1450-1690
Transatlantic Encounters and Colonial Beginnings
QuestionsHow did the people in Mesoamerica and the
Andes region compare and contrast with the people in North America?
What forces led to the Age of Exploration?What are the similarities & differences among
the Spanish, French, & British patterns of colonization in America?
What were the advantages & disadvantages of Spanish, French, & English colonial patterns in terms of long-term colonization in America?
Migration began 35,000-15,000 years ago Cut off from the Eastern HemisphereAgriculture independently inventedNomadic hunters and gatherersSpread throughout North and South America
Early Inhabitants of the Americas
Early Mesoamericans3,000 BCE – settlement in Central and South
AmericaCrops such as maize, squash, beans,
tomatoes, and potatoes are cultivatedSettlements developed into large, complex
societiesFew animals were domesticatedHuman labor supplied the work of agricultureReligious centers developed into cities along
the Gulf of Mexico1,200 BCE – emergence of the Olmec
Emerged during the 3rd century BCELived in modern day Guatemala, Belize,
Honduras, El Salvador, and southern MexicoDeveloped a system of writingMade advances in math and astronomyDeveloped an accurate calendarOrganized into city-states
The Maya
Teotihuacan and the AztecsTeotihuacan was a center of religion and
governmentBelieved to be the first great city of the
Western HemispherePopulation estimated to have been between
125,000-200,000The Toltecs unified central Mexico after the
decline of TeotihuacanThe Aztec replaced the Toltec after the exile
of the Toltec leader Topilzin
The AztecThe main city was Tenochtitlan with an
estimated population of 300,000 at its heightThe Aztec drained swamps, constructed
irrigation works and terraces, and used floating gardens (chinampas)
Chinampas boosted agricultural productionThe Aztec rose to power through military
might and aggressive expansionImposed a tribute system on conquered
peoples to support Tenochtitlan
The Chavin emerged in the region of modern day Peru around the time of the Olmec in Mesoamerica
After the decline of the Chavin, the Moche flourished from 100-700 CE
The Moche built an irrigation system and cultivated maize, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes, and coca
The Inca became the most powerful civilization in the Andes region
A system of roads connected the empire, and runners carried messages so the ruler could keep in touch with his subjects
Andean Civilizations
The People of North AmericaNo major civilization controlled large
amounts of land in North AmericaDifferent languages and lifestyles emerged in
North AmericaSome groups were nomadic hunters of bison,
deer, whales, seals, and walruses (in the Arctic region)
Some groups gathered nuts, berries, and roots to supplement fish or meat
Development of agriculture did allow permanent settlements to grow
Developed in the southwestern United StatesUsed river water to irrigate their crops of
maize, beans, squash, and sunflowersBy 700 CE, the Anasazi constructed
permanent pueblos (stone and adobe buildings)
Most pueblos contained a ritual enclosure called kivas
Villages were connected by roadsThe Anasazi abandoned the area by about
1300
The Anasazi
Agricultural societies emerged in the woodlands east of the Mississippi River
Cultivated maize and beansLived in an environment with abundant trees
and rainMany built earthen mounds used for
ceremonial stages, dwellings, and burial sitesThe largest mound settlement was at CahokiaMound settlements began to be abandoned
around 1300 – the same time the Anasazi began to abandon their dwellings
Eastern Woodland Cultures
The People of North AmericaBy 1450 most people lived in small kinship-based
groupsVariety of languages spokenObserved different customsNomadism and subsistence agriculture was commonPopulation estimated to be 10-25 million at the time
of contact with EuropeansSettled societies generally traced lineage through
matrilineal descentNomadic groups generally traced lineage through
patrilineal descent
North American group that came closest to mirroring the organizations of the Aztecs and Inca
Loose alliance of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas
Bound together by a common Iroquois language
Had the political and military organizational skills to dominate its neighbors
Hiawatha was leader who first organized the Iroquois
The Iroquois Confederacy
Voyages of European Exploration
The Columbian Exchange
Portugal began explorations in the early 1400sHenry the Navigator led ventures down the
African coast and established a navigation schoolNavigation technology and advances in ship
design pushed exploration forwardBartholomew Dias and Vasco Da Gama set out
to sail around the tip of AfricaIn 1500, Pedro Cabral reached South America
and claimed Brazil for PortugalChristopher Columbus sailed across the
Atlantic for Spain
Portuguese and Spanish Voyages
Did Portugal or Spain control newly discovered lands?
In 1493, the Pope drew an imaginary line from north to south
Spain claimed all lands to the west of the linePortugal claimed all lands to the east of the
lineBrazil became Portugal’s only claim in the
Eastern HemisphereSpain began to explore and colonize the
Americas
The Treaty of Tordesillas
Conquistadors set out in search of gold and to convert Native Americans to Christianity
Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec in 1519Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca in 1532Native populations were decimated by
diseaseAt the end of the 16th Century, Spain had a
massive empire in the New World
Spanish Empire in the Americas
Native Americans were eager for European trade; they were not initially victims of Spanish exploration
They became dependent on and indebted to Europeans
Disease decimated perhaps 95% of Native American population
A World Transformed
Spanish Conquests & ColoniesThe Spanish used the encomienda system to create large cash crop
plantations using Native American & African slave labor
By 1650, 1/2 million Spaniards immigrated to the New WorldMostly unmarried males came to New World;
intermarriage led to mixed-blood mestizos & mulattos
Distinguished between social classes: peninsulares & creoles
The Spanish gov’t operated strict control over the colonies
From Plunder to Settlement
Spanish Settlements in North AmericaJuan Ponce de Leon came to FL in 1513,
searching for wealth and the fountain of youth
Francisco Cornoado searched for the seven golden cities of Cibola in 1540
Hernan De Soto led an army in search of gold across the Southeast, and discovered the MS River
In 1565, St. Augustine, FL became the first permanent settlement in North America
Missions were established in FL and in NM and CA
Spanish missionaries focused heavily on converting Native
Americans & establishing missions
Organized joint-stock companies like the Dutch East India Company
Initial Dutch explorations focused on East and Southeast Asia
In the late 17th century, the Dutch entered the trans-Atlantic slave trade
In 1624, the Dutch West India Company established the colony of New Netherland
Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor and claimed the area for the Netherlands
Dutch Exploration and Settlement
Interested in extending trading networkLittle interest in conquestTook a practical approach with Native
Americans that did not involve conquest or religious conversion
New Netherland was not a democracyLand given to patroons who ruled like
medieval lordsNo elected assembly, but more religious
freedomDeveloped a diverse populationWomen had some legal rights
Dutch Exploration and Settlement
In 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec; French Empire eventually included St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes, Mississippi
Because the fur trade was the basis of the colonial economy, Indians became valued trading partners (not exploitive like Spain)
Jesuit priests tried to convert the natives to Christianity
Population grew slowly in the French colonies due to the cold Canadian climate
French Explorations and Settlements
Like Spain, the French gov’t encouraged converting Native
Americans & establishing missions
Britain was late in their attempts to explore and colonize the New World
Internal struggles and religious conflict took focus off colonization
Queen Elizabeth I brought stability to BritainDefeat of the Spanish Armada made Britain a
superior naval powerBritain’s first attempt at colonization was a
failure (the “Lost Colony”)
British Beginnings in the New World
In the 1600s, English settlers arrived in North America
Several joint-stock companies were formed to begin English settlementEnglish colonization differed from
Spanish & French because the English gov’t had no desire to create a centralized empire in the New World
Different motivations by English settlers led to different types of colonies
British Beginnings in North America
17th century England faced major social changes:The most significant was a boom in
population – led to competition for land, food, and jobs
British gov’t supported efforts to relocate their surplus population to North America (preserved law and order at home)
Migrating to the English Colonies
Motives for migration to America:Religious: purer form of worshipEconomic: Escape poverty or the
threat of lifelong povertyPersonal: to escape bad marriages
or jail termsMigration to America was facilitated
by the English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
Migrating to the English Colonies
The values of the migrants dictated the “personality” of the newly created colonies; led to distinct (not unified) coloniesThe ChesapeakeNew EnglandMiddle ColoniesThe Carolinas & Georgia
Four Colonial Subcultures
By the early 1600s, Spain, England, & France had large territorial claims in
North America (but these colonies were not heavily populated, especially in
Spanish & French claims)
These colonial claims came largely at the expense of the
Native Americans already living there
Govt’s in English colonies had more independence from Britain than Latin American colonies
Colonial govt’s were all organized differently Govt’s had assemblies, often with two houses Colonists came to think they should share the
right to determine colonial rules and regulations
No authoritarian viceroys were establishedLarge urban areas did not develop until much
later
Governments in North America
Less rigid social classes based on ethnicity developed in the English colonies
Southern colonies did eventually develop strict social classes between black and whites
Social classes in the middle and northern colonies were more fluid than in Latin American colonies
Most colonists were farmers, and labor patterns emerged differently than in Latin American colonies
Indentured servants and slaves were used primarily in the middle and southern colonies where larger farms developed
Social Patterns
QuestionsHow did the people in Mesoamerica and the
Andes region compare and contrast with the people in North America?
What forces led to the Age of Exploration?What are the similarities & differences among
the Spanish, French, & British patterns of colonization in America?
What were the advantages & disadvantages of Spanish, French, & English colonial patterns in terms of long-term colonization in America?
Advantages for long-term colonization
Disadvantages for long-term colonization
Spain
France
England
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