Early European Explorers

• There were many reasons and causes that led to the Europeans quest for new land

Viking Exploration• Vikings from Norway

became the first Europeans to establish a passage across the Atlantic to the land that became North America. They did it in stages, setting up bases in Iceland and Greenland until they reached Labrador in eastern Canada (Vinland)

Silk Road - overland route to the East

Spices• To find a sea route to the East for spices of Asia

• In the 1400s, there was no refrigeration. To prevent meat from spoiling, people drowned their meat in salt to preserve and dry it (like beef jerky). They also used a lot of spices like pepper to cover up the taste of the salted or spoiled meat

• There were no spices grown in Europe. They had to come from the “Indies” – China, Japan, India.

• Spices had to be brought across thousands of miles of dangerous mountains and deserts by spice traders, with bandits waiting to rob the spice caravans.

• In 1453 the route was cut off by the Turkish empire.• European rulers knew if they could find a different

route that they would become very rich.

Gold, Silver, Precious Stones

European rulers fought against each other and against the Turkish Empire

War was expensive and the rulers needed the gold, silver, and precious stones to finance them

Through their trading, they believed Asia was loaded with gold, silver, and precious stones

They had to find a way to get to the Indies that wouldn’t be as dangerous as going across Asia and through the Turkish Empire

Trade route to the Indies

Caravans Along the Silk Road

Quest for Knowledge

In the 1400’s Europeans did not know much about the world

Their maps only showed Europe, Asia, and the top of Africa

They only new one ocean – the Ocean Sea

Educated people knew the earth was round, but not how big

Larger Empires

Some European rules, primarily the King of Spain and the King of Portugal wanted to claim as much land as possible

The power of the Turkish Empire convinced them that they could control the natural resources and people of conquered territory

They began to finance exploration

Expand Christianity

There was only one religion in Europe at the time – Christianity

The European’s were very religious and wanted everyone to become Christian.

They would convert any conquered people to Christianity.

Demand was high for these items, but it was a long journey across land with many obstacles

• must hire MIDDLEMEN (traders who bought goods and sold them to other traders or consumers), which cut into the profit

• dangerous mountains and deserts

• bandits waiting to rob spice caravans

• cost to move the items from the East to

Europe was high and dangerous

Search for water route to AsiaPrince Henry the Navigator, (1394-1460, Portugal), established a school for the study of navigation and ship building. He sponsored expeditions down the coast of Africa. His goal was to find a route to the spice trade of the Indies and to explore the coast of Africa.

Going west to the Far East

• Christopher Columbus believed it was about 3000 miles to India with no land obstacles. He tried to get support for his EXPEDITION from the rulers of France, Portugal, and England. It was Spain that agreed to finance his voyage.

Christopher Columbus(1451-1506• Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria set sail in August, 1492• October, 1492 Columbus reached land, which he called San Salvador (the Bahamas)• Columbus believed he was off the coast of India and called the people living there INDIANS. • Columbus made 4 voyages across the Atlantic. He established the first Spanish settlement in the New World on Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti). • When Columbus died, he believed he had found the route to the Far East.•His efforts led to other European exploration (French, English, Spain) and the continued search

for a shorter route to the Far East.

Other Early ExplorersGiovanni Caboto (English name JOHN CABOT) sailed under the English flag and was the first European to actually reach the North American mainland - Newfoundland in Canada

The ocean route from Europe to India was discovered by 20 year old VASCO DE GAMA (Portugal) in 1498.

AMERIGO VESPUCCI (Italy) sailed along the coast of South America in 1499 and was convinced it was a new continent.

In 1519, FERDINAND MAGELLAN (Spain) sailed around the tip of South America, but died in the Philippines. One of his ships did make it back to Spain, the first to circumnavigate (circle) the globe.

Magellan’s Route

How America got its name• Amerigo Vespucci wrote

letters with glowing descriptions of what he referred to as the New World.

• These letters were read in later years by a German

cartographer (map maker)

Apparently unaware of Columbus’s discoveries and impressed by the descriptions of the New World, he labeled the new land AMERICA

Words of Mathias Ringmann, editor

“There is a fourth quarter of the world which Amerigo Vespucci has discovered and for this reason we can call ‘America’ or the land of Amerigo.”

“We do not see why the name of the man of genius, Amerigo, who discovered them, should not be given to these lands…”

These words were published in 1507 and marked the first time the word AMERICA appeared in print.

SPAIN IN THE NEW WORLD• Europeans wanted a shorter route than that of Magellan. • Ponce de Leon landed in what’s now is Florida in 1513.• Vasco de Balboa crossed the isthmus (narrow strip of land connecting 2 larges land areas) of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean

Europe in the New World

Treasure lures the Spanish

•Hernando Cortes, conquistador (Spanish conqueror), landed in Mexico in 1519. By 1521 he had conquered the Aztecs and claimed a treasure of gold and silver.

• Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca’s in Peru in 1535 and captured the richest silver mines in the world at that time. • Other Spanish

“Seven Cities of Cibola”• legendary golden cities in the southwest• de Niza, Spanish missionary discovered the Zuni people living in 7 villages in today’s Arizona and N. Mexico• he thought the villages were full of treasures, creating a legend that motivated other Spanish to explore the area.

• de Coronado led an expedition from northwestern Mexico with 300 troops and Native American slaves to search for the treasures. • although he found no gold and his expedition was considered a failure by his superiors, he explored a great deal of the southwest

Coronado’s expeditions through the southwest, including what is now Oklahoma

European – Indian contactIndian economy – barter system• Indians traded among themselves and with other Indians they came in contact with• beads, shells, spears, arrowheads

When the Spanish and French arrived, their economy changed• demand for furs and hides• the Indians exchanged these items for guns and ammunition

Beaver felt hats were very fashionable

Busy trade in beaver pelts was fundamental in the exploration and settlement of Canada

Demand for beaver hides almost led to their extinction

Introduction of Horses to the IndiansMost significant impact on Indian life was the horse.

Spaniards had the advantage over the Indians who had to travel on footHorses changed Indian life drastically• transportation (carrying items)• hunting• mobility – more contact with other tribes

• led to skirmishes over territoryBy 1700 almost every tribe had horses

PlantsPlants native to North America:• maize (corn), beans, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, sunflowers, 50+ kinds of berries

Europeans introduced:• rye, radishes, beets, sugar cane, rice, peaches, oats, coffee, wheat

Indians grew, chewed, and smoked tobacco • Europeans fascinated by smoking “sticks” (pipes)• smoking a calumet (long ceremonial pipe) was a

Native American ritual

AnimalsEuropeans brought with them domesticated animals• pigs, chickens, sheep, goats• the Indians used them for food and clothing

The North American turkey was taken back to Europe where it became very popular with the wealthy aristocracy.

Turkey Facts• Groups of turkeys are called “rafters” or “gobbles”• Big Bird’s original suit was made of over 4000 white turkey feathers dyed yellow• the flap under the turkey’s chin is called a “wattle” and turns bright red during mating season• Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird of the United States

Our national bird????"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly.... For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

excerpt from letter to Franklin’s daughter, 1784

DiseaseThe Europeans also introduced disease.

When the Europeans first arrived in the New World there were perhaps 10 millions Native people. A century later there were perhaps 1 million.

In the north (Canada area) Indians died from chicken pox, in the south, smallpox.

Lacking immunity from these diseases, the Indians died by the thousands. Whole villages “died on heapes, asthey lay in their houses.” The Aztec were defeated by Cortez only after they were weakened by smallpox.