European Exploration and Colonization of North America - PowerPoint Presentation

European Exploration and Colonization of North America The Old World Meets the New World

First Contact The term First Contact literally describes the first contact between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of North America First Contact happened at different times in different places, took a variety of forms, and forever changed the lives of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas In some cases neither Europeans nor Natives were sure the other was human It is estimated that somewhere between 50%-90% of Natives died as a result of this contact (disease being the primary cause). 50-90%!!!!!!!!! The legacy of First Contact dramatically alters the histories of the Americas, Europe, and the entire World

Examples from Canadian History T he Vikings and First Nations in Vinland around 1000 CE, John Cabot and the Beothuk in 1497 Jacques Cartier and the Mi'kmaq in 1534 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the Kitlinermiut (Copper Inuit) and Netsilingmiut (Netsilik Inuit) in 1915

Who were the Frist Europeans to Reach the New World? The Vikings… In 986 CE, Bjarni Herjolfsson , while sailing to Greenland from Iceland, was blown off course by a storm and reported seeing land that was not Greenland. Years later, Leif Ericson, followed Herjolfsson's route. Noting an abundance of trees as he passed by what is now Labrador, he named the area Markland (forest land). Eventually, he landed on Newfoundland and called the region Vinland (wine land) after he discovered what he thought were vines and grapes The Vikings settled the area for approximately 3 years Ericson established what is believed to be the first European settlement in North America: L’ Anse aux Meadows Sagas tell us information about their voyages

Statue of Leif Ericson in Greenland

Contact with Indigenous Peoples There is evidence of trade, but also hostile confrontations It is thought that the Vikings who had a tradition of raiding settlements in Europe and were not strangers to violence, killed a number of Natives and were eventually forced to leave due to retaliatory attacks on their settlement This marked the end of the first period of European contact (~1000 CE) It was brief and not sustained It would be approximately another 500 years before the next contact between the Old World and the New

Leif Ericsson discovered Helluland, Markland, and Vinland

Vikings in North America In 1960 the L’anse aux Meadows site was discovered The only authentic Viking settlement in the New World . Many artifacts were discovered at this settlement including buildings, nails, chunks of iron, & charcoal

Lanse aux Meadows, Newfoundland

The Next Wave of Exploration… Who was next? What did he “discover”? Who did he claim the land for? Columbus Song

From the 1400s to the 1700s, Europe experienced an “ Age of Exploration ” As a result of exploration, European nations grew powerful & spread their influence throughout the world The Renaissance encouraged curiosity & a desire for trade Motivations : Why did Europeans want to explore?

Motives for European Exploration God, Glory & Gold! Crusades  raised interest in Asia. Renaissance  curiosity about other lands and peoples. Reformation  refugees & missionaries. Monarchs seeking new sources of revenue. (competition between them) Technological advances. Fame and fortune. (The rise of banks and commercial ventures)

God European Christians, especially Catholics, wanted to stop the spread of Islam & convert non-Christians to the faith Explorers were encouraged to spread Christianity or bring missionaries who would focus only on conversions

Glory The Renaissance inspired new possibilities for power & prestige Exploration presented Europeans the opportunity to rise from poverty and gain fame, fortune, & status Kings who sponsored voyages of exploration gained overseas colonies, new sources of wealth for their nation, & increased power

Gold (MGoldoney ) A desire for new sources of wealth was the main reason for European exploration The Crusades & Renaissance stimulated European desires for exotic Asian luxury goods Merchants began looking for quick, direct trade routes to Asia to avoid Muslim & Italian merchants & increase profits

Also, other historical events were at play… In the mid 1450s, overland trade routes connecting Europe with Asia were severed This occurred when Muslim Turks conquered the city of Constantinople European monarchs imported a wide variety of goods from Asia including spices, silks, tea, gold & silver In desperation, they began to finance expeditions to find an western ocean passage from Europe to Asia

European/Asian trade routes were closed in the mid 1400s when Constantinople was conquered Trade routes from Europe Trade routes to Asia

The Age of Exploration Means : How were explorers able to sail so far & make it back again? Before the Renaissance, sailors did not have the technology to sail very far from Europe & return

Navigation Trade & cultural diffusion during the Renaissance introduced new navigation techniques to Europeans Magnetic compass made sailing more accurate Astrolabe used stars to show direction Maps were more accurate and used longitude & latitude

European shipbuilders built a better ship; The caravel was a strong ship that could travel in the open seas & in shallow water Caravels had triangular lateen sails that allowed ships to sail against the wind A moveable rudder made the caravel more maneuverable Cannons & rifles gave ships protection

The Age of Exploration Who were the explorers, where did they go, & how did they change world history?

Europeans were not the first to explore the oceans in search of new trade routes Islamic merchants explored the Indian Ocean & had dominated the Asian spice trade for centuries before European exploration

Early Exploration From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He led the Chinese treasure fleet on 7 expeditions to SE Asia, India, & Africa during the Ming Dynasty

But in the late 1400s, the European sailors did what neither Muslim nor Chinese explorers could: Begin global (not regional) exploration & create colonies to increase their wealth & power

Portugal was the early leader in the Age of Exploration In Portugal, Prince Henry the Navigator started a school of navigation to train sailors He brought in Europe ’ s best map-makers, ship-builders, & sailing instructors He wanted to discover new territories, find a quick trade route to Asia, & expand Portugal ’ s power

Prince Henry, the Navigator School for Navigation, 1419

Vasco da Gama was the 1 st explorer to find a direct trade route to Asia by going around Africa to get to India Portugal gained a sea route to Asia that brought them great wealth Prince Henry ’ s navigation school & willingness to fund voyages led the Portuguese to be the 1 st to explore the west coast of Africa

During the Age of Exploration, Portugal created colonies along the African coast, in Brazil, & the Spice Islands in Asia

The Spanish government saw Portugal ’ s wealth & did not want to be left out More than any other European monarch, Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain sponsored & supported overseas expeditions

Christopher Columbus [1451-1506]

Columbus’ Significance Columbus ushered in a new era of European exploration and domination in the world! Columbus was also the first of many Europeans to horribly mistreat the Indigenous populations of the Americas

Columbus reached the Bahamas in the Americas but thought that he had reached islands off the coast of India He made 4 trips to “ India ” never knowing he was in “ America ” Like most educated men of the Renaissance, Columbus believed the world was round & thought he could reach Asia by sailing west

Columbus’ Four Voyages

Despite the fact that Columbus never found Asia, Ferdinand Magellan still thought he could reach Asia by sailing West Magellan became the first explorer to circumnavigate the Earth (go all the way around)

The Northwest Passage After becoming aware of North America's existence, Europeans looked for the Northwest Passage , a route around North America through the Arctic Ocean

John Cabot and the Northwest Passage After hearing about Columbus's voyages, England commissioned Italian navigator Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) to find the Northwest Passage . In 1497, reached Newfoundland , raised a cross and England's banner and claimed the land for England, believing he was in AsiaCabot reported waters full of codfish S oon many European nations were seasonally fishing in NA

Cabot in Newfoundland

Subsequent Exploration of the Northwest Passage A route to Asia was still desired by many European countries, Spain , France, Portugal, Italy, and England, sent hundreds of adventurers to find the Northwest Passage British explorers who looked for the Northwest Passage included: Sir Martin Frobisher (1576, 1577, 1578 expeditions) John Davis (1585, 1586, 1587 expeditions) Sir John Franklin (1845-1847 )

Henry Hudson’s Voyage The best-known northern mariner was Henry Hudson. In 1610, he ventured into a strait that would one day be named in his honour He then sailed southward into a wide expanse of water that he supposed to be the Northwest Passage to Asia. T he water proved to be an inland sea (Hudson Bay ) After spending a winter in the Bay, his crew mutinied and the captain and his close associates were set adrift in the ship's small rowboat. Four mutineers survived to tell the story in England, but Hudson's party was never heard from again.

The Colonization of the Americas WHY? Abundant Natural Resources The Economic system of Mercantilism Competition between European Nations Religion

Abundant Natural Resources As explorers reached the Americas, European countries began to realize the riches these lands possessed. As the Spanish harvested an abundance of rich minerals, the French and British increased their efforts to explore, settle, and exploit natural resources in the NACompetition became more intense and these nation began to colonize the New World to deter their European competitors

Mercantilism A popular economic theory in Europe at this time was mercantilism . Mercantilism is the belief that a country could accumulate wealth by exporting more goods than it imported . A steady supply of raw materials was needed for this to work Countries created empires to secure these raw materials Mercantilism spurred further exploration, and European settlement of NA Colonies not only secured raw materials, but also created markets for finished goods

Competition Between Countries This was an era of intense rivalry for power among European countries. Colonialism, the control and exploitation of a territory through settlement, increased power of European nations In North America, Spain, Portugal , Britain, and France competed to colonize the most territory.

The Religious Impulse to Colonize M any religious groups believed it was their duty to spread the Christian faith to unknown cultures in the New World R eligious groups believed that they were “saving” these people and completely ignored their rich spiritual traditions The potential for religious converts prompted religious leaders(primarily the ultra wealthy Catholic Church) to fund exploration and colonization

During the Age of Exploration, Spain created colonies in North & South America

Spain sent explorers called conquistadors to the New World to find gold, claim land, & spread Christianity Cortez conquered the Aztecs Pizarro conquered the Inca The influx of gold from America made Spain the most powerful country in Europe during the early years of the Age of Exploration

England, France, & the Netherlands became involved in overseas exploration & colonization as well

Other Voyages of Exploration

The French explorer Samuel de Champlain searched Canada for a northwest passage to Asia After failing to do so, Champlain founded the French colony of Quebec The French would soon carve out a large colony along the Mississippi River from Canada to New Orleans

Unlike other European nations whose kings paid for colonies, the English colonies were paid for by citizens who formed joint-stock companies English colonies formed along the Atlantic Coast of North America by colonists motivated either by religion or wealth

Early Explorers and Aboriginal Knowledge European explorers in NA quickly realized they needed help First Nations peoples. First Nations people understood the land they knew the geography they had developed trade routes and effective methods of transportation they could use resources from the environment around them to create medicine and to feed and clothe themselves. This knowledge was essential for survivalJacques Cartier was one of the first Europeans to realize this

Sailing from France, he traveled west to find gold in the new World & to find a passage to the Far East Made three voyages to the New World between 1534-1542 Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier In 1534 Jacques Cartier convinced the French monarch, Francis I, to fund his expedition to North America Cartier entered Canada through the Gulf of St. Lawrence., believing it to be a passage through the North American continent During his first voyage, Cartier placed a cross on what is now the Gaspe Peninsula, claiming the land for the King of France Cartier made three voyages to the New World between 1534-1542

The Doctrine of Terra Nullius When European explorers sailed to North America, they claimed their "discovery " for their mother country despite the fact that First Nations peoples had been living there for thousands of years . the fifteenth century European worldview was totally confident in the superiority of European cultures. They also believed in the doctrine of terra nullius. a Latin expression meaning "land belonging to no one" or territory over which no country had claimed authority. Explorers believing that no one owned the land of NA, even though it was clear that other people were living on the land. The European explorers also believed that because First Nations cultures could not possess the land because they were not ChristianThis European worldview helps explain why Europeans seized the lands which they explored

Consider the Following: Why did the Europeans feel like they could claim the lands of the Americas? Explain the European worldview in this era What effect did this worldview have on Natives in the Americas? Does that worldview still exist today? Give some examples

Cartier’s First Contact In 1534, when Cartier met the St. Lawrence River Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), he was introduced to their leader, Donnacona Cartier “persuaded” Donnacona to allow his two sons, Domagaya and Taignoagny, to go back to France with Cartier The exact manner of persuasion is a bit foggy and was recorded by the French In France, they were taught French so that they could be effective translators Cartier gained valuable information about the region's geography from themCartier had not discovered a route to Asia, however did report on the abundant resources of fish, furs, timber, and fertile land The French administration funded Cartier's second expedition

Cartier’s Second Voyage I n 1535 Cartier travelled further up the St. Lawrence River He stopped at the First Nations community called Stadacona (present day Quebec City). He continued upstream until he reached the large Haudenosaunee city of Hochelaga (present day Montreal). That winter, Cartier left H ochelaga too late in the fall and was iced into the St Lawrence near Stadacona The French were totally unprepared for an N.A. winter and Cartier lost twenty-five of his men to scurvy. Domagaya saved many of the French by showing them how to prepare a medicinal drink, called annedda, from cedar leaves and bark.It is believed the name Canada came from a meeting with Natives on this second voyageWhen the French asked the locals where they were, they replied “Kanata”, likely referring to that specific area

Cartier’s Second Voyage Cartier's second voyage in 1535 took him up the St. Lawrence River He stopped at the First Nations community called Stadacona (present day Quebec City) He continued upstream until he reached the large Haudenosaunee city of Hochelaga (present day Montreal) Cartier left Hochelaga too late in the fall and was iced into the St Lawrence near Stadacona ( Donnaconas stronghold) The French were totally unprepared for a North American winter and that winter and Cartier lost twenty-five of his men to scurvy. The death toll would have been much higher if Domagaya had not showed the Europeans how to prepare a medicinal drink, calAgainled annedda, that combined cedar leaves and bark.

The Effect of First Contact The First Nations people at Stadacona began to die from European diseases such as smallpox. Indigenous populations had no natural immunity to old world diseases, and no one had cures in this era Relations between the French and the Stadaconians detyeriorated as more people died, Yet Cartier still needed they’re help Before leaving for France, Cartier captured Donnacona , his two sons, three other leaders, and four children and took them to France.None of the captives ever saw their homeland again, and all but one died in France before Cartier's return voyage. Cartier's treatment of the Stadaconians proved to be disastrous for his next voyage to North America…

Cartier’s 3rd and Final Voyage While being held captive in France, Donnacona spun some very tall tales about the fictional Kingdom of Saguenay full of gold and riches, in an attempt to inspire the French to take him home This helped to prompt the funding for Cartier's final expedition in 1541. Cartier intended to stay in Canada for some time, he brought cattle, supplies, and even planted crops upon his arrival. This third expedition, however, was plagued by scurvy, a formidable winter and, not surprisingly, a hostile reception from the Haudenosaunee , who had not forgotten what the French had done in 1535 The Haudenosaunee attacked on the French in retaliation, and Cartier lost thirty five of his men. By the next spring, Cartier was forced to return to France, and all plans for colonization were abandoned.

What is Cartier’s L egacy? The legacy of historical figures are often complicated and contentious Complete the following chart about Cartier: Positive Contributions Negative Contributions

Considered the Following: Legacy Is it fair to apply 21 st century Western ethical standards when viewing historical events? Is it arrogant of us to use hindsight to evaluate Cartier and other historical figures? Would you have acted differently than the French in that time and that place? How can we marry our 21 st century focus on human rights with a fair and balanced evaluation of history? This is complicated, but important stuff…