Spanish and French Colonization in North America: 1492-1763

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Spanish Map of North America, 1563Spanish Map of North America, 1563

Christopher Columbus and the “Enterprise of the Indies”• Christopher Columbus left Spain in 1492 to discover a trade route

with the Orient.• Spanish Monarchs commissioned the trip as they sought to compete

with Portuguese domination of the Spice Trade.• Columbus thought that he had landed in the Orient but was, in fact,

in the Caribbean.• He lived the remainder of his life without realizing what he had found.

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In this contemporary In this contemporary engraving, Spanish engraving, Spanish King Ferdinand King Ferdinand Oversees Oversees Columbus’s Journey Columbus’s Journey to the New Worldto the New World

Cortés and the Aztec Empire

• Soon after establishing their first colony the Spanish attempted to expand their Caribbean foothold

• In 1519 explorer Hernan de Cortes landed on the Yucatan in search of gold.

• Eventually Cortés's party was welcomed into the Aztec capitol Tenochtitlan, where he was believed to be the god Quetzalcoatl

• Eventually, Cortés arrested the Aztec monarch Montezuma II.

• In time, the population of Tenochtitlan was devastated by smallpox, carried by the Spanish explorers, a disease to which the natives had no natural resistance.

33A modern smallpox victimA modern smallpox victim

A contemporary A contemporary engraving of a engraving of a smallpox victimsmallpox victim

*NOTES**NOTES*

FRANCISCO PIZARRO CONQUERS THE FRANCISCO PIZARRO CONQUERS THE INCAINCA (1532) (1532)

•Gained Native American alliesGained Native American allies

•Captured Captured Altahualpa Altahualpa (Inca Emperor) after (Inca Emperor) after slaughtering thousands of his followersslaughtering thousands of his followers

•Spanish demanded a huge ransom for the rulerSpanish demanded a huge ransom for the ruler

•Incas paid it in gold, but Altahualpa was killed Incas paid it in gold, but Altahualpa was killed anywayanyway

•Despite resistance, Spanish gained control of Despite resistance, Spanish gained control of

much of South America much of South America including Peru, including Peru, Ecuador & ChileEcuador & Chile

The ConquistadorsThe Conquistadors

I.I. Advantages for the Aztecs/IncasAdvantages for the Aztecs/Incas

1.1. Familiarity with geography.Familiarity with geography.

2.2. Greater food supply.Greater food supply.

3.3. Larger number of soldiers.Larger number of soldiers.

4.4. Rely on citizens Rely on citizens produce food, train soldiers, make weapons. produce food, train soldiers, make weapons.

II.II. Advantages for SpainAdvantages for Spain

1.1. Superior technology & equipmentSuperior technology & equipment

A.A. Horses, guns & armor.Horses, guns & armor.

2.2. Alliances with conquered peoplesAlliances with conquered peoples

A.A. Had a common enemy.Had a common enemy.

B.B. Helped fight with the Spanish.Helped fight with the Spanish.

3.3. Disease Disease smallpox brought to South America. smallpox brought to South America.

III.III. Hernando CortesHernando Cortes

1.1. Conquered the Aztecs – 1519Conquered the Aztecs – 1519

2.2. Moctezuma Moctezuma Aztec leader who was killed. Aztec leader who was killed.

3.3. Motives Motives religion & wealth religion & wealth

IV.IV. Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro

1.1. Conquered the Incas – 1532Conquered the Incas – 1532

2.2. Captured Incan Emperor Athualpa.Captured Incan Emperor Athualpa.

A.A. Incas collapsed with no strong leader.Incas collapsed with no strong leader.

3.3. Spain takes Inca gold.Spain takes Inca gold.

A Crisis of Conscience: Bartolome de las Casas

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Bartolome de las Casas was a Spanish Bartolome de las Casas was a Spanish priest who accompanied Columbus on priest who accompanied Columbus on a journey to the New World. a journey to the New World. In 1552, his disgust at Spanish In 1552, his disgust at Spanish treatment of the native population treatment of the native population caused him to publish caused him to publish The Devastation The Devastation of the Indies, of the Indies, a devastating account of a devastating account of Spanish brutality to Native AmericansSpanish brutality to Native AmericansThe activism of Casas and other The activism of Casas and other dissenters eventually caused the dissenters eventually caused the Spanish to modify their treatment of the Spanish to modify their treatment of the Native populations.Native populations.

Bartolome de las CasasBartolome de las Casas

Ponce de Leon and Early Spanish Exploration of North America

• In 1513 Ponce de Leon traveled from the Caribbean to North America in search of the Fountain of Youth and a city of gold and a city of gold rumored to exist on the mainland.

• His expedition landed near what is today St. Augustine, Florida.• De Leon believed that he was on an

island did not realize that he was on a peninsula of the American mainland.• He named the supposed island “La

Florida,” which means flowery place in Spanish.

• Although he was unsuccessful in finding either the fountain of youth or a city of gold, he returned in 1521 to establish a permanent colony, where he was mortally wounded by native inhabitants.

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Ponce de Leon’s 1513 route to Ponce de Leon’s 1513 route to Florida.Florida.

Hernando de Soto Explores the Southeast

• In 1539, Hernando de Soto landed near modern Tampa with an army of 700 to explore the Southeast and locate the fabled cities of gold.

• Three years of exploration were marked by nearly constant conflict with the Native tribes and disease that reduced his army by half.

• In 1542, de Soto himself died of disease in modern Alabama forcing the survivors of his party to escape to the Gulf of Mexico on rafts.• Despite the failure to secure riches

for Spain, de Soto’s expedition was the most significant exploration of the American mainland to date.

• Contact with the European explorers introduced the devastating disease smallpox to Native populations that had no natural immunity.

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De Soto’s exploration of the De Soto’s exploration of the SoutheastSoutheast

Coronado Explores the Southwest

• 1540 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, with an army of 1100, began to explore the Southwest in search of treasure.

• Although Coronado traveled as far as modern Kansas, he found no treasure causing Spain to lose interest in the region.

• Coronado’s expedition devastated the Pueblo population.

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Some later Anasazi groups built majestic Some later Anasazi groups built majestic cliff dwellings. This photo shows the largest cliff dwellings. This photo shows the largest of these structures, the Cliff Palace, at Mesa of these structures, the Cliff Palace, at Mesa

Verde National Park. Strictly speaking, it Verde National Park. Strictly speaking, it was not a palace, but rather a village.was not a palace, but rather a village.

Jacques Cartier Explores the St. Lawrence River for France

• With the Spanish in control of the Caribbean region, the French sought to explore the region that is now Canada.

• In 1534, French explorers, led by Jacques Cartier, explored the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by ship.

• Finding economic promise in the region, Cartier returned the following year and sailed down the St. Lawrence as far as modern Montreal.

• Unlike the Spanish, the French were far more interested in establishing trade networks and building sustainable colonies in the New World than in turning a quick profit.• The French were particularly

interested in the bountiful furs found in the New World.

Despite their intentions, European diseases carried by the French still devastated Native populations.

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Jacques Cartier’s 1535 expedition to Jacques Cartier’s 1535 expedition to North AmericaNorth America

New Mexico

• By the end of the 16th Century, Spain and France began to establish more permanent settlements in North America.

• The Spanish gave up on fantasies of instant wealth and began to establish missions throughout the Southwest, a system they used to maintain political control into the early 1800s.

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The Spanish Empire in 1770. Note that the Treaty The Spanish Empire in 1770. Note that the Treaty of Paris (1763) which ended the Seven Years War of Paris (1763) which ended the Seven Years War

forced France to cede all territorial claims in North forced France to cede all territorial claims in North America to Spain. Spain later sold these claims America to Spain. Spain later sold these claims back to France which, in 1803, sold much of the back to France which, in 1803, sold much of the territory to the United States as the Louisiana territory to the United States as the Louisiana

Purchase in order to fund the Napoleonic Wars.Purchase in order to fund the Napoleonic Wars.

Nouvelle France• French traders

established close ties with Native populations by living among them and intermarriage.

• In 1682 explorer Robert Sieur de La Salle sailed the length of the Mississippi River and claimed the entire watershed for France.

• Jesuit missionaries encouraged native populations to incorporate elements of Christianity into their native religions.

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A 1688 map of French holdings in North America.A 1688 map of French holdings in North America.

Multimedia Citation

• Slide 1: http://www.floridahistory.com/1562-north-america.jpg• Slide 2:

http://www.imagesonline.bl.uk/britishlibrary-store/Components/133/13351_1.jpg

• Slide 3: http://eee.uci.edu/clients/bjbecker/PlaguesandPeople/week4g.html and http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/shors/textbook/images/smallpox.jpg

• Slide 4: http://individual.utoronto.ca/hayes/survey2/lascasas.jpg • Slide 5: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/d/deleon.shtml • Slide 6: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/DESOTO/dsmap.gif

Slide 7: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/places/trails_ter/coronado.htm• Slide 8: http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/explor/carti_e2.html#b • Slide 9:

http://www.lrc.salemstate.edu/hispanics/images/spanishempire1700.jpg • Slide 10: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/images/big06.gif

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