The Discovery of America
Introduction
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The Age of Discovery
Christoph Columbus
European colonization of the America
The Spanish and Portuguese colonies
English and French colonies
American Revolutionary War
Manifest Destiny
The Age of Discovery
• known as the Age of Exploration
• a period in history starting in the 15th century and continuing into
the early 17th century
• the Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world
• establishing direct contacts with Africa, America, Asia and Oceania
• mapping the planet
• the first initiators – Portuguese and Spanish
• searching alternative trade routes to „the Indies“
• the trade with gold, silver and spices
• in 1492 – the Spanish expedition headed by Christopher Columbus
- gave impetus to the European conquest, exploration and
colonization of the new world
Old World Map
Christoph Columbus
(c. 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506)
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a navigator, colonizer and an explorer
from the Republic of Genoa
four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean
all his voyages funded by the Spanish Queen
Isabella I. Castile
• his first voyage
- on the 3th August 1492
- with three ships –
Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina
- his conviction - the Earth is round
and he was satisfied to reach the India acrossing the Atlantic Ocean
- Columbus first sailed to the Canary Islands,
where he restocked the provisions and made repairs
Christoph Columbus
(c. 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506)
the land was sighted at 2 a.m. on 12 October 1492, by a sailor named
Rodrigo de Triana aboard Pinta
-Columbus called the island San Salvador
(the Bahamas), the natives – Guanahani (Indios)
-the indigenous people he encountered,
were peaceful and friendly
-he also explored the northeast of Cuba
and the northern coast of Hispaniola and Haiti
• the 3th voyage - exploration of the coast
of the South America
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by Salvador Dalí
European colonization of the America
• The start typically dated to 1492
• But the first known Europeans to reach the America
were the Vikings – during the 11th century (one short
lived settlement at L´Anse aus Meadows – present days
in Newfoundland)
• The post 1492 – era is known as the period of the
Columbian Exchange – a wide transfer of plants,
animals, foods, human populations (including slades)
and culture
• The first explorations and conquests – made by the
Spanish and Portuguese
• 1494 – „Treaty of Tordesillas“, ratified by the Pope
Colonization of the America 1750
The Spanish and Portuguese colonies
• The Spanish colonies – by the middle of 16th century - control of
much of western South America, Central America – the Caribbean
and Mexico, Florida and New Mexico
• The explorers
- Vasco Núnez de Balboa – in 1513 crossed the Isthmus of Panama
- Hernan Cortes – overthrowing the Aztec Empire
- Francisco Pizzaro – conquered the Inca Empire
• The Portuguese colonised much of eastern South America, naming
it Brazil
• The explorers
- Pedro Álvares Cabral –
reached Brazil
- Amerigo Vespucci –
a Latinized version of his name –
naming of the continent
English and French colonies
• England and France – start in the 16th century
– but these met with failure
• In the 17 th century – two kingdoms with the Dutch Republic
- success in establishing permanent colonies
• Some of these – on Caribbean islands, the others - in eastern
North America
• England – established the colonies at the Atlantic coast from
Florida to Quebeck (e.g. Virginia, New England, New York,
Massachusetts)
English and French colonies
• The English Queen Elisabeth – countenanced the corsairs, who stole
the Spanish ships (the sea war with Spain)
• The Explorers – John Cabot (Newfoundland)
Samuel de Champlain (Kanada)
• To the year – 1775 - the England established 13 colonies
• French colonies –
- in the middle of North America
along the river Mississippi
– Louisiana, Quebeck)
• The explorers
– Giovanni da Verrazzano
American Revolutionary War
• American War of Independence (1775 – 1783)
• Thirteen Colonies – Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire,
Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island – declared their
independence
• These British colonies in North America
rebelled against British rule in 1775
• Result: Treaty of Paris 1783,
establishment of the United States of America
• Commanders: George Washington
• Great Britain recognized the independence
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of the original thirteen colonies
• Declaration of National Independence
Manifest Destiny
• What is Manifest Destiny?
• Was in the 19th century
American belief
that the United States was destined
to expand across the North American continent,
from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean
• Advocates of this concept believed
that expansion was not only wise but that it was readily
apparent (manifest) and inexorable (destiny)
Manifest Destiny
• John O´Sullivan – coined this exact term
• It was used by Democrats in the 1840 to justify the war with
Mexico
• It was opposed by „Whigs“ like Henry Clay
and Abraham Lincoln
• It fell into disuse after the middle 1850
16th President of US
• The Whigs – a political party, during the era of Jacksonian
democracy