During the

Renaissance a time

period of learning a

book about India and

Asia by Marco Polo

was published. This

book inspired the

Italian Sailor

Columbus to search

for a new route to Asia

by traveling west

The King and Queen

of Spain sponsored

his voyage. After 30

days he landed in

what is now the

Caribbean mistakenly

thinking he was in

India. He referred to

the Taino as "

unsuspicious and

generous with what

they posses."

Columbus named the

Island San Salvador.

He made four

voyages claiming

parts of North and

South America in the

name of Spain still

believing it was India.

This triggered others

to explore the

Americas.

Columbus discovery

lead to the transfer

of people, plants,

animals, and

diseases, called the

Columbian

Exchange.

Europeans gained

many advantages

such as Corn,

potatoes, and land.

Native Americans

gained some new

trade networks but

in many cases

often died from

diseases such as

small pox, were

enslaving by

Europeans and

converted to

Christianity .

Due to the high

mortality rate of

enslaved Natives

the Spanish

imported slaves

from Africa to the

Caribbean to mine

gold and raise sugar

cane.

After Columbus, in

1519 Spain sent

soldiers called

conquistadors to

conquer the

America's and find

gold. Cortez was the

first to conquer a

group called the

Aztecs in the city

Tenochtitlan in

Mexico

Because he came with

500 soldiers, metal

armor, horses and

guns and the deadly

small pox many

mistook Cortez for a

God. The Spanish

were amazed the Aztec

lived in a floating city

in a lake with high

temples. .

The Spanish were

offended by the

Aztec's religious

rituals. Aided by

Native American

rivals they defeated

the ruler Montezuma

and defeated the

Aztec. They headed

North looking for

more gold.

Juan Ponce de Leon

discovers gold in

Puerto Rico. Then he

goes to La Florida to

find the fountain of

Youth in stead he is

killed by Native

Americans using

poisoned arrows. To

protect their claims the

Spanish built forts

called presidio. The

oldest European

settlement is the

Presidio St. Augustine.

Coronado goes from

Mexico city north to

find the rumored

Seven golden cities

of Cibola. Instead in

the South West he

finds seven villages

of Adobe cliff

dwellings.

In 1532, Pizarro

aided by small pox

conquered the Inca

empire in Peru. He

captured the ruler

Atahualupa and

held him for

ransom. When he

received the gold

and silver payment

he killed the ruler

and took over.

In the South West

from Florida to

California was the

Spanish Borderlands.

Spain sent

missionaries and

settlers to occupy

these areas and

protect them from

being claimed by

rival countries.

Missions were built and

run by Catholic Priests

in order to convert the

local Natives to

Christianity. The

missions relied on

farming. Native

Americans were

enslaved to work the

fields and whipped for

non Christian practices.

The two sides did

exchange knowledge.

Natives learned about

new tools, foods, and

sheep for wool.

Spanish learned

irrigation in dessert

regions. However,

slavery and disease

reduced the tribes

from 100 to 18 by 1700.

To compete with

Spain Jacques Cartier

tried to find the North

West passage.

Instead he claims

(Canada) New France.

France makes money

from valuable beaver

fur. Land was given to

rich nobles but the

harsh conditions

made it hard to farm.

Champlain creates the

trading post Quebec.

Mostly trappers or

coureurs de bois "

wood rangers" settled

in New France. He

makes the Huron his

business partners

even defends them

against the Iroquois.

Diseases kill many

Huron.

Marquette and Joliet

hoping to find the

North West passage

explore the Mississippi

river. Latter La Salle

claimed the land west

of the Mississippi in

the name of Louis the

XIV and named it

Louisiana.

John Cabot claimed

New Foundland off of

Canada in the name of

England. He brought

back fish and lumber.

Sir Walter starts the

lost colony of

Roanoke off the coast

of N.C. The first group

of settlers refuse to

fish and farm and

instead return home.

The second group

arrives too late to

plant crops. The

leader returns to

England for supplies

and can not return

for three years. When

he returns the only

thing they find is the

word CROATOAN

carved in a tree and

no sign of the

settlers.

In 1607 merchants

form the London

company and get

permission to start a

colony James town in

Virginia to find lumber

and furs.

144 settlers of crafts

men and gentleman

settle on a mosquito

filled swamp ,

surrounded by Power

Natives.

The settlers did not

want to work and the

natives were hostile

with settlers. John

Smith becomes

governor and makes

them work in order to

get food. He is

captured by the

natives. Before he is

killed he is saved by

Pocahontas the

daughter of Chief

Powhatan.

She brings peace

between the settlers

and natives. When

John Smith leaves to

England Indians

refuse to trade with

the settlers causing

starvation and death.

When Smith returns

50 of the 600 are left

alive.

New settlers arrive but

suffer Indian attacks.

Settlers kidnap

Pocahontas and hold

her hostage to end

Indian attacks on

settlers. Over the next

year she learns, English

and converts to

Christianity. John Rolfe

who successfully grew

the new cash crop

Tobacco marries

Pocahontas bringing

peace between the

settlers and Indians.

Sponsored by

merchants Hudson

explores a river Near

New York full of fish.

The River is named

the Hudson and the

territory is claimed as

New Netherlands. The

West India Trading

Company establishes

the profitable trading

post for fur on

Manhattan Island.

Peter Minuit the

governor buys

Manhattan Island for

iron pots, beads,

blankets, and $24

dollars. Due too their

beliefs about land

they laughed and

made the trade. The

Dutch also traded the

Iroquois guns for furs.

Peter Struyvsant

becomes governor.

Struyvesant renames

it New Amsterdam. The

colony becomes a

melting pot for Jews,

Africans, Swedish, and

Europeans. The

English decide to claim

the colony. The Dutch

give up without a fight

due to a lack of

gunpowder The

English name it New

York after the Duke of

York.

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