European Exploration & Settlement Chapter 2 Mrs. Brown 1
Mar 27, 2015
European Exploration & Settlement
Chapter 2
Mrs. Brown
1
Earliest Exploration• The Vikings are believed to be the
first Europeans to reach the Americas–Vikings from Iceland explored
Newfoundland (in Canada) circa 1000
–There were no permanent Viking settlements
2
Christopher Columbus
• Christopher Columbus was just one of many explorers looking to get riches from the Indies– Came up with the idea
of sailing WEST, not east
– Eastern route was controlled by Portugal
3
Columbus’ Voyages• Columbus set sail
from Spain with 3 ships in August, 1492– Reached the island
of Hispaniola on October 12, 1492
• Columbus assumed that he had reached the Indies
4
Columbus’ Voyages• In Hispaniola,
Columbus came into contact with the Taino Indians– Taino were friendly
and welcoming– Columbus soon forced
the Taino to mine for gold
– Within 100 years, almost all Taino were dead
5
Columbian Exchange
• Transfer of crops, animals, ideas, and diseases between Europe, Africa, and the Americas
6
Spanish Exploration• After Columbus,
Spain sent conquistadors to America
• Cortes – conquered the Aztecs in Mexico– Aztecs thought he
was a god• Pizarro – conquered
the Inca in Peru 7
Spanish Exploration• The first Spanish
settlement in the USA was at St. Augustine, FL– Juan Ponce deLeon, 1513
• Spanish built presidios throughout the southwestern US– Catholic missionaries
attempted to convert the Indians to Catholicism
8
French Exploration• Seeing Spanish
success, the French also set up colonies– Explored the Mississippi
River and claimed the territory for France
• Worked as business partners with the Native Americans, trapping and trading beaver pelts
9
English Exploration• England also
wanted to set up colonies in America
• First attempt at a colony was at Roanoke - 1585– Colony disappeared
• England didn’t try again until 1607
10
English Exploration• In 1607, the London
Company sent 144 men to Jamestown– Very few of the men
had any trade skills
• Area was a poor place to settle, but alliances and tobacco helped colony survive
11
Jamestown• Capt. John Smith became the
leader of Jamestown in 1608–“If a man would not work; neither
should he eat”
• Winter of 1609 – the “Starving Time”–Indians refused to trade with settlers,
and only 60 of 500 settlers survived12