The First Wave of European Settlers
COLONIZE
to settle a “new” land;
to build settlement(s) in previously unsettled
territory
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Geographically, what areas of the New World were
western Europeans interested in settling?
What motivated western European powers (France, the
Netherlands, England, Spain, and Portugal) to migrate
and settle the New World?
How did these European powers differ in their
colonization plans?
What conflicts arose over competition for land
acquisitions in the New World?
What were the effects of European colonization on the
native peoples of the Americas?
How did European colonization fuel the Atlantic Slave
Trade?
Which label(s) best describes the very first wave of
European immigrants to the Americas: explorers,
missionaries, merchants, or conquerors?
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Florida (USA)
Southwestern USA
Mexico
Guatemala
Belize
Honduras
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico
Jamaica
Columbia
Venezuela
Trinidad and Tobago
Ecuador
Peru
Bolivia
Chile
Argentina
Uruguay
Paraguay
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These People were found by them to be Wise, Grave, and well dispos’d, though
their usual Butcheries and Cruelties in opressing them like Brutes, with heavy
Burthens, did rack their minds with great Terror and Anguish. At their Entry into a
certain Village, they were welcomed with great Joy and Exultation, replenished
them with Victuals, till they were all satisfied, yielding up to them above Six
Hundred Men to carry their Bag and Baggage, and like Grooms to look after their
Horses: The Spaniards departing thence, a Captain related to the Superiour Tyrant
returned thither to rob this (no ways diffident or mistrustful) People, and pierced
their King through with a Lance, of which Wound he dyed upon the Spot, and
committed several other Cruelties into the bargain. In another Neighboring Town,
whose Inhabitants they thought, were more vigilant and watchful, having had the
News of their horrid Acts and Deeds, they barbarously murdered them all with their
Lances and Swords, destroying all, Young and Old, Great and Small, Lords and
Subject without exception.
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Vocabulary:
disposed: killed, dead
brutes: beast like
burthens: old form of the word burden
anguish: hardships
exultation: joy, happiness
victuals: food
diffident: shy, timid
vigilant: guarding, watchful
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According to
sixteenth-century
historian
Bartolome de Las
Casas, how did the
Spanish treat the
indigenous people
they encountered
in the New World?
How does the
drawing in the Las
Casas book display
the Spanish? How
does it display the
indigenous people?
 Identify
three figures wearing different types
of clothing in this painting. Attempt to give
them a job title or character title.
 What items in this painting display power?
 What items in this painting display religion?
 How can this painting relate to what
motivated the Spanish to explore and
colonize the New World?
1.
“Conquista” – conquest. Spain wanted to grab as much
territory as it could as quickly as it could.
2.
Trade – particularly gold, silver, and agricultural products. The
Spanish acquired so much silver it led to inflation, sowing the
seeds for financial disaster in Spain.
3.
Glory – Early Spanish explorers and settlers were keenly aware
of the historical nature of their endeavors. They were
ambitious and eager to please their monarchs and to gain
wealth.
4.
Spread of Christianity – Spanish conquistadors felt it was their
duty to convert the natives of the Americas to Christianity.
Once the Spanish became aware of some of the native religious
customs (such as human sacrifice), they felt justified to
conquer and convert by any means necessary. The Spanish
established “missions” – religious outposts throughout their
territories – with the goal of propagating Roman Catholicism.
 “The
Black Legend” – Spain became
notorious for the atrocities committed by
conquistadors against Native Americans.
Many Spanish missionaries criticized the
conquistadors for their severe acts.
 Slavery – The Spanish were the first to use
slaves in the New World.
 Disease – Within one generation of
Columbus’s arrival, as much as 90% of the
native populations of Central America and
the Caribbean Islands died of European
diseases.
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Roman Catholicism – Although their missionary tactics were often
extreme, Christianity, and particularly Roman Catholicism,
became and remains the dominant religion of Mexico, Central
America, and South America. There are more Roman Catholics in
South America than on any other continent. Pope Francis is
Argentine.
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Language – Spanish is the official language of 20 nations in the
Western Hemisphere, and is a significant minority language in the
USA and Belize. With approximately 470 million people speaking
Spanish as their native tongue, it is the most widely understood
language in the Western Hemisphere. Only Mandarin Chinese
claims more native speakers than Spanish.
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Influence – Spain continued to hold territories in the Western
Hemisphere and around the world until around the turn of the
20th century, when its empire began to seriously wane.
 Brazil
 Uruguay
Southern and eastern
Canada
 Central USA – From the
Great Lakes in the
north to the
Appalachian Mountains
in the east to the Gulf
Coast of Louisianan in
the south to the Rocky
Mountains in the west.
 French Guiana
 Haiti
 Martinique
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 Who
was Jacques Cartier, and what did he
do?
 Why wasn’t France in a good position to
begin colonization of the New World during
the 1500s?
 Who is considered the “Father of New
France”? Why?
 When and where was France’s first
permanent New World settlement founded?
 Describe
the relationship between French
settlers and the Native Americans. How do
French relations with Native Americans differ
from Spanish and English relations with
Native Americans?
 What two groups were most instrumental in
the expansion of New France?
 Why did New France expand so slowly?
 Compare and contrast New France with the
English colonies in America.
 Describe the government of New France.
 How did France eventually lose its North
American territories?
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Trade – France, through favorable relations with several
Native American tribes, developed an extensive trade
network, based mainly on the fur trade.
Spread of Christianity – Jesuit missionaries had little
success in converting natives, but their missionary
expeditions helped France map out the vast territories.
Native American relations – Unlike the Spanish (who
generally conquered, killed, and enslaved natives) and the
English (who generally warred with the natives over
territory, eventually displacing them), the French were
able to develop mostly positive relations based on trade
and military alliances.
Keeping up with the Jones – France understood that having
a significant presence in the New World was key to keeping
pace with the growing power of its chief rivals, Spain and
(especially) England.
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Language – French is one of two official languages of
Canada. Over 10 million Canadians speak French, most of
them in the province of Quebec. French is also spoken in
small areas of Louisiana and New England.
Permanent settlements – Although France’s presence in
North America lasted only about 150 years, the French
established numerous settlements that not only lasted but
became major cities: Montreal, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago,
and New Orleans all started as French trading posts.
Take that, England! – After the English defeated France in
the French and Indian War in 1763, France lost all its
territory in North America. Keen for revenge, France was
more than happy to help the American colonists fight the
English in the War for American Independence. With
France’s naval support, England was defeated and lost a
significant chunk of its North American territory, though
England still kept possession of its Canadian territory,
including what was once part of New France.
 Northern
Canada and
the Arctic Islands
 Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, and St.
Pierre et Miquelon
(Canada)
 The Atlantic coast of
the USA
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Following the British defeat of
France in the French and Indian War
(1754-1763), Great Britain gained
control of all of North America east
of the Mississippi River.
 Bahamas
 Virgin
Islands
 England’s
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Approach: Merchants, Conquerors
Trade – The English are primarily concerned with making
money from their New World colonies. Originally, they
hope to find gold and silver (like the Spanish), but they
ultimately get rich off of cash crops like tobacco, sugar,
rice, and indigo.
Conquest – England hopes to gain as much territory as
possible, mainly in order to make money and keep up
with their European rivals (Spain and France).
Relations with Native Americans – While England formed
early alliances with some tribes, their relations with
Native Americans were primarily hostile. The English
weren’t really interested in converting the Natives to
Christianity; they were interested in land acquisition.
The English, as they claimed more and more land,
displaced the Natives, forcing them westward.
 Three
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Charter Colony – The monarch grants a charter (a
list of rules governing the colony) to colonists.
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Example: Connecticut
Proprietary Colony – One or more individuals
(wealthy landowners) are given virtually free rule
over the colony. This ruler was called a Lord
Proprietor, and the title was passed to an heir
after death.
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types of English Colonies:
Example: Pennsylvania and Carolina
Who were Carolina’s original Lords Proprietor?
Royal (Crown) Colony – The monarch appointed a
governor to lead the colony. Most proprietary
colonies eventually became royal colonies.
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Example: Maryland
New England
Colonies
 Massachusetts, New
Hampshire,
Connecticut, Rhode
Island
 Poor, rocky soil and
a cool climate
made large-scale
agriculture
difficult.
 Reason the first
settlers came:
Religious Freedoms
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 Middle
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Colonies
New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware
Settlers came for
assorted reasons ranging
from economic
opportunity to religious
freedom.
Settlers came from
England, Germany,
France, the
Netherlands, and
Scandinavia.
New York and
Philadelphia rapidly
became major
population and shipping
centers.
 The
Southern
Colonies
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Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia
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These colonies were settled for
primarily economic reasons.
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The warm climate and fertile
soil made these colonies ideal
for growing cash crops such as
tobacco, sugar cane, rice, and
indigo.
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Land was divided into large
plantations which were worked
by slaves and indentured
servants.
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North Carolina, with its vast
pine forests, became a leading
producer of lumber, tar, and
pitch. NC was also a major
producer of indigo and tobacco.
 The
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Foundations of American Liberty
Documents such as the Mayflower Compact and
colonial charters were important in spelling out
the rights and responsibilities of colonial citizens.
These documents laid the groundwork for the US
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the
Declaration of Independence.
Though the colonies were ultimately ruled by the
British Crown, they were allowed some freedom
to govern themselves through representative
democracy. Colonists elected representatives to
represent them in legislative assemblies such as
the House of Burgesses.
 The
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Beginning of the End
Prior to the 1760s, most American colonists were
more than content to be British subjects. After
all, Great Britain was the most powerful empire
in the world; Americans enjoyed the benefits of
the wealthy British economy and the protection
of the British military.
In 1763, Great Britain defeated France in the
French and Indian War (AKA the Seven Years
War), taking most of France’s North American
territory. Sounds like good news for British
subjects, right? Actually, though winning a war is
better than losing, it is still super expensive, so
victorious Great Britain emerged from the war
with huge debts. Their solution? Tax the
colonies.
 The
Beginning of the End
The British Parliament passed two acts – the
Stamp Act (1765) and the Townsend Acts (1767) –
which levied taxes on all legal documents and
most imported goods, such as tea. The colonists
felt that these acts violated their rights as British
citizens, since these acts were passed in
Parliament and not by their own colonial
governments.
The colonists protested these taxes in a
number of ways for the next ten years. “No
taxation without representation” became a
rallying cry in the colonies. Gradually, more and
more colonists felt that they should either be
represented in Parliament or be completely free
to govern themselves.
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Language – English is the predominant language of the U.S.
and Canada, and is the most widely understood language in
the world.
Slavery – English colonists brought hundreds of thousands
of African slaves to North America, establishing what would
become America’s most prominent and enduring cultural
defect—racism. Ironically, Great Britain was one of the
first western nations to mount a campaign against
international slavery. Abolitionism began to gain steam in
Britain as early as the 17th century.
Culture – The cultures of the US, Canada, and the UK are
very similar. Apart from sharing a common language, we
share similar tastes in film, music, art, etc. We also have
very similar ideas about human rights and the ways in
which societies should be organized.
Americans have fought two wars against the British (and
nearly fought a third), but from the early 20th century on,
America and the UK have been close allies.
 Guyana
 Suriname
 Alaska
(USA)
 Pacific Coast of
Canada