Early Explorers

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Early Explorers
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Why Explore?

• The Silk Road had been a route for trade for
  hundreds of years. This ended when the Turks
  captured Constantinople.

• A new route needed to be found. This was the
  start of a
• century of Exploration.

• Exploration was done to find all water routes to
  India and
• the Orient.

• Exploring led to settlement in the New World.
  Various
• European countries financially supported
  Colonies and
• Settlements in the New World.

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Christopher Columbus

• Intended to find a sea route to the Indies by
  sailing west from Spain.
• Columbus greatly underestimated the distance
  around the world. The crew began to worry after a
  month of sailing.
• Columbus finally saw land.
• When they docked, they were in San Salvador. This
  was in 1492.
• Columbus truly believed that he was in Asia.

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Other Explorers

• Vasco da Gama was the first explorer to establish
  a water trade route between Europe and Asia by
  sailing around Africas Cape of Good Hope.
  (1499).
• Amerigo Vespucci realized that the land Columbus
  had found was not Asia, but an unknown continent.
  It was named America after him. (1501)
• Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of
  Panama proving this was a New World (1513).
• Juan Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain
  while looking for the fountain of youth. (1513)
• Ferdinand Magellan was the first Portuguese
  explorer to sail around the world. (1519)

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First Encounters

• As soon as Columbus arrived in the Americas he
  encountered Native Americans.
• This is called the Columbian Exchange.
• Both Europeans and Native Americans learned about
  each others cultures and ways of life. They
  exchanged plants and animals.

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European Settlement

• New Spain
• New France
• Jamestown Colony
• Plymouth Colony

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New Spain

• Spain created settlements in North America.
• This was done to obtain riches, convert Indians
  to Catholicism, and expand Spains kingdom.
• St. Augustine, Florida was founded by Spain.

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New France

• France sought the Northwest Passage.
• The Northwest Passage was a waterway along the
  north coast of North America. This in theory
  would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
• Explorers from France went to the Mississippi
  River and settled there. They claimed all the
  land from the Appalachian Mountains to the
  Rockies for France.

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The Jamestown Colony

• In 1607, a ship sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and
  the men on board the ship decided to land. They
  named this place Jamestown.
• Jamestown prospered by growing tobacco.
• John Smith was able to rescue the colony from
  failing by making a rule that whoever didnt work
  didnt eat.
• Virginia, where Jamestown was located was made a
  royal colony by King James.

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The Plymouth Colony

• Pilgrim- person who makes a journey for religious
  reasons.
• The pilgrims boarded a ship in England called the
  Mayflower and landed in the New World in 1620.
• The pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact which
  said that just and equal laws were to be made
  for the good of the colonies.
• The Plymouth Colony flourished because of good
  fishing, farming, and fur trading.

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Summary Slide

• Early Explorers
• Why Explore?
• Christopher Columbus
• Other Explorers
• Maps and Journals
• First Encounters
• European Settlement
• New Spain

• New France
• The Jamestown Colony
• The Plymouth Colony