The Age of Exploration
A Presentation for the American Institute of History Education Colloquium, San Marcos, CA, January 28, 2011
© William J. Bauer, Jr.
Lecture Themes

The Age of Exploration: Setting the Stage for
European Expansion

The Age of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and
the Origins of European Colonization

The Age of Exploration: Spanish Voyages to the
Southeast and Southwest
The Age of Exploration: Setting the Stage for
European Expansion
Shifts in Long Term Trade

Mercantilism, capitalism and
pizza.

The Silk Roads

The Rise of Venice, Pisa, and
Genoa, ca. 1000 A.D.
Political Consolidation

Fall of the Roman Empire

Feudalism

Agricultural Production, ca.
1000 A.D.

Toward Kingdoms.

War Abroad: The Crusades

Commerce.

Enlarge the Royal Domain.
State Making and
Expansion

Europe, 1300 A.D.

Agriculture

Climate

Black Death

Crisis of Feudalism

Expansion

Political Concentrations between
State leaders and Merchants.
State-Making and
Expansion: Portugal

Problems

Prospects

The Move to Africa

Improved Technology

Caravel (pictured)

Carrack
State-Making and
Expansion: Spain

Castile

Aragon

Fernando

Isabella (pictured)
The Age of Exploration: Christopher Columbus
and the Origins of European Colonization
Christopher Columbus: A Short
Biographical Treatment

Birth: 1451

Genoa.

Portugal, 1476-1485.

Spain, 1485-1492.

Voyage West, 1492.

Waitling Island.
Developing the Doctrine,
1240-1532

Crusades.

Pope Innocent IV (1240)

The orders to Christopher
Columbus.

Pope Alexander VI (1493)

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Priest Franciscus de Victoria
(1532)
The Doctrine of Discovery

First Discovery.

Occupancy.

Preemption.

Indigenous Land Title.

Indigenous Sovereignty and Commercial Rights.

Contiguity.

Terra Nullis.

Christianity.

Civilization.

Conquest.
Implementing the Doctrine: The
Requerimiento (1513)
On the part of the King, Don Fernando, and of Doña Juana, his daughter, Queen of Castille and León, subduers of the barbarous nations, we their servants notify and
make known to you, as best we can, that the Lord our God, Living and Eternal, created the Heaven and the Earth, and one man and one woman, of whom you
and we, all the men of the world, were and are descendants, and all those who came after us. But, on account of the multitude which has sprung from this man
and woman in the five thousand years since the world was created, it was necessary that some men should go one way and some another, and that they should
be divided into many kingdoms and provinces, for in one alone they could not be sustained.
So their Highnesses are kings and lords of these islands and land of Tierra-firme by virtue of this donation: and some islands, and indeed almost all those to whom
this has been notified, have received and served their Highnesses, as lords and kings, in the way that subjects ought to do, with good will, without any
resistance, immediately, without delay, when they were informed of the aforesaid facts. And also they received and obeyed the priests whom their Highnesses
sent to preach to them and to teach them our Holy Faith; and all these, of their own free will, without any reward or condition, have become Christians, and
are so, and their Highnesses have joyfully and benignantly received them, and also have commanded them to be treated as their subjects and vassals; and you
too are held and obliged to do the same. Wherefore, as best we can, we ask and require you that you consider what we have said to you, and that you take the
time that shall be necessary to understand and deliberate upon it, and that you acknowledge the Church as the Ruler and Superior of the whole world, and the
high priest called Pope, and in his name the King and Queen Doña Juana our lords, in his place, as superiors and lords and kings of these islands and this
Tierra-firme by virtue of the said donation, and that you consent and give place that these religious fathers should declare and preach to you the aforesaid. If
you do so, you will do well, and that which you are obliged to do to their Highnesses, and we in their name shall receive you in all love and charity, and shall
leave you, your wives, and your children, and your lands, free without servitude, that you may do with them and with yourselves freely that which you like and
think best, and they shall not compel you to turn Christians, unless you yourselves, when informed of the truth, should wish to be converted to our Holy
Catholic Faith, as almost all the inhabitants of the rest of the islands have done. And, besides this, their Highnesses award you many privileges and exemptions
and will grant you many benefits.
But, if you do not do this, and maliciously make delay in it, I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter into your country, and shall make
war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and of their Highnesses; we shall take you
and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their Highnesses may command; and we shall
take away your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, as to vassals who do not obey, and refuse to receive their lord, and resist and
contradict him; and we protest that the deaths and losses which shall accrue from this are your fault, and not that of their Highnesses, or ours, nor of these
cavaliers who come with us. And that we have said this to you and made this Requisition, we request the notary here present to give us his testimony in writing,
and we ask the rest who are present that they should be witnesses of this Requisition.
Implementing the Doctrine:
England and France

English claims of Discovery.

Henry VII.

Occupancy.

Colonial Charters of Virginia
(1606) and New England (1620).

Symbols or Rituals of Discovery.

Francis Drake (1579)
The Diary of Christopher Columbus and the
Creation of “Indians”
As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith
by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red capes, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and
many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us.
Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things
which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk's bells; which trade was carried on
with the utmost good will. But they seemed on the whole to me, to be a very poor people. They all go completely
naked, even the women, though I saw but one girl. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age, well
made, with fine shapes and faces; their hair short, and coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed toward the forehead,
except a small portion which they suffer to hang down behind, and never cut. Some paint themselves with black,
which makes them appear like those of the Canaries, neither black nor white; others with white, others with red, and
others with such colors as they can find. Some paint the face, and some the whole body; others only the eyes, and
others the nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed them swords which they
grasped by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their javelins being without it, and
nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends. They are all of a good size and
stature, and handsomely formed. I saw some with scars of wounds upon their bodies, and demanded by signs to them
to ask how this came about; they answered me in the same way, that there came people from the other islands in the
neighborhood who endeavored to make prisoners of them, and they defended themselves. I thought then, and still
believe, that these were from the continent. It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good
servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no creed. They
very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. If it please our Lord, I intend at my return to carry home six of
them to your Highnesses, that they may learn our language. I saw no beasts in the island, nor any sort of animals
except parrots.
The Age of Exploration: Spanish Journeys
to the Southeast and Southwest
Indigenous Contacts in the
Southeast, 1500-1539

Indigenous Nations.


Calusa

Capital: Calos.

Hereditary Chief:
“Carlos.”

Apalachee

Timucua
Juan Ponce de León.

1513

1521
Indigenous Contacts in the
Southwest, 1528-1545

Pánfilo de Narváez (1528)

Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
(1528-1536).
 Karankawas.
 Esteban.
 “We healed the sick, they
killed the sound; we came
naked and barefoot, they
clothed, horsed and lanced;
we coveted nothing but gave
whatever we were given,
while they robbed whomever
they found.”
The Route of Alvar Núñez
Cabeza de Vaca
Indigenous Contacts in the Southeast: The
Horror of Hernando de Soto, 1539-1543

Juan Ortiz.

Cofitachequi. (1540)
 Population of 6,000 to 10,000

Coosa. (1540)
 500 homes.

Tazcaluza. (1540)
 Mabíla.

Chickasaw (1540-1541)

Legacies.
 Coosa in 1559: “Our towns had once
been great, but some Spaniards came
here earlier and made it the way it
is.”
The Route of Hernando de
Soto
Indigenous Contacts in the
Southwest: 1540-1542

Marcos de Niza and Esteban (1539)

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado.

Hawikuh: Zuni.

Pedro de Tovar.

García López de Cárdenas.

Cacique.

Bigotes from Pecos.

El Turco

Alcanfar.

Arenal.

Quivira.
Coronado Map