learned many skills from the American Indians with whom they worked and lived



FRANCISCO VASQUEZ DE CORONADO [1540-1542] 

  • A Spanish conquistador who sailed north in hopes of finding the legendary golden cities appalled the Seven Cities of Cibola

    • Traveled for 7,000 miles, and all he could find was an American Indian pueblo

    • Disappointed