the european conquest of the americas

Christófo Colón Christófo Colón [1451-1506][1451-1506]

Christófo Colón Christófo Colón [1451-1506][1451-1506]

Columbus’ Four Columbus’ Four VoyagesVoyages

Columbus’ Four Columbus’ Four VoyagesVoyages

Columbus’ VoyagesSpanish Conquests Generally

Reasons

ReligiousPolitical

Economic Personal

Positive and Negative Effectsof Columbus’ Voyages

• Columbian Exchange• Eastern and Western

Hemisphere • Increased

colonization• Changes in gov’t,

science, religion

• Enslavement of people

• Disregard for culture• Destruction of Native

American civilizations• Diseases like small

pox, typhus, measles

Fernando CortesFernando CortesFernando CortesFernando Cortes

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:The AztecsThe Aztecs

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:The AztecsThe Aztecs

Montezuma IIMontezuma IIMontezuma IIMontezuma II

vsvs..

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The Story

• 1519 – Cortes intrigued by stories of GOLD

• Malintzin (aka Dona Marina) – advisor to Cortes

• Montezuma and the ancient prophecy ‘light skinned god”

• Cortes used other tribes to help fight • The Death of Montezuma• The Siege of Tenochtitlan

The Death of The Death of Montezuma IIMontezuma IIThe Death of The Death of Montezuma IIMontezuma II

Mexico Surrenders to Mexico Surrenders to CortésCortés

Mexico Surrenders to Mexico Surrenders to CortésCortés

Francisco Francisco PizarroPizarro

Francisco Francisco PizarroPizarro

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:

The The IncasIncas

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:

The The IncasIncas

AtahualpaAtahualpaAtahualpaAtahualpa

vsvs..

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The Story

• Spanish priest told Atahualpa he must convert to Christianity but refused and imprisoned

• Promised to reward Pizarro with gold and silver if released, which he agreed to but then killed Atahualpa anyway

• Pizarro easily defeated Incas (modern day Peru)

Spanish Conquest & Spanish Conquest & ColonizationColonization

Spanish Conquest & Spanish Conquest & ColonizationColonization

ConquistadoresPresidios

Mission

s

EncomiendaSystem

Presidios

• Fortified bases created by the Spanish to protect against pirates and other invaders

Missions

• Catholic church played central role

in Spanish exploration and settlements

• Missionaries labored to convert

American Indians to Christianity

The Encomienda System

• System in Spanish America

• Indian slaves were forced to

work on huge plantation estates

• Treatment was extremely harsh

What are England and France doing at the time?

• Northwest Passage – Western route above the North American continent in the Artic Sea area to get to Asia

• Only setting up temporary colonies at this time for trade

• Only setting up temporary colonies at this time because own country is in political turmoil

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trans-Atlantic Slave TradeTrade

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trans-Atlantic Slave TradeTrade

Slave ShipSlave ShipSlave ShipSlave Ship

““Coffin” Position Coffin” Position Below DeckBelow Deck

““Coffin” Position Coffin” Position Below DeckBelow Deck

African CaptivesAfrican CaptivesThrown OverboardThrown OverboardAfrican CaptivesAfrican Captives

Thrown OverboardThrown Overboard

European Empires in the European Empires in the AmericasAmericas

European Empires in the European Empires in the AmericasAmericas

A Growing Divide

• During Reformation, Spain remains Catholic while England switches to Protestant back to Catholic, back to Protestant

• Vying for Religious and Political Dominance

King Henry VIII – 1509-1547

Henry’s wives

Henry’s Surviving Children

The Elizabethian Era

• Encourages & Sponsors numerous Explorations• Openly Protestant – growing conflict/competition

with Spain• Holds out war with France/Spain for 25 years by

holding out for marriage – Virgin Queen• 1570 – Cold war with Spain after Pope issues

decree absolving English Catholics from obedience to Elizabeth

War with Spain

• Sir Francis Drake – Queen’s Sea Dogs– Circumnavigated globe– Explored as far as CA– Pillaged Spanish treasure ship, Cacafuego –

Emeralds of Queen’s crown

• Burned Spanish towns, looted Catholic churches• Queen Elizabeth knighted him in 1581 – open

act of defiance against Spain• 1588, Spain (financed by Pope) assembled 130

ships, 30,000 men

England Takes Over

• Spanish Armada --- poor leadership, too big, less maneuverable

• English ships – smaller, faster• Massive storms wrecked Armada

• Victory by England broke Spain’s sea power• English dominance over the seas = more

freedom, more colonization

England’s Reasons

• Military: set up military bases, establish political

dominance

• Economic: need for trading posts if

found the Northwest Passage, new

trading markets with N.A.

• Population: Overcrowding, Chance at Profit,

Religious freedom

Roanoke – The Lost Colony

• 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh – New Foundland to

Florida - Virginia• 1585-87 – Raleigh’s 2 attempts

– 2nd attempt: John White established colony, returns to England to get more supplies

– Return delayed – War with Spain

• 1590, White returns to Roanoke – Vanished w/o trace - Croatoan

England tries Again

• 25 years passed before England attempted colonization again

• The Charter of 1606, issued by King James I – Jamestown settlement– Joint stock company– 100 men recruited by London company– Many difficulties – Survival is uncertain

Early Difficulties

• Disease

• Starvation

• Exposure to elements

• Conflict with Native Americans

• Lazy, Rich men

• Internal Strife

• http://www.history.com/topics/pocahontas/videos#pocahontas

Puritanism

• Wanted to reform [purify] the Church of England

• Grew impatient with the slow progress of Protestant Reformation in England

Separatists

• Puritans who believe that only visible saints should be admitted for church membership

• Because the Church of England enrolled all the king’s subjects, separatists felt they had to share their church with the “damned”

• Therefore, they believed in a “total break” from the Church of England

Sources of Separatist Migration

Pilgrims

• Ultimately left the Netherlands because they didn’t think it was “pure” enough for them

• Did not want to mix with the other religions

• 1620, a group of 100 people negotiated with the Virginia Company to settle in their jurisdiction

The Mayflower

• Arrived far off course from destination – Plymouth Bay outside the domain of the VA co.

• Squatters without legal right to land and authority to start government

The May Flower CompactNovember 11, 1620

The May Flower CompactNovember 11, 1620

• Written and signed before the passengers disembarked from ship

• Not a constitution, but an agreement to form to a crude government and submit to majority rule

• Signed by 41 adult males– Led to meeting in assemblies to make laws– John Carver elected governor

That First year…

• Winter of 1620-1621 extremely harsh (only 44 of the original 100 survived)

* weather

* starvation

* disease

• None chose to leave in 1621 when the Mayflower sailed back

The First Thanksgiving

• Survival owed to Squanto and the Wampanaog Indians– Native Americans were weak in the New England

area, epidemics had wiped out over ¾ pop– Chief Massasoit signed treaty with settlers in

1621

• Colony survived with fur (especially beaver), fish and lumber

• Fall 1621 --- celebrated First Thanksgiving