Chapter 20:
The Atlantic World
1492 - 1800
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjEGncridoQ
Chapter 20 Overview
Chapter 20:
The Atlantic World
Section 1:
Spain Builds an
American Empire
Section 2:
European Nations
Settle
North America
Section 3:
The Atlantic
Slave Trade
Section 4:
The Columbian
Exchange and
Global Trade
Section 1:
Spain Builds an American Empire
 Background: Competition for wealth among
Europeans + Exposure to “cool stuff” from
the “East” via Silk Roads and Crusades +
improvements in sailing + Arabic inventions
(astrolabe) + Prince Henry the Navigator’s
School for Sailors + interest in cartography +
wealth + new thinking from Renaissance =
Era of Exploration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjhIzemLdos
Christopher Columbus
 Approach Isabella and Ferdinand (of Spain)
shortly after Moors had been kicked out by the
Reconquesta
– Perfect timing!
– Isabella provided backing for initial voyages, and
the 3 voyages afterwards
– “I’ll sail to Asia and open up trade with the Indies.”
 Well…got to the Caribbean instead.
 “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…”.
The Three G’s
 Early explorers and conquistadors interested in just 3
things:
–Gold
–Glory
–God
– (In that order!)
 Columbus’s 2nd voyage provided a means to establish
an empire
– Abused local natives
– Established colonies throughout Caribbean
– Later conquistadors came with Columbus on these voyages
Other Explorers
 Pedro Alvares Cabral (Portugal): Brazil and
claimed it for Portugal in 1500
– Treaty of Tordesillas: 1494, Spain and Portugal
divide new world
 Ferdinand Magellan
– Circumnavigated the globe, proving:
 It could be done (sailing around the world)
 You could get “East” by sailing West
 The natives on the Philippines are nasty
 This trading thing is very, very profitable!
Hernando Cortez and the Aztecs
 Became a conquistador
– Heard of Aztecs
– Landed on Carib. shore
– Found locals to help him
 Arrived in year 1 Reed—pale faced and with a
beard!
 How able to conquer an empire of millions with
about 600 men and some native allies?!?!
– “Luck”, diseases, superior weapons, legend,
horses, native allies
Francisco Pizarro and the Inca
 Pizarro and 200 men
ambushed Atahualpa and
30,000 men!
– Again, superior weapons,
disease (small pox had already
come prior to Spaniards even
showing up), horses, etc.
– Kidnapped Atahualpa, held him
for ransom—then killed him
anyway
Spain’s Empire in the Americas
 By mid 16th C., had “New Spain” in Mexico,
etc., and “Peru” in Ctrl/So. America
– Regional capitals
– Local governors
 Imposed culture among natives
– Intermarried  mestizo population
– Converted to Catholicism
 Encomienda system—forced labor from Native
Americans
– Natives resisted, ran away, etc. (And many just
died!) Worked on plantations, mines, etc.
Spain’s Influence Expands
 Spain becoming very rich
– Built a huge navy (or armada) to protect ships
 Expand to (modern) United States
– Send explorers throughout SW, southern Plains
– Coronado explored 9 different states
 Looking for the “Cities of Cibola”
 Found the Grand Canyon instead
 Priests went everywhere
– Established colonies, churches, etc.
– Priests did much of the colonizing in New Mexico, which became HQ for Church
in New World
Opposition to Spanish Rule
 Harsh rule, many abuses of natives (and even
mestizos)
– Harsh, rigid social system—if you weren’t born in Europe,
you were “nothing”
– Some natives rebelled; objecting to harsh rule and culture
being destroyed
 Priests started to be concerned
– Bartolomé de Las Casas suggested using Africans for labor
instead
– Why Africans? New to area (won’t run away), “stronger”, and
have “some immunity” to Old World diseases; plus, just
running out of natives!
–  Importation of African slaves began
In Brazil…
 Cabral claimed land for Portugal in 1500
 1530’s…colonial period began
– Little minerals, so grew sugar instead
– Made Portugal very rich
 Also fell into slavery, and imported more
slaves than all other areas in the New World
combined
 Rigid social class system like Spanish areas
Section 2:
European Nations Settle North Amer.
 New France:
– Who? Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain,
Sieur de la Salle
– Why? Establish trade, esp. providing furs; not
necessarily inhabiting the lands, but just “using”
– Where? Originally up the St. Lawrence River
– Important dates: 1534: Cartier (St. Law Ri)
 1608: Champlain founded Quebec, claimed “New
France”
 1673: Marquette and Joliet: Upper Mississippi Ri.
English Arrive




Who? Male settlers, Pilgrims, Puritans
Why? Religious freedom; start a new life
Where? “New England”, VA, MA
Important dates:
– 1607: Jamestown: $ $ $ All men. By 1620,
women and slaves have arrived. Tobacco.
– 1620: Plymouth: Pilgrims and “Strangers”
– 1630: Mass. Bay Colony: Puritans
– 1763: French and Indian War open way for
English to inhabit most of North America
Dutch Are Next




Who? Henry Hudson, others
Why? Trade; searching for NW Passage
Where? Hudson River; Manhattan Island
Important dates:
– 1609: Hudson River
– 1621: New Netherlands established
– Kicked out by English between 1664 - 1750
Native Americans React and Revolt
 French and Dutch had decent relationships,
but English did not
 Various “Indian Wars” throughout 13 English
Colonies
 Many fall to disease, loss of resources,
kicked farther west
– Small pox, others
Section 3:
The Atlantic Slave Trade
Was already
an
established
business in
Africa
650 Muslims transport about 17 mil. Africans to
No. Africa and SW Asia
1400-1500 Portuguese explore Africa
1500-1600 Spain and Portugal colonize Americas;
began enslaving Africans *300,000 Africans
1600-1700 Atlantic slave trade grows dramatically
under Spain and Portugal *1.3 million!
1690 England increases Atlantic slave trade
1870 Atlantic slave trade ends
Triangular Trade Route
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnV_MTFEGIY
20% would
die, tossed
overboard
Slavery in the Americas
 Conditions
– Horrible!
– Field, forests, rice
paddies, mines, houses
– Beatings, starvation
– Lifelong and hereditary
– Some masters okay,
but others were ruthless
 Resistance, Rebellion,
and How to Cope
– Keep African culture
alive
– Stories, music
– Would be less
productive; sabotage
efforts
– Ran away
– Armed revolts/Uprisings
Consequences of Slave Trade
 In Africa
– Lost generations of
people
– Families torn apart
– Introduced guns,
encouraged violence
among African peoples
 In America (all)
– Contributed labor
– Assured some colonies
would succeed and
prosper
– Brought culture, which
mixed with natives +
Euros
– Many nations today are
predominantly AfricanAmerican
Section 4: The Columbian Exchange
and Global Trade
 Exchange of plants, animals, diseases, etc. from
Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) to New World
(Americas)
– Not all good…not all bad.
– Forever changed life for almost everyone on the whole
planet!
– Brought the extinction of many cultural groups of Native
Americans.
 Most important (positive) exchanges?
– From East to West: livestock, bananas, wheat
– From West to East: potato, corn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQPA5oNpfM4
Global trade
 New sources of wealth
 Rise of capitalism
– Economic system based on private ownership and
investment as a way to make money
– Profits! Reinvestment! Etc.
Increase in money supply
Inflation
 Joint-Stock Companies
– Like a corporation—investors pool money (buy shares) in
hopes of getting a profit
– Reduces individual financial risk
– Popular way to “pay” for colonization
Mercantilism
(boo! hiss!)
 “Colonies exist for the sole purpose of making
money for the mother country.”
– Provides raw materials
– Forced to buy finished products (but from factories
in mother country)
 It’s good for the mother country, if:
– There’s lots of gold and silver, or
– There’s a favorable balance of trade.
Spain
England
 Goal: Become self-sufficient (off of your
colonies) to eliminate need for trade with other
“imperial powers”