Teaching American History, Year

I

The First Global Age Europeans encounter the Americas

George S. Vascik

Miami University Hamilton

October 14, 2008

Teaching American History, Year

I

Benchmarks and Indicators

• Grade Five, History

– Settlement• primary topic• Explain why European countries explored

and colonized North America

• secondary topic• Describe the lasting effects of Spanish,

French and English colonization in North America

Teaching American History, Year

I

Benchmarks and Indicators

• Grade Eight, History– The First Global Age

• primary topics

• Reasons for colonization, including religion, desire for land and economic opportunity

• Key differences among the Spanish, French and British colonies

• secondary topics

• Interactions between American Indians and European settlers, including the agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances and conflicts

• Conflicts among colonial powers for control of North America.

Teaching American History, Year

I

Background readings

• Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel

• Eric Jones, The European Miracle

• Alan Taylor, American Colonies

Teaching American History, Year

I

Why Europe?

• In 1400, European civilization was on a par with Chinese and Arab civilizations.

• What motivated the European voyages of discovery and the creation of colonial empires?– economic necessity– religious insecurity– the social dynamic

Teaching American History, Year

I

Economic “necessity”

• nobles “needed” products from the East to maintain their lifestyle

• severed trade links with East when Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453

• new opportunities for profit with the discovery of new areas for raising sugar and other crops

• transporting slaves for labor

Teaching American History, Year

I

The religious dynamic

• Religious insecurity– The Reformation fractured the

unity of the corpus Christiana– Importance of this for the Holy

Roman Empire, Spain, and France

• Religious freedom– only manifested in English

colonies

Teaching American History, Year

I

The social dynamic

• In 1500, Europe had an excess of young, noble males– only one male could inherit, the others

had to find socially acceptable employment

• Were commoners driven by poverty?– France, the Netherlands, and England

• Opportunities differed by geography– tropics, mountains, woodlands, plains

Teaching American History, Year

I

National distinctions

• timing– Portuguese and Spanish; Dutch,

French, English

• motivation• governance• economic exploitation• interaction with native peoples• settlement (to be discussed in

February)

Teaching American History, Year

I

Motivation

• push-pull dynamic– to what extent were settlers

attracted to new lands, and to what extent did they feel compelled to migrate because of internal conditions in the home country?

– varied over time and by country– myth of “poverty driven”

colonization

Teaching American History, Year

I

Governance

colonialgovernment

attractingcolonists

imperialcontroltradition

Variables

countryneedtime

English example

Teaching American History, Year

I

National variations

• Spanish– viceroy, audencia, cabildo, visita

• French– governor-general, intendant, bishop

• Dutch– West India Company

• English– displayed the most diversity and

change over time

Teaching American History, Year

I

Economic Exploitation

• Portuguese (spices)• Spanish (gold and silver)• Dutch (sugar, slaves, carrying trade)• French (sugar and furs)• English (sugar, slaves, and raw

commodities)

• Mercantilism in February

Teaching American History, Year

I

Colonists and native peoples

• conquest or accommodation– successful conquest involved

exploiting local conditions– disease– labor shortage

• Christianization– national variations

Teaching American History, Year

I

Imperial conflict

• Which areas mattered and which didn’t?– the gold & silver mines and the Sugar

Islands– Furs?– Staple products (wood and food)

• A timeline approach– Dutch and English privateering– mid-17th century Anglo-Dutch Wars

• More on this in February

Teaching American History, Year

I

Benchmarks and Indicators

• Grade Five, History

– Settlement• primary topic• Explain why European countries explored

and colonized North America

• secondary topic• Describe the lasting effects of Spanish,

French and English colonization in North America

Teaching American History, Year

I

Benchmarks and Indicators

• Grade Eight, History– The First Global Age

• primary topics• Reasons for colonization, including religion, desire for

land and economic opportunity• Key differences among the Spanish, French and British

colonies• secondary topics• Interactions between American Indians and European

settlers, including the agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances and conflicts

• Conflicts among colonial powers for control of North America.