unit one pre-colonial era. chapter 1 what europeans found: the american surprise the american...
TRANSCRIPT
Unit OnePre-Colonial Era
Chapter 1
What Europeans
Found:The American
Surprise.
Pre-Columbian America
Origin - Where did the Indians come from?• Bering Strait Theory
• Ice Age • Glacial land bridge.
Pre-Columbian America• Other European Theories
• descendants of seafaring Phoenicians, Chinese and Egyptians.
• one of the lost tribes of Israel.• Welshman• survivors of Plato’s lost city of
Atlantis.
Pre-Columbian America
• What America was like before the arrival of the Europeans?
• Population• 90 – 112 million• 600 languages• 500 tribes• Central & S. America more advanced.• life was centered in small villages and cities.• largest populations along the coast and major
rivers.
Pre-Columbian America
• Culture – determined by method of survival.• hunter gatherers - fishing• agricultural – maize, potatoes &
tomatoes.• mix of both
• physically mobile society• preserved natural resources for
future use.• NO HORSES UNTIL THE SPANISH
ARRIVE
Pre-Columbian America
• Political – Government• Great Council of the Iroquois Confederacy
• council of chiefs, chosen by older female members of the tribe.
• no power to make war.• planned defense.
• built infrastructure, roads, network of canals, aqueducts and buildings.
Pre-Columbian America• Native American Beliefs
• Northwest - Nez Perce - Coyote• Southwest - Hopi, Zuni, Pueblo
• “sipapu”• close spiritual bond with all creations
within their universe.• The Creator, The Master of Life, • The Great Spirit – Wakan Tanka
• Established a spiritual harmony with the land, learned to take care of resources and they would take care of them.
AGE OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY• Causes:
• Crusades (1095 - 1291)• Results???
AGE OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
• Renaissance (1300 - 1600)• Definition?• Origins?• Stimulates interest in geography and navigation
AGE OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
• Rise of Monarchs and National States• Absolute Monarchs• encourage
exploration• inspires new
technology & sailing techniques.
• Commercial Revolution (late 1400's)
Early Explorers• Leif Ericson
• “Vinland” (1000)• Iceland – Greenland• between New Found land, Canada
& Massachusetts.• Timber, fur, grapes & grain.
Early Explorers• Marco Polo (1271)
• opened trade with the east. • led to Columbus’ search for an
alternate route to the east.
Early Explorers• Prince Henry the Navigator - Portugal• Eastern Passage to Asia
• sought to undermine Muslim power on the Sea.
• Renaissance – “new learning”, open to new technology and methods of sailing.
• established maritime school, pushed explorers along the African coast line.
• opened up new areas of trade slaves, • ivory and gold.
Early Explorers• Bartholomew Diaz
(1488)• rounded the Cape of
Good Hope, southern tip of Africa.
• Vasco da Gama (1497 - 1498)• rounded the Cape of
Good Hope and • sailed to India.• returned with a cargo of
pepper and cinnamon,• worth 60 times more
than the cost of the voyage.
AGE OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
• European Advantages over the Native Americans• Weapons: firearms & gun
powder more powerful than bows and arrows, bows and arrows more accurate. Native Americans did not have horses.
• Agricultural: able to produce more and support colonists.
AGE OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
• Manufactured Goods• variety • able to barter with Indians
• Immunity: Native Americans susceptible to European diseases; small pox, measles
• Political Organization - Indians were separated due to a long history of rivalries and conflict.
Christopher Columbus• Biography
• Born 1451, Genoa Italy• Son of a textile merchant• Fascinated by the Sea• Sailor by age 22
• Learns winds and currents• Becomes respected Sailor• Sails all over eastern
Atlantic• Ireland to Southern Africa
Christopher Columbus• Settles in Lisbon, Portugal• Dreams of the Westward Sail
• Motivated by reading Marco Polo• Attempted by others but failed
• Distance / fear • Enterprise of the Indies
• Financing for westward sail• Expensive but profitable• Seeks monarchy funding
Christopher Columbus
• Asked King John II• Portugal • Denied
• Felt Columbus was a dreamer, chasing an idea known to be wrong.
• Columbus was going to a place he already knew how to get to.
• Had commission Bartholomew Dias.
Discovery of America (1492) – First Voyage
• Queen Isabella of Spain• background
• married King Ferdinand of Aragon
• arranged marriage, combined kingdoms
• expelled Moors from Granada.• commissioned the voyage to find a
western passage to India.• did so to counter Portuguese
success
Discovery of America (1492) –
First Voyage
• Departure: August 3, 1492 - Santa Maria, the Nina & Pinta
• Goal of trip: “Enterprise of the Indies”• find west route to “the Indies”• establish trading post.
Discovery of America (1492) –
First Voyage • October 12, 1492 – Bahaman Islands• “San Salvador” – Holy Savior• “Outpost of the Indies”• What he found….
Discovery of America (1492) –
First Voyage • December 24, 1492 - Santa Maria sinks.• established trading post - “Navidad”
• January 16, 1493 - leaves for Spain• left 30 men on the island• took several natives with him to show
the Queen.• March 15, 1493 - arrives in Spain• Believes he has found island outposts of Asia, Japan and China.• Receive a heroes welcome;“Admiral of the Seas”
Discovery of America
• Other Voyages• Second Voyage
(1493 - 1494)• Antigua, St. Croix,
Virgin Is.• Navidad wiped out.• Founded Isabella
• little gold was found
• demanded too much tribute from natives.
Discovery of America• Third and Fourth Voyages
• 1498 - Southerly Route• landed in Trinidad, “Three
Mountains”• landed on American
continent – Venezuela• Suffered from angry
colonists unable to find riches & poor mismanagement
• 1502 - 1504: search for strait or passage.
• Central America
Outcome of Columbus Discovery
• Never found route to Asia• Never found treasure & riches• Initially viewed as a failure• Dies 1506
• Body lost• Never knew the extent of his discovery.• Always convinced that he had opened the
way to Asia.
Columbus’ Journeys
Historical Debate; Columbus Hero or Villain?
Hero• 1. Discovered New
World. • 2. Opened the W.
Hemisphere to western culture – Western culture superior.
• 3. Natives enslaved other tribes.
• 4. intro. Tobacco• 5. converted natives,
ended cannibalism
Villain• 1. Did not discover
America, Invaded it.• 2. It was a Cultural
encounter• 3. Opened Atlantic
Ocean to slave trade• 4. Genocide• 5. enslaved natives.• 6. intro. European
diseases.• 7. prejudice against
Native Americans.
Spanish Colonization• Spanish Colonization
• Reason• strengthen claims• secure gold, silver and valuable
agricultural produce. • (sugar – indigo)• convert the Native Americans to Catholicism
Dividing the New World
• Treaty of Tordesillas • Spain / Portugal • Extended Papal line to the
West• Portugal gets Brazil
• Papal Line of Demarcation• King John II –Portugal
• Protests to Pope• Portugal has rights to
new land• Pope Alexander VI
decrees• Line Of Demarcation• Spain to the West• Portugal to the East• Favored Spain
Why Called America?• America is named after Amerigo
Vespucci by Martin Waldseemuller.