European Incursion in and Settlement (Conquest) of the Americas

1
European Incursion in and Settlement (Conquest)
of the Americas
2
The Renaissance and Reformation

• Heroic Individualism
• Interest in Geography
• New maritime technologyastrolabe, lateen rigging
• Emergence of Dynastic States
• Strategic and Religious Rivalry

3
Other European Motives

• Escape disease and scarcity
• Secure raw materials and markets
• Why Europe and not China? Zheng He commanded a
  large treasure fleet in the 1430s, but China had
  no incentive to explore beyond the Indian Ocean
  and East African Coast.

4
Portuguese Forays

• Along the African Coast to India (Prince Henry
  the Navigator)
• Bartholomew Dias around the Cape of Good Hope
  (1488)
• Vasco da Gama to India (1498)
• Pedro Cabral to Brazil (1500)

5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
Spanish Forays

• Christopher Columbus (1492first of 4 voyages)
• Columbus Controversyhero or instigator of
  genocide?

8
Christopher Columbus
9
The Pinta and the Santa Maria
10
(No Transcript)
11
Spanish Empire in the New World

• Conquistadors conquer Mexica and Quechua (Cortes
  and Pizarro)
• Coronado and DeSoto explore interior of North
  America
• Focus on Silver in Mexico, especially rich
  strikes at Zacatecas.
• Encomienda
• Great Biological Exchangecolonization as
  Swarming
• Black Legend (la leyenda negra)

12
Empire and Balance of Power

• England and Spain clashed over trade.
• England raided Spanish treasure fleets and
  supported Protestant Rebels in the Spanish
  Netherlands.
• Elizabeth I refused to marry Philip II
• Philip II sent Spanish Armada

13
Results of Armada

• English freer to exploit North Atlantic
• Spanish sea power was considerably weakened
• English morale heightened.

14
English Motives for Colonization

• Richard Hakluyt
• Source of raw materials and agricultural products
• Prevent Spain and other Catholic Powers from
  settling
• Promote a better standing navy

• Spread the Anglican faith
• Acquire precious metals
• Need to dispose of excess population

15
Walter Raleigh

• Established Roanoke on Carolinas outer banks
• Armada interfered with supplying ti.
• Lost Colony

16
Roanoke
17
Features of 17th Century English Colonies

• Mixture of governmental regulation and private
  enterprise.
• Religious, social, and economic diversity
• A relatively great deal of local controlHouse of
  Burgesses, Colonial Charters, Town Meetings
• Trend toward greater Royal control after 1650
• More highly peopled by Europeans than the
  colonies of France and Spain.
• Displacement of Native Peoples enslavement of
  African peoples.

18
French Colonies

• European Strategic rivalries and internal French
  politics shaped French Settlement
• Originally looking for a Northwest passage,
  France used the Empire as a source of furs and as
  a check on Spanish and English Expansion
• Controversial coureurs de bois.
• Ecological balance of power

19
So what?

• Indigenous people weakened
• Europe surges ahead of Middle East, India, and
  China, in wealth, commerce, and military power
• Europeans establish themselves in Western
  Hemisphere, India, and Australia and New Zealand
• Incorporation of non-European world into European
  economic and diplomatic systems.