European america

European America

The Columbian Exchange

A global exchange of people, things and ideas made possible by Columbus' voyages in 1492. From America:  Corn, beans, chile peppers, chocolate  From Europe: Wheat, sheep, pigs, cows, horses From Africa: Peanuts, Okra, Gumbo

People, Things and Ideas made possible by the Columbian ExchangeSpaghetti and Meatballs in tomato sauce Pork and Beans Chocolate Milk "Hispanic" Jazz

The Northwest Passage

Britain, France and the Netherlands all began looking for a waterway through or around North America in the 1500s. In the process, all three made land claims on North America. In the early 1600s, they began colonizing.Britain (Jamestown, 1607)France (Quebec, 1609)Netherlands (Ft. Albany, 1611)

European Claims in the Western Heisphere

Colonial Powers

Major Players: Spain Britain France

Minor Players: The Netherlands Portugal Denmark Russia

Characteristics of Spanish ColoniesLocation:  Modern-day Southwestern U.S., Florida, Central America & the Caribbean, most of South America. Religion: Catholic (strictly enforced). Economy:  Mining and Large-scale plantation agriculture.   Society:  Four Social Classes (in order from highest to lowest):  Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos/Mulattos, Slaves/Native Americans

Characteristics of British ColoniesLocation: Atlantic Coast of North America with small presence in the Caribbean (Jamaica, the Bahamas) Religion: Protestant (strictly enforced in some places, not in others) Economy: Mixed.  Fur trade and Naval Stores in the north, Tobacco, Rice, Indigo and Naval stores in the South.  Sugar and Piracy in Caribbean. Society: Self-Rule leads to a more democratic society (for European males) in the north.  Slavery institutionalized in the South.

Characteristics of French coloniesLocation: St. Lawrence River (Canada), Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Gulf Coast.  Haiti & a few Caribbean Islands. Religion: Catholic, strictly enforced. Economy: Fur trade in the North, Sugar in the Caribbean. Society: most French colonists were men who lived among and intermarried with the Native Americans.

The lesser powers

Portugal controlled Brazil on the East coast of South America until the 1820s.   The Netherlands controlled modern-day New York and New Jersey.  They lost this colony (New Netherland) to the British in 1661.  The Netherlands also had some islands in the Caribbean. Denmark controlled Greenland There was also a short-lived Swedish colony (Ft. Christina) in modern-day Delaware.

Early Conflicts

Spanish galleons traveled an area of the Caribbean known as the Spanish Main.  This attracted pirates to the area.Britain hired many of these pirates specifically to raid Spanish shipping.  Eventually pirates make a pretty good living in the Caribbean working for competing nations.  Britain, France and The Netherlands all fought with one another at various times over the fur trade in the Northeastern part of North America.

Conclusion:

These conflicts between the colonial powers will eventually lead to the rebellion of Britain's 13 North American colonies, which leads to the creation of the United States.