Explorers Notes

It all started when…

We think the story started with Christopher Columbus setting off to explore and find a faster route to Asia but that isn’t the beginning of the story. There were a few steps before that happened…

The First Phase…humans traveled

over the land bridge around 20,000-12,000 BC. They used the land bridge that connected Siberia to Alaska. These first humans were following herds of animals across the land bridge

The Second Phase…Over many years, humans began to migrate farther south and populate the areas in and around Alaska, Canada, and parts of what is today the United States

The Third Phase… By 8,000 BC descendants of the original natives make their way to populate the areas of Central and South America

Think about Question…Why would the groups of Natives keep moving once they have crossed the Bering Straight?

?

The Vikings are coming…For thousands of years these native groups lived completely separate from the other areas of the world. The very first Europeans to make landfall in the new world were the Vikings

Sometime between 800-1000 AD the Vikings led by Leif Erickson headed west from Greenland and Iceland

Leif Erickson was searching for new land and he and his men landed on the coast of what is today Newfoundland.

They named this land Vinland and spend a winter there

They brought back with them grapes and lumber

Other Vikings soon returned but because of hostile natives no permanent settlements were established

The world did not know of the Vikings part in the discovery of America until years later

Now to the part of the story EVERYONE knows…

1492, Christopher Columbus sets sail for the country of Spain with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria

He sailed WEST to try and find a faster route to Asia

After almost two months at sea, Columbus lands on San Salvador in the Caribbean islands

Columbus will explore for many weeks claiming land for Spain as he goes

A little more…He will make a total of 4 voyages Columbus’s initial discovery will

cause a chain reaction of the other European nations wanting to claim land and find their own treasures

Columbus will go to his grave not convinced he found new land, convinced he had landed in the West Indies

Columbus’s Voyages…

A little Humor…

What about this one…

Reason and Motive for European Exploration:1. Curiosity- What’s out there?2. Wealth- Want to be rich!3. Fame- What everyone to know who you are4. National Pride- Want to bring pride to your

nation5. Religion- You want to spread your beliefs to

others6. Foreign Goods- There was demand for the

new exotic trade goods like silk, spices, and jewels

7. Faster, Cheaper trade routes – how can we get what we want easier and faster and pay less?

Real Evidence…

What pushes this exploration along? Many things…Everyone wanted to find a faster

route to Asia. The land route took too long and was dangerous and expensive. Maybe they could reach it by sea

There was a Monopoly on the routes running through Venice and Genoa, this caused other countries to want to find their own way

Trade Routes between 1200- 1400

More…There were many

technological advances that helped explorers in their journeys including the…

Astrolabe- determines latitude and longitude

Compass- determines direction

Caravel- faster, larger ship then others

Results of Columbus’s Discovery…Columbus’s discovery led to a new

understanding of world geography Because of Columbus, other European

countries will now send explorers to try and claim land

Columbus starts the transatlantic slave trade by bringing the first slaves from the new world back to Europe with him and enslaving the native tribes he found

More Results…The beginning of contact with the Native and

Europeans will lead to the destruction of Native Culture and lead to their near disappearance in many areas

Along with Ethnocentrism, the idea of racism, discrimination against members of one or more race, becomes a major issue between the different cultures

There will now be a race to explore and eventually be the first to circumnavigate (sail completely around) the world. That honor will go to Ferdinand Magellan who will be the first to circumnavigate the new world

How do different countries react to Exploration?

SpainFrance

EnglandNetherlands

SpainGoal is to spread the 3 G’s- God,

Glory, and GoldExplore many parts of South

American and Central AmericaConquistadors: Spanish soldiers

who attacked and destroyed natives in the quest for the 3 G’s

Bad relationship with the natives, enslaved Natives

Gained a lot of new land, became very wealthy from the gold, and introduced horses to the new world

Spanish Map of Exploration

FranceGoal was to discover the

Northwest passageExplored mostly Northern

parts of America including what is today Canada, St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes and Mississippi river areas

Became partners with the natives in the FUR trade

Established many permanent settlements

Were very FRIENDLY with the natives

French Explorer Routes…

England and the Netherlands…

Both countries wanted to find a Northwest passageBoth countries explored the eastern coast of North

AmericaNetherlands had luck with Henry Hudson in the

area of New York and established a permanent settlement their called New Netherlands

England struggled to claim new land and find a northwest passage. During this time period they were basically FAILURES

For England, it will not be until almost 100 years later they will find more success in the new world.

Explorer Routes…

Not really the end of the story…A lot more to come…