The Old World meets the New

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The Old World meets the New

• North America Themes,
• Term 1, Week 2.

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Native Americans

• Asian migrants c.20,000BC, develop into vast
  variety of tribal groups.
• Lifestyles partly dictated by climate,
  topography, and other natural phenomena.
• Popn of NA in 1492 not known, est c.1m-10m.

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The town of Pomeiooc and Secoton village in North
Carolina c.1585, by John White and Thomas Hariot
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Algonquin Life
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Variety of Tribal Groups

• No typical Native American. Variety of
  languages, religions, cultures. Some settled,
  some nomadic, some small, some large.
• Native peoples do not see themselves as
  homogenous group, great deal of conflict between
  tribes.
• Problem for historians as Europeans seem to lump
  all tribes together as Indians
• No typical encounter between European and
  Native Americans

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Myths of Early European landfalls in the Americas

• Jews, Phoenicians, Irish, Welsh etc. Genetic
  hints, linguistic and cultural similarities,
  bones of Negroes in South America, probably
  from Australia.
• Only proven landing made by Leif Erikson c.1000
  AD arch. discoveries at LAnse Aux Meadows in
  Newfoundland. Probably explored further South and
  inland too, named area Vinland Vinland sagas
  written about voyages form Norway to Iceland to
  Greenland to Vinland, but most Europeans knew
  nothing of it. Norse settlements destroyed c.
  1350 most likely by deteriorating weather
  conditions.
• Real discovery was product of Iberian
  explorations in the 15th and 16thC.

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Vinland Settlements
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European Situation

• Europe in the 15th and 16thC in a state of flux
• Reformation caused general upheaval of society,
  break down of old order eg challenge to flat
  earth ideology of the church
• Renaissance encouraged rigorous scientific
  enquiry -might be quicker to sail west to reach
  the vital markets of China and India. Probs with
  the overland route Ottomans etc. First voyages
  of exploration commercially motivated.

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Portuguese discovery of Atlantic Islands i.e.
Canaries, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde islands.
Imp of Prince Henry the Navigator. Rounded Cape
Horn in the 1480s, reached India during the
1490s, showed long distance sea travel was
technologically possible, and offered great
rewards.
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Spanish interest

• 1492 Christopher Columbus prob Catalan sailor in
  the service of the King and Queen of Spain aimed
  to sail West to reach Asia, never realised
  America was separate continent. Landfall in
  Caribbean in Oct 1492.
• 1513 new edition of Ptolemys Geography -
  America recognised as an entirely separate
  continent, proved by Magellan and Del Cano's
  pioneering circumnavigation between 1519 and
  1522. America named after an Italian explorer
  named Amerigo Vespucci.
• Columbus's voyage v. significant for subsequent
  exploration and colonisation of America
  established that trans-Atlantic voyages were
  possible. Vast publicity meant others would
  follow him to America

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Follow up voyages 1 - Spain

• First Sp sighting of North America probably 1501
  Florida first appeared on a map in 1502. First
  landing by Europeans was by Juan Ponce De Leon in
  1513, who explored the inhospitable Atlantic
  coast of Florida.
• 1520s coastal surveys Spanish ships explored
  most of Atlantic coast of North America in 1525.
  Various Sp explorations of Gulf coast in 1527 and
  North American interior by De Soto between
  1539-1543 (encompassing SE USA from North
  Carolina to Texas) expeditions generally ended
  in failure (death at hands of Indians). Confirmed
  widespread Sp sentiment that N.America vast
  wasteland - not worth the trouble. (no easy
  riches like Mexico or Peru). 1536 1542 coastal
  explorations of California sponsored by Cortes.
  Thus broad outline of N. America known by 1540.

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Voyages of Exploration 1492-1580
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Follow up voyages 2 France England

• French explorations of the coast in the 1524
  motivated by search for NW passage 1569 Jacques
  Cartiers exploration of St Lawrence river area.
  
• Role of England limited -. 15thC problems defeat
  by France in the 100 years war followed by War of
  the Roses
• Peace in 1485 opened up possibility of overseas
  expansion. First voyage of discovery with state
  backing was that of John Cabot in 1497 explored
  Newfoundland and other parts of eastern Canada,
  however failure to find North West Passage, led
  to abandonment of official attempts to explore
  America for 80 yrs.
• By 1550 Sp and Fr far ahead of the English in
  race to exploit North America. Both had explored
  more of N Am than the Eng, and had brought N Am
  to the attention of Europeans.

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Settlements 1 - Florida

• Oldest continuously settled part of colonial
  North America, first perm settlement at St.
  Augustine in 1565 was response to Fr settlement
  at Charlesfort in SC in 1562. Charlesfort
  destroyed 1564, St. Aug military base to
  protect Sp shipping taking treasure back from New
  Spain, also a visible claim to N.America vs Fr,
  and later Eng. St Aug burned by Francis Drake in
  1586 but rebuilt.
• Apart from Franciscan priests who concentrated on
  conversion of local Indian tribes, the Sp popn in
  Florida remained very small. Mainly hildagos,
  (lesser gentry), popn in 1600 numbered 500 half
  of whom were single men, all but 50 in govt
  service, very few Sp women and children. As a
  result the typical family unit Sp man with
  local Indian woman. Floridas institutions were
  Sp but her domestic living arrangements were
  Indian.
• 1570-1 short-lived Jesuit settlement in
  Chesapeake Bay.

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Settlements 2 New Mexico New France

• First settlements in New Mexico 1598, based in
  Indian villages first solely Sp settlement was
  Santa Fe, 1610, and the 3,000 popn in 1650
  concentrated there. Like Florida, colonisation
  left in hands of Franciscans as Sp crown thought
  it too expensive.
• 1st permanent settlements in Acadia, (Nova
  Scotia) in 1605. Mainly military forts, no women
  etc, under auspices of the Company of New France.
  Clearly not intended to be self-reproducing
  colony. Fr on good terms with Huron Indians, main
  ec activity is trade in furs, climate not
  conducive to agriculture. Settlements
  concentrated on St Lawrence, esp Quebec, but very
  small, until arrival of Jesuits in 1625

• Montreal founded 1642 to be a place for converted
  Indians to live, but also acts as staging post
  for fur trade. 1645 Co of NF virtually bankrupt,
  decisions increasingly taken by elected officials
  in Canada, until Louis XIV takes personal control
  of colonies in 1663. Fr Popn small - eg Acadia in
  the 1680s only 500.

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World in 1587
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English Colonies

• Motivation envy of Sp treasure from America
  wealth helped Sp become most powerful nation cf
  Charles V English policy to break the Iberian
  monopoly on America due to fear that American
  wealth, after Henry VIII's split with Rome
  (1534), could be used against them.
• Eng govt sanctioned privateering operations
  against Spanish. By 1580 increasingly dangerous
  to prey on Sp shipping - suggestion that American
  base needed.
• American cols would also ease Eng reliance on
  southern Europe for citrus fruits, silks, and
  vines.
• 1st patent to settle in America granted to Sir
  Humphrey Gilbert, half brother to Walter Raleigh,
  permitted him to settle anywhere between Florida
  and Northern Canada, - English laid claim to
  North America by virtue of Cabot's voyages to
  Newfoundland (1497).

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Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Sir Walter Raleigh
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Roanoke

• 3 Eng voyages to settle North America in 1580s.
  The first landed at Roanoke Island, N.C. July 13,
  1584, short lived military scouting expedition.
• 1585-6, 2nd mission under Ralph Lane, discovered
  Chesapeake Bay, ideal as naval base. But, poor
  Indian relations, lack of food - returned to Eng
  with Drake in 1586.
• Third voyage 1587 meant to be permanent
  settlement, self-sustaining and self-reproducing.
  Gov John White returned to England for more
  supplies. Unable to return until 1590 due to Sp
  Armada, found settlement abandoned, colonists
  never seen again.

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Importance of Roanoke

• 3 voyages saw evolution of colonising thought
• Roanoke originally seen as a base for
  privateering, then a place where valuable raw
  materials could be shipped to England, only third
  voyage aimed to settle permanently.
• The lessons of Roanoke were clear
• no colony could exist without full support from
  mother country in terms of men and supplies for
  at least the first few years of existence
• clear goals were needed to give direction and
  purpose to the colonisation effort.
• good relations with the Indians were necessary to
  learn the best survival techniques in the
  American wilderness.

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Settlement of Virginia

• Accession of James VI and I in 1603, 1604 peace
  treaty with Spain ended the plundering of Spanish
  treasure ships.
• London merchants decided to see what legitimate
  profits could be made from colonisation in North
  America (Virginia Co.) obtained a charter from
  King to settle permanently in America, exploit
  trade with the natives Christianise them. First
  three ships carrying 144 young men arrived in
  America in May 1607, settled inside Chesapeake
  Bay, founded Jamestown.
• Struggles of 1st settlers only gradual
  consolidation
• Maryland founded 1634, proprietor Lord
  Baltimore, a leading English Catholic.

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Chesapeake in 1634
Jamestown
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New England

• September 1620 - 102 religious separatists
  (Pilgrims) left Plymouth on the Mayflower bound
  for Virginia. Nov. landed Cape Cod, decided to
  stay there, new settlement named Plymouth.
  Governor William Bradford befriended the native
  population, who taught them how to survive in the
  New World. After first year, Pilgrims invited the
  Indians to a 3 day feast of thanksgiving.
• Pilgrims followed in 1630 by 700 non-separating
  Congregationalists, (Puritans), led by John
  Winthrop, settled at Boston, colony called
  Massachusetts Bay. Puritans wanted to establish
  the true Anglican church in the wilderness.
  Winthrop's vision 'We shall be as a city upon a
  hill, the eyes of the world shall be upon us',
  aimed to show that ideal Christian community
  could be formed and maintained.
• Other N.Eng cols (New Haven, Rhode Island, and
  Connecticut), founded during 1630s - all had
  religious backgrounds.

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New Netherlands Delaware

• New Netherlands first explored by Hudson for the
  Dutch East India Company in 1609. Dutch seeking a
  privateering base, est settlements at Fort Orange
  (Albany 1624) and New Amsterdam (New York 1626)
  and Fort Nassau (Gloucester NJ 1626). Settlers
  sent by Dutch West India Company in 1626,
  purchased Island of Manhattan from the local
  Manahate Indians for trinkets worth about 24.
  Main purpose of settlement was trade with
  Indians, esp Iroquois. Popn remained fairly
  small, 1650 only 4,000 only 1/3 that of English
  cols.
• Delaware Small Swedish settlement at Fort
  Christina in Delaware in 1638. Taken by the Dutch
  in 1655.

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European Settlement c.1650
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North America c.1650