Bell Work
• What contributions did Prince Henry the Navigator make to
Portuguese exploration?
This Day in History:
August 26, 1862- The Second Battle of Bull Run begins.
August 26, 1839- The first televised baseball game takes place between the Cincinnati
Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
August 26, 1920- The 19th Amendment is adopted into the Constitution.
August 28, 1968- The Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago which would
lead to rioting over their stance on Vietnam.
Exploration of the Americas
• Who decided to fund Columbus’ explorations? What were the two
reasons for this?
• How long did the ships sail westward before they reached land? Where
did Columbus think he was?
• In 1493, 1498, and 1502 Columbus made more voyages for Spain,
what did he discover and do on these voyages?
• What was the significance of the Line of Demarcation and the Treaty of
Tordesillas?
• Who is America named after? Why?
• What is Vasco Nunez de Balboa best known for? Ferdinand Magellan?
• How did Columbus’ voyages impact other explorers?
• Explain the impact the convergence of the Old World (Europe) and
New World (America) had on both cultures.
Bell Ringer
• Explain what the Line of Demarcation is.
This Day in History:
• August 27, 1776- The British defeat George Washington at the Battle of
Brooklyn Heights.
• August 27, 1908- Lyndon Baines Johnson is born in Stonewall, Texas.
• August 27, 2007- Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Michael Vick pleads guilty in a
dog fighting case.
BEGINNING OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE
CONQUEST OF THE AZTECS
• In 1519 Conquistador Hernan Cortes left Cuba to sail to
present-day Mexico because he had heard rumors of the
wealthy Aztec empire.
• Cortes wanted the Aztec wealth as well as to convert the Aztecs
to Christianity.
• Despite being vastly outnumbered by the Aztec the Spanish
were able to conquer the Aztecs and wipe out their entire culture
with the help of smallpox.
CONQUEST OF THE INCAS
• In 1531 Conquistador Francisco Pizarro began conquering cities
in the Inca Empire.
• Pizarro only had a little less than 400 men but their superior
weapons and the diseases they carried destroyed the Incas.
• By 1533 the Spanish had conquered the Incas with the help of
Native American allies that were enemies of the Incas.
Spanish Settlements
• Spain began encouraging people to settle in New Spain. Jews,
Muslims, and non-Christians were forbidden.
• Spain ruled through a system of royal officials. The Council of
the Indies was formed in 1524. They then appointed to viceroys,
or royal governors.
• Types of settlements: pueblos (trading posts or centers of
government), missions were started by priests in order to
convert natives to Christianity, and presidios were military
bases.
Exploring the Southeast
• In 1508 Juan Ponce de Leon landed on Puerto Rico. By 1511 he
had conquered the island and founded the city of San Juan.
• In 1512 de Leon discovered present-day Florida. He then began
searching for the Fountain of Youth. However, he failed to
colonize the area.
• In 1539 Hernando De Soto gained permission to explore the
Gulf of Mexico region. In 1541 he discovered the Mississippi
River. He would die the next year.
Exploring the Southwest
• In 1528 Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca joined an expedition to
North America.
• The group shipwrecked off the coast of Texas with only four
survivors including de Vaca. They were enslaved by a Native
American tribe.
• Six years later they would escape and travel across the
Southwest to a Spanish settlement.
• De Vaca would become an advocate for the better treatment of
the natives.
Spanish treatment of natives
• The encomienda system was set up to give the right of Spanish
settlers to tax or make natives works in exchange for protection
and conversion to Christianity.
• The natives were forced to work on large plantations, haciendas
or in gold and silver mines.
• Bartolome de Las Casas was a Catholic priest in New Spain
that advocated for the better treatment of Natives.
Cause and Effect
• Make a chart and list the causes and effects of the Spanish
encounters in North America.
Free Response Essay
• Analyze the effects of the Columbian Exchange
on Europeans and Native Americans from 1492
to 1607. (In other words, before the English and
French began colonizing)
• You may use the Columbian Exchange chart,
your textbook, and the Internet to help you.