The American Journey
Chapter 1: Expanding Horizons
Section 1: Age of Exploration
c. 1270-1600

Once Europeans come in contact with
Asian goods, they want them more
quickly!
◦ Land routes = slooooowww
Kings/queens want more loot!
 Better technology allows it.

Why begin exploring?

Explorers can improve maps
◦ Popular misconception: Most people knew
the world was round; Columbus did not set sail
to prove it wasn’t flat.
◦ However, everyone thought the world was
much smaller than it is (explorers didn’t know
about the Americas).
Why begin exploring?

They want a way to sail WEST and reach
Asia (which is east of Europe).
◦ Such a route would be much quicker.
A note about these “stupid” mistakes…
 A note about the often cruel treatment
toward natives and others…

What are they thinking?!
So you can see why they were
so surprised when America
turned up and the world was
larger than they thought!
Example of an ancient world map

#1: Technology & animals
◦ Guns, ships, horses, dogs, etc. (think Avatar)

#2: Disease
◦ Natives haven’t seen cattle-bred diseases

#3: Geography
◦ Alignment of Americas (N/S) vs. Europe (E/W)
◦ Proximity of population/animals (disease again)
◦ Distance between tribes (no one to help)

#4: Ignorance
◦ Think Spanish are gods & trust them
Why are native warriors so easily
defeated?

Spain uses pueblos, presidios, and
missions to Christianize natives
◦ …which is why California has so many Spanish
place names (San Diego, Los Angeles, etc.).

Many English explorers land in Canada
and the Northeast
◦ …which is why we have New England, New
Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, etc.

Many French explorers land in Canada
◦ …which is why they still speak French.
Spanish/English/French influence
on America
The American Journey
Chapter 1: Expanding Horizons
Section 2: Rise of Modern Capitalism
c. 1350-1600’s

Capitalism is a free-market system.
◦ Competition encouraged between businesses.
◦ Businesses privately owned, not governmentcontrolled.
◦ Purpose of capitalism = make money.
 Capital means money.
◦ People own shares of companies (stock, etc.)
◦ One who participates in this system is called a
capitalist.
What is capitalism?

Before the 1600’s, most places are not
defined as a country or a nation.
◦ Most powerful places are cities or kingdoms.

As the world expands, cultures encounter
one another.
◦ This leads to larger, more powerful nations.
◦ These nations want new ways to make $$!

Exploration is a great way to make $$!
◦ But it costs a lot to send explorers…
◦ How to pay for it? Hmmmmm…
The Commercial Revolution
Initially rulers borrow from banks.
 Eventually, people set up joint-stock
companies.

◦ Companies sell stock, shares of the company.
◦ In this way, company raises little sums of
money, but from LOTS of people.
◦ If the company does well, so do the
shareholders, so people want to invest.
◦ If the company does poorly, each person is
only out a little money.
How does capitalism come about?
Soon such companies become very
powerful and want to make more $$.
 Entrepreneurs come up w/ ideas, get
money, buy materials, and make their
own businesses.

◦ This is much riskier, but the entrepreneur gets
to keep all his profits.
◦ Because the work is done
at home, the entrepreneurial
system becomes known as
the “cottage industry.”
How does capitalism come about?

Mercantilism: idea that countries should
make themselves rich by storing up
bullion, gold & silver.
◦ Many countries, esp. Spain, go to other lands
to plunder their bullion.
Gold plundered through mercantilism &
money raised through joint-stock
companies & entrepreneurs lead to very,
very rich empires (capitalists).
 All these advancements together are
called The Commercial Revolution.

What is mercantilism?

What do you think happens when nations
get rich? [discuss]
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Life expectancy goes up
More babies survive
Overcrowding
More leisure time to go elsewhere
Demand for more material goods
What happens when rich nations
encounter each other? [discuss]
◦ Trade
◦ Competition
◦ War!
Effects of capitalism

All these factors lead to colonialism, the
belief that nations should control other
lands through colonies.
◦ A colony is a settlement of people in a new
country controlled by their home country.

Colonies allow countries to expand to new
lands, open up new trade, control more
empires, and get more goods.
◦ America was a French, Spanish, Dutch, and
British colony.
Colonialism
The Columbian Exchange (as in
Columbus), is vast network of trade that
opens up between Old World (Europe &
West Asia) and New World (Americas,
East Asia, parts of Africa).
 What is “exchanged”? [discuss]

◦ Look at pg. 96: Crops, food, gold, money,
animals, practices, religion, language, etc.
◦ Most important and unfortunate: slaves and
diseases
The Columbian Exchange

Once Europeans begin to grow crops in
Caribbean, they need workers.
◦ Originally they use Native Americans.
◦ Africans are later preferred.

Between 1550 and 1870, 10-12 million
Africans are transported from West Africa
to Americas
◦ Long, brutal voyage by ship is called “The
Middle Passage.”
The slave trade
The American Journey
Chapter 1: Expanding Horizons
Section 3: The Enlightenment
c. 17th-18th Century

The Enlightenment is a time from 17th
Century (1600’s) to c. 1800 when reason
and careful analysis replace blind faith
and Catholic Church as primary means of
learning.
What was the Enlightenment?

Greeks and Romans developed
philosophy.
◦ Greek philo (love) + sophia (wisdom)

Greeks developed democracy: each
person votes directly on all laws and
policies.
◦ Greek dêmos (people) + krátos (power)

Romans set up republic: each person
elects representatives to vote and conduct
business.
◦ Latin republica (public interest/affair)
Ideas behind the Enlightenment

Note: The United States is not a direct
democracy!
◦ It’s a democratic republic (we have direct
voting on some issues, but we primarily elect
our leaders, who in turn vote for us).

Rome also came up w/ rule of law, which
states that all laws apply to all equally.
Ideas behind the Enlightenment

Jews/Christians believe God has a
covenant, or binding agreement,
between Himself & His people.
◦ Covenant idea influences Enlightenment
thinkers to make contracts between leaders
and people.

Another important figure = Yeshua Bar
Joseph.
◦ Who’s he? [discuss]
◦ Jesus (whose last name was not Christ!)
◦ Christian values spread everywhere.
Ideas behind the Enlightenment

Arab Muslims have huge influence on
Enlightenment thinkers.
◦ Medical, mathematical, and scholastic influence
◦ Beginning of universities

Renaissance = rebirth (French
renaissance means rebirth) of arts,
science, culture, & knowledge.
◦ Remember how capitalism made nations
wealthy?
◦ Now that they are wealthy, they can afford art,
learning, science, and other ventures.
Ideas behind the Enlightenment
Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther
breaks from Catholic Church) lays the
groundwork for people to question church
authority.
 Soon King Henry VIII takes power from
Pope and forms Anglican Church (Church
of England).
 Puritans do not like Anglican Church
under James I and want to purify it.

◦ Pilgrims, who sail from England and land at
Plymouth, Mass., are Puritans.
Ideas behind the Enlightenment

Why do Puritans sail for America?
◦ Dissatisfied w/ Anglican Church.
◦ Disagree w/ absolute monarchy (king has total
power).

1688: English Parliament forces out James
II and replaces him w/ William & Mary, his
son-in-law and daughter.
◦ William & Mary sign English Bill of Rights,
guaranteeing certain rights to citizens.
◦ Inspires our Bill of Rights.
Ideas behind the Enlightenment


Magna Carta (1215): King doesn’t have
absolute authority & must grant certain rights
to citizens.
English Parliament: House of Lords/House of
Commons.
 People get representation

English Bill of Rights (1689): King has to grant
all fair rights to Parliament.
 Inspires American Bill of Rights


Virginia House of Burgesses (1619): First
representative assembly in colonies.
Mayflower Compact (1620): Sets up direct
democracy based on “just & equal” laws for all.
History of Limited Government
THIS John Locke.
Not this John Locke.
LOST
Important thinker: John Locke!
Thomas Hobbes says absolute monarchy is
best way to govern, since people will make
life “nasty, brutish, and short.”
 John Locke says govt. should be based on
natural, God-given rights and answerable
to the people.

◦ Social contract: If govt. gets out of hand,
people should be able to kick it out!
◦ American colonists accept Locke’s ideas.
◦ Do you agree? [discuss]
Ideas behind the Enlightenment

Charles de Montesquieu writes that
English government (Parliament) is best,
b/c powers are divided.
◦ Executive, legislative, & judicial branches.
◦ Founding Fathers adopt these ideas.
Ideas behind the Enlightenment

So…to review, when colonists settle in
America, they bring w/ them…
◦ 1. Ideas of limited govt. power
◦ 2. Belief in natural rights for all people
◦ 3. Democratic and republican ideals (people get
a say in state affairs)
◦ 4. Ideas of a divided government
◦ 5. Philosophy and reason
◦ 6. Contracts between powers and people
◦ 7. Capitalism

How well did they do? [discuss]
Ideas behind the Enlightenment
FIN