Europe’s Colonies in the Americas

October 5, 2009

• Spain & Portugal– Look for ocean route to Asia– Used to go around Africa

• Christopher Columbus– Convinced Spain to pay for voyage– Aug. 1492: Leave• Expect to reach Asia in few weeks

– Oct. 1492: Reached land• Thought Asia (East Indies)

– Really Caribbean Islands• Claimed land for Spain• Called people Indians

• Tension for Spain & Portugal– Claimed any land they explored

• Treaty of Tordesillas (TOR de See yas)– Spain: lands to WEST– Portugal: lands to EAST

• Spain got most of Americas– Hundreds followed after

Columbus– Gold, religion, Asia

• Portugal got Brazil

• Spain– Magellan– Sail around the world– Left Spain with 5 ships– Made it around southern tip of

South America– Named Pacific Ocean– Died in Philippines– 1 ship made it back to Spain

• 1st to sail around world

• France & Great Britain enter competition for land in Americas

• New Spain– Mexico into Peru– 2 territories– Viceroy: ruler for each

territory (in place of king)– Spain made all laws for

colonies• Church, court, trade• Transfer spanish laws/

culture to Americas– Cabildos: govern towns

• Set prices/ punish criminals

• Want to help parent country…Spain followed:– Mercantilism: export more than import

• Sell more than buy– 2 roles of colonies

1. Supply raw materials to parent country2. Only buy goods from parent country

***In return, parent country gives PROTECTION

• 1st treasure to Spain– Incas & Aztecs– Gold burned down

• Agriculture: wealth for Spain– Crops (sugar, coffee, etc.) sent to Spain

• Pirates lurked in Carribean• Spain richest & most powerful

Labor/ SlaveryOctober 6, 2009

The Search for Labor

• Spanish settlers NEED workers– Mines, plantations, & ranches

• Encomienda system– Spanish has right to demand taxes or labor from people

living on land• In return: Spanish pay Native Americans for their work,

health, & teach Christianity– 4 out of 5 indians died during 1st year in mines

• Bartolome de las Casas: spoke out against misuse & mistreatment of Indians

New Laws

• 1542– Reformed encomienda system– Banned enslavement of Native Americans• Indian populations fell dramatically

– Death opened lands for Spanish to settle– Haciendas• Large plantations• Best land• Only least productive land left for Indians

Slave System

• Las Casas– Spoke out against mistreatment of Indians– Gave advice to Spain that he later regretted• Use Africans instead of Indians as slaves• Africans better suited for tropical weather

• Roots of Slavery– Existed everywhere– Trade slaves for cloth & weapons

• Need for slaves– Plantations

• Feed settlers & trade– Difficult to farm/ not easy work

• Africans who arrive to Americas already survived:– Capture in Africa– Exposure to European diseases– Travel– Avg. age: 35 years old– DIED: voyage, overworked,

poor food, unhealthy living conditions, etc.

MYTH: AAs better suited for slavery

Portugal & The Columbian Exchange

October 7, 2009

• Portugal has control of – Brazil– Asia– Africa• Focus on colonizing Asia &

Africa first– 1530s• Focus on Brazil• Afraid Spain might take• Divided Brazil into 15 regions

– Donatario: landowner/ lord for each region

– Brought over colonists from Portugal to settle

• Cash crops in Brazil– Coffee, cotton, & sugar

• Like Spain…Used Native Americans for slaves– Then switched to Africans– 40% of all Africans…sent to Brazil– 3.5 million Africans sent to Brazil (by 1850)

• Exploring Americas• Going back & forth across Atlantic Ocean

– Links the western & eastern hemispheres• Columbian Exchange: global exchange of people, goods,

& ideas (between east & west hemisphere)

• Exchanges of people/ ideas go BACK & FORTH• People

• Millions moved• Europeans BRING gov’t, laws, & religion to Latin America• Europeans TAKE BACK products/ ideas

• Foods• Spain to Latin America

– Corn, potatoes, chocolate, peanuts, tomatoes• Latin America to Spain

– Chili peppers, papaya, pineapples

• Diseases• Incas helped Europeans treat malaria (bark)• Spanish carried diseases to Americas

– Smallpox, measles, flue– Native American population DOWN

» 1519: 25 million» 1605: 1 million