Chapter 20 – 1492-1800The Atlantic World
Section 1Spain Builds an American Empire
Columbus
1492 – Columbus’s goal was to reach Asia by sailing west.
Failed to reach Asia, landed instead on an island in the Caribbean (probably the Bahamas)
Looking for gold, he moved from island to island, claiming each for Spain (colonies)
Others would quickly follow, each claiming the land in the name of their European country
Spanish Conquest (Mexico)
1519 – Hernando Cortes lands in Mexico in search of gold. With the Aztecs in the way, Cortes will destroy their civilization.
Montezuma, leader of the Aztecs, gave him a tribute of gold but it only made him want more.
Reasons the Spanish success: Superior weapons
Aztec opposing tribes joined the Spanish
DISEASE – never having been exposed meant the natives had no immunities
Spanish Influence
American colonies made Spain the wealthiest of the European nations in the 1500s Led to a stronger army/navy
As they grew, they sought to expand their colonies into the southwestern US region 1513 – Ponce de Leon claims
Florida
1541 – Colonized Arizona to Texas
Lacked significant gold so they sent mostly priests seeking converts
Peruvian Conquests
Francisco Pizzaro, of Spain, conquered the Incan Empire in 1532
200 men met and kidnapped Incan Emperor Atahualpa Ransomed for gold and silver
Killed Atahualpa after receiving the ransom
By 1600, Spain had created a vast empire from Mexico south.
Encomienda
system used by the Spanish to create a labor force
Gave the owner of the land the right to enslave native people.
The Spanish landowner would be responsible for converting the native to Christianity and having them learn Spanish
This helped the Spanish colonies by creating a cheap labor source that will function the same way slavery does later.
Brazilian Conquest
Outside of Spanish control, Brazil was colonized by Portugal
Settled almost entirely on the coast.
Since there was no gold/silver to be found, they used the land for sugar plantations
Video: Crash CourseColumbus, De Gama, and
Zheng HeWRITE THIS AT THE TOP:
Video Notes
Video 1: European Explorers
5 facts that were NOT in the notes
Section 2European Nations Settle North America
Competing Claims
French explorers were initially looking for a quicker route to the Pacific Ocean Not finding one, they claimed the
lands in the NE US/Canadian Region
Cartier/Champlain’s expeditions created Montreal and Quebec
Started in Eastern Canada and then expanded down the Mississippi (became known as New France/Louisiana)
French profited off the fur trade, no permanent settlements.
English Arrival
1607 – three ships carrying 100 English settlers found Jamestown Disastrous – lacked resources
(70% die from disease, hunger, or fighting in the first few years)
Tobacco changed that
In 1620, the Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom, create Plymouth
Puritans will create a colony near Massachusetts Bay
New Netherland
1609 – Henry Hudson (working for the Dutch), discovers the Hudson Bay, River, and Strait
The Dutch used these waterways to establish ports for trading. The region became known as New Netherland
Profited most off the fur trade with the Iroquois
In an attempt to increase its population, they encouraged a variety of Europeans
Fight for North America
New Amsterdam, owned by the Dutch, divided the Northern and Southern English colonies England sends the Duke of York to
take it over in 1664. Dutch surrender immediately.
Renamed New York
In 1754, France and England battled in the French and Indian War. In 1763, France lost and surrendered all of it’s North American holdings to England
The Caribbean
The Caribbean was settled by various European nations (France, England, Netherlands, and Spain)
Most colonies were built on cotton and sugar production. While very profitable, they required a large labor supply (this will eventually lead to slaves being brought in)
Native American Interaction
The French and Dutch were cooperative because the Native Americans knew how to trap animals
The English had a much more tense relationship because of religion and land rights Puritans thought the “heathens”
were “agents of the devil”
The 1600s were filled with fighting between colonials and Native Americans that killed hundreds on both sides
More destructive than warfare were the diseases brought by the Europeans
Video: Crash CourseThe Seven Years War
Video 2: The Seven Years War
5 facts that were NOT in the notes
Section 3The Atlantic Slave Trade
Causes of African Slavery As natives died by the millions in the
Americas, Europeans looked for a new source of labor
Africa had a history of slavery going back for centuries in Africa and Muslim societies Difference: they used captives from war
and they had some chance to move up. In the Americas, it is for life, based on race, and hereditary
Africans made better workers in the Americas
Already exposed to most diseases
Experienced farmers
Less likely to escape because they didn’t know the land
Race made them stand out among Europeans/natives
Atlantic Slave Trade
The practice became so widespread that the term, Atlantic slave trade, referred to the transfer of Africans straight to the Americas
In total, Europeans brought nearly 10 million Africans to the Americas as slaves
The slave trade originated with the Spanish and the Portuguese in the Caribbean and Brazil (40% of slaves in the 1600s went to Brazil)
Spread of Slavery
As the English colonies expanded, so did their need for slave labor
African rulers/merchants participated in the slave trade by using captured Africans
When rulers failed to cooperate, merchants would simply find a way around them.
Triangular Trade
Refers to the trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas From Americas: cotton, tobacco,
rum, sugar, molasses
From Europe: Manufactured goods/guns
From Africa: Slaves and gold
The part of the trade network that brought slaves specifically became known as the middle passage. Became known for its cruelty and
mistreatment of enslaved Africans
20% (est.) died en route.
American Slavery
After arriving, slaves were usually auctioned off Used to work in mines, fields, or as
house servants
Typically it was indefinite and hereditary
To cope, Africans developed their own customs Musical traditions and stories of
the ancestors
Occasionally, they would resist Broke tools, uprooted plants, worked
slow, ran away
Uprisings will slowly grow beginning as early as 1522 and lasting through the 1800s
Consequences of Slavery
African Effects Lost generations of the fittest
Tore apart families
Introduced guns to Africa
American Effects Kept the colonies “alive” by
providing cheap labor and expertise
Brought culture (art, music, religion, and food)
Still has a major impact on the ethnic makeup of the US, Brazil, and Caribbean nations
Video: Crash CourseThe Atlantic Slave Trade
Video 3: The Atlantic Slave Trade
5 facts that were NOT in the notes
Section 4The Columbian Exhange and Global Trade
Columbian Exchange
Refers to the global transfer of foods, plants, and animals during the age of colonization
From the Americas: Crops like tomatoes, tobacco, potatoes, and corn
From Europe: Livestock and diseases
Global Trade
New wealth significantly changed the economic culture of the world
Capitalism was born – based on private ownership and the desire for profit
The sudden increase in money brought staggering inflation with it Inflation is the dramatic rise in
prices
Joint-Stock Companies
A new way of doing business emerged.
Known as a joint-stock company, they operated by selling shares of a company where investors have a common goal Goal in the 16-17th centuries:
colonize!
Benefit: reduced the weight of the investment which was very risky to begin with
Mercantilism
Refers to an economic policy that says that the strongest nation is the wealthiest nation
Two ways to do this: Get all the gold/silver you can
Establish a favorable balance of trade
Sell more than you buy (ultimately become self-sufficient)
Video: Crash CourseThe Columbian Exchange
Video 4: The Columbian Exchange
5 facts that were NOT in the notes
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