Canaries to the Caribbean (October 7, 1997)

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Canaries to the Caribbean (October 7, 1997)
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Canaries to the Caribbean1402-1506 Outline

• Maritime expansion Mediterranean, Africa, and
  the Atlantic
• Arawak, native peoples of the Caribbean Tainos
  and Caribs
• Christopher Columbus (b. ca. 1451, d. 1506),
  Genoese
• Columbuss 4 voyages
• Destruction of the Indies

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Norse expansion in the North Atlantic (text and
archaeological evidence)Bjarni Herjolfsson,
985-6 Icelander Torfinnr Karlsefni
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Maritime expansion Mediterranean, Africa, and
the Atlantic

• Mediterranean
• ship construction, navigational innovations,
  trade and plantations
• Atlantic
• Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde Islands, Canaries
  (Castille 1402, 1478, 1482, 1493)
• Africa Portuguese, 1460 1500 miles
• factories slaving, trading, gold, ivory,
  spices Sao Jorge de Mina (1481, Ghana)

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Martin Behaims world globe, 1492
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Portuguese expansion Cape Verde and SãoTome
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The Virgin of the Mariners protects Mediterranean
galleys as well as the Atlantic caravels that
gather in Seville
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Arawak, native peoples of the Caribbean Tainos
and Caribs

• Tainos, agriculturalists Northern islands, 200
  BC -1200 AD.
• Caribs, Lesser Antilles foragers and fishers
  and fighters
• Demographic destruction
• Linguistic legacy
• barbacoa (barbecue), batata (sweet potato),
  cacique (chief), canoa, hamaca (hammock), maguey
  (cactus), maiz, etc.

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Tainos, agriculturalists Northern islands, 200
BC -1200 AD.
Caribs, Lesser Antilles foragers and fishers
and fighters
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Linguistic legacy barbacoa (barbecue), batata
(sweet potato), cacique (chief), canoa, hamaca
(hammock), maguey (cactus), maiz, etc.
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First European Images, 1493 (accompanying
Columbuss letter)
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Christopher Columbus (b. ca. 1451, d. 1506),
Genoese

• The Genoese connection carriers of the
  commercial-maritime tradition
• Columbuss sea-faring experience
• eastern Medit., Lisbon, Madeira, Sao Jorge de
  Mina (Ghana)
• Theory sail west 2,400 nautical miles to Japan
  (actually 4 times as far 10,600)
• First voyage 3 Aug 92, 6 Sep (Canaries), Oct.
  12 (Bahamas).

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(virtual image from www.ipf.tuwien.ac.at/veroeffe
ntlichungen/ld_p_ch96_vrml/behaim.wrl) Martin
Behaims world globe, 1492
Spain
Azores
Canaries
Azores
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Behaim placed Japan too close too Europe and too
far from Asia
Japan
Japan
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A schematic of Behaims globeW. C.
PhillipsThe Worlds of Christopher Columbus
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Santo Domingo
Canaries
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Columbuss coat of arms.The capitulaciones
discover and acquire islands and Mainlands in
the Ocean Sea
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Columbuss 4 voyages

• 1st Voyage, Capitulaciones suspicion that
  unknown lands would be found
• 2nd, 1493 from exploration/trade to settlement
  (17 vessels, 1200 men--no women)
• 3rd, 1498-1500 encountered mainland (Orinoco
  River)
• 4th, 1502 disaster 1506, death

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Four voyages
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Voyages 3 and 4 (detail)
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Destruction of the Indies

• Cycles of gold mining Indians forced to pan
  gold
• Encomienda entrusting Indians to Spaniards to
  work and to convert
• Slaving expeditions to other islands replenish
  labor
• Destruction of the Indies occurred before the
  first smallpox epidemic (1518)

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Tainos panning gold
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The Black Legend
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Americas 1562
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End