The Age of ExplorationA Presentation for the American Institute of History Education Colloquium, San Marcos, CA, January 28, 2011

© William J. Bauer, Jr.

Lecture Themes The Age of Exploration: Setting the Stage for

European Expansion

The Age of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Origins of European Colonization

The Age of Exploration: Spanish Voyages to the Southeast and Southwest

The Age of Exploration: Setting the Stage

for European Expansion

Shifts in Long Term Trade

Mercantilism, capitalism and pizza.

The Silk Roads

The Rise of Venice, Pisa, and Genoa, ca. 1000 A.D.

Political Consolidation Fall of the Roman Empire

Feudalism

Agricultural Production, ca. 1000 A.D.

Toward Kingdoms. War Abroad: The

Crusades Commerce. Enlarge the Royal

Domain.

State Making and Expansion

Europe, 1300 A.D. Agriculture Climate Black Death Crisis of Feudalism

Expansion

Political Concentrations between State leaders and Merchants.

State-Making and Expansion: Portugal

Problems

Prospects

The Move to Africa

Improved Technology Caravel (pictured) Carrack

State-Making and Expansion: Spain

Castile

Aragon

Fernando

Isabella (pictured)

The Age of Exploration: Christopher

Columbus and the Origins of European

Colonization

Christopher Columbus: A Short Biographical Treatment

Birth: 1451

Genoa.

Portugal, 1476-1485.

Spain, 1485-1492.

Voyage West, 1492. Waitling Island.

Developing the Doctrine, 1240-1532

Crusades. Pope Innocent IV (1240)

The orders to Christopher Columbus.

Pope Alexander VI (1493)

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Priest Franciscus de Victoria (1532)

The Doctrine of Discovery

First Discovery.

Occupancy.

Preemption.

Indigenous Land Title.

Indigenous Sovereignty and Commercial Rights.

Contiguity.

Terra Nullis.

Christianity.

Civilization.

Conquest.

Implementing the Doctrine: The

Requerimiento (1513)

On the part of the King, Don Fernando, and of Doña Juana, his daughter, Queen of Castille and León, subduers of the barbarous nations, we their servants notify and make known to you, as best we can, that the Lord our God, Living and Eternal, created the Heaven and the Earth, and one man and one woman, of whom you and we, all the men of the world, were and are descendants, and all those who came after us. But, on account of the multitude which has sprung from this man and woman in the five thousand years since the world was created, it was necessary that some men should go one way and some another, and that they should be divided into many kingdoms and provinces, for in one alone they could not be sustained.

 So their Highnesses are kings and lords of these islands and land of Tierra-firme by virtue of this donation: and some islands, and indeed almost all those to whom this has been notified, have received and served their Highnesses, as lords and kings, in the way that subjects ought to do, with good will, without any resistance, immediately, without delay, when they were informed of the aforesaid facts. And also they received and obeyed the priests whom their Highnesses sent to preach to them and to teach them our Holy Faith; and all these, of their own free will, without any reward or condition, have become Christians, and are so, and their Highnesses have joyfully and benignantly received them, and also have commanded them to be treated as their subjects and vassals; and you too are held and obliged to do the same. Wherefore, as best we can, we ask and require you that you consider what we have said to you, and that you take the time that shall be necessary to understand and deliberate upon it, and that you acknowledge the Church as the Ruler and Superior of the whole world, and the high priest called Pope, and in his name the King and Queen Doña Juana our lords, in his place, as superiors and lords and kings of these islands and this Tierra-firme by virtue of the said donation, and that you consent and give place that these religious fathers should declare and preach to you the aforesaid.  If you do so, you will do well, and that which you are obliged to do to their Highnesses, and we in their name shall receive you in all love and charity, and shall leave you, your wives, and your children, and your lands, free without servitude, that you may do with them and with yourselves freely that which you like and think best, and they shall not compel you to turn Christians, unless you yourselves, when informed of the truth, should wish to be converted to our Holy Catholic Faith, as almost all the inhabitants of the rest of the islands have done. And, besides this, their Highnesses award you many privileges and exemptions and will grant you many benefits. 

But, if you do not do this, and maliciously make delay in it, I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter into your country, and shall make war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and of their Highnesses; we shall take you and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their Highnesses may command; and we shall take away your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, as to vassals who do not obey, and refuse to receive their lord, and resist and contradict him; and we protest that the deaths and losses which shall accrue from this are your fault, and not that of their Highnesses, or ours, nor of these cavaliers who come with us. And that we have said this to you and made this Requisition, we request the notary here present to give us his testimony in writing, and we ask the rest who are present that they should be witnesses of this Requisition.

Implementing the Doctrine: England and France

English claims of Discovery.

Henry VII.

Occupancy.

Colonial Charters of Virginia (1606) and New England (1620).

Symbols or Rituals of Discovery. Francis Drake (1579)

The Diary of Christopher Columbus and

the Creation of “Indians”As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily

converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red capes, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us. Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk's bells; which trade was carried on with the utmost good will. But they seemed on the whole to me, to be a very poor people. They all go completely naked, even the women, though I saw but one girl. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age, well made, with fine shapes and faces; their hair short, and coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed toward the forehead, except a small portion which they suffer to hang down behind, and never cut. Some paint themselves with black, which makes them appear like those of the Canaries, neither black nor white; others with white, others with red, and others with such colors as they can find. Some paint the face, and some the whole body; others only the eyes, and others the nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed them swords which they grasped by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their javelins being without it, and nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends. They are all of a good size and stature, and handsomely formed. I saw some with scars of wounds upon their bodies, and demanded by signs to them to ask how this came about; they answered me in the same way, that there came people from the other islands in the neighborhood who endeavored to make prisoners of them, and they defended themselves. I thought then, and still believe, that these were from the continent. It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no creed. They very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. If it please our Lord, I intend at my return to carry home six of them to your Highnesses, that they may learn our language. I saw no beasts in the island, nor any sort of animals except parrots.

The Age of Exploration: Spanish

Journeys to the Southeast and

Southwest

Indigenous Contacts in the Southeast, 1500-

1539 Indigenous Nations.

Calusa Capital: Calos. Hereditary Chief:

“Carlos.” Apalachee Timucua

Juan Ponce de León. 1513 1521

Indigenous Contacts in the Southwest, 1528-

1545 Pánfilo de Narváez (1528)

Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (1528-1536). Karankawas. Esteban. “We healed the sick, they

killed the sound; we came naked and barefoot, they clothed, horsed and lanced; we coveted nothing but gave whatever we were given, while they robbed whomever they found.”

The Route of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

Indigenous Contacts in the Southeast:

The Horror of Hernando de Soto, 1539-

1543

Juan Ortiz.

Cofitachequi. (1540) Population of 6,000 to 10,000

Coosa. (1540) 500 homes.

Tazcaluza. (1540) Mabíla.

Chickasaw (1540-1541)

Legacies. Coosa in 1559: “Our towns had

once been great, but some Spaniards came here earlier and made it the way it is.”

The Route of Hernando de Soto

Indigenous Contacts in the Southwest: 1540-

1542 Marcos de Niza and Esteban (1539)

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado.

Hawikuh: Zuni.

Pedro de Tovar.

García López de Cárdenas.

Cacique.

Bigotes from Pecos.

El Turco

Alcanfar.

Arenal.

Quivira.

Coronado Map