The Old World Meets the New
North America: Themes and Problems, Term 1, Week 1
David Lambert
Native Americans
• Asian migrants (c. 20,000 BCE) develop into vast variety of tribal groups
• Lifestyles partly dictated by climate, topography & other natural phenomena
• Population of North America in 1492 estimated between 1m and 10m
Native Americans
The town of Pomeiooc
Secoton village in North Carolina
Algonquian Life
Algonquian Life
Variety of Tribal Groups
• No ‘typical’ Native American
• Variety of languages, religions, cultures
• Some settled, some nomadic, some small, some large
• Native peoples do not see themselves as homogenous group
• Great deal of conflict between tribes
• Problem for historians as Europeans lump all tribes together as ‘Indians’
• No ‘typical’ encounter between European and Native Americans
(Myths of)
Early Landfalls in the Americas
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Conjectural: Jews, Phoenicians, Irish and Welsh
Genetic hints, linguistic and cultural similarities, archaeological remains
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Impermanent: Leif Erikson (c.1000 AD)
Archaeology at L’Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland
Vinland sagas
Norse settlements destroyed c. 1350
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Permanent: Iberian explorations in the 15th and 16th centuries
Vinland Settlements
(Myths of)
Early Landfalls in the Americas
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Conjectural: Jews, Phoenicians, Irish and Welsh
Genetic hints, linguistic and cultural similarities, archaeological remains
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Impermanent: Leif Erikson (c.1000 AD)
Archaeology at L’Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland
Vinland sagas
Norse settlements destroyed c. 1350
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Permanent: Iberian explorations in the 15th and 16th centuries
European Situation
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Renaissance
Encouraged rigorous scientific enquiry
Growing belief that it may be quicker to sail west to China & India
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Reformation
A general upheaval of society
Intensification of national rivalries
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Commercialism
Trying to get to goods from the east
Difficulties with overland route (Ottomans) to the east
Portuguese Discoveries
• Discovered Atlantic Islands
Canaries, Madeira, Azores & Cape Verde
• Sailed to the Indian Ocean
Rounded Cape of Good Hope in the 1480s
Reached India during the 1490s
Showed long distance sea travel was
technologically possible and offered great
rewards
• Prince Henry the Navigator
Spanish Discoveries
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1492 – Christopher Columbus
Patronised by Ferdinand (Aragon) and Isabella (Castile)
Aimed to sail west to reach Asia
Never realised America was separate continent
Landfall in Caribbean in Oct 1492
1513 – New edition of Ptolemy’s Geography
Early Spanish Explorations
Follow-up Voyages by France & England
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French Explorations
1524 – Voyage along the coast in search of the Northwest Passage
1569 – Jacques Cartier’s exploration of St Lawrence River
English Explorations
Role limited by defeat in the 100 Years War & the onset of the War of the Roses
1485 – Peace opened up possibility of overseas expansion
1497 – First voyage of discovery with state backing (John Cabot)
Explored Newfoundland and other parts of eastern Canada
Failed to find Northwest Passage
Official attempts to explore America abandoned for 80 years
By 1550 Spain and France far ahead of the English
in race to exploit North America
Settlement of Florida
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French and Spanish Rivalries
1562 – Charlesfort, South Carolina founded by French
1564 – Charlesfort destroyed
1565 – St. Augustine founded by Spanish in response to French settlement
St. Augustine
Oldest continuous settlement in North America
Served as military base to protect Spanish shipping
Created visible claim to North America versus France and English
1586 – Burned by Francis Drake but rebuilt
Spanish Settlers in Florida
Franciscan priests and a small settler population
Population in 1600 numbered 500
Half were single men and 90% in government service
Settlement of
New Mexico & New France
• New Mexico
1598 – First settlements in New Mexico
Based in Indian villages
1610 – First solely Spain settlement at Santa Fe
• New France
1605 – First permanent settlement at Acadia (Nova Scotia)
Primarily military forts (No women) and trading outposts
Friendly relations with Huron
Settlements concentrated on St Lawrence River (Quebec)
1625
1642
1645
1663
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Arrival of Jesuits
Montreal founded as residence for converted Indians to live
Company of New France virtually bankrupt
Louis XIV takes personal control of colonies
World in 1587
World in 1587
English Colonies
• Rivalry with Spain
Envy of Spanish treasure from America
Fear that Spanish (Catholic) wealth could be used against (Protestant) England
Siphoning of American wealth through privateering
By 1580, England-based privateering too dangerous
Suggestion that an American base is needed
Also seen as possible source for citrus fruits, silks and vines
• Exploration (Sir Humphrey Gilbert)
Permitted to settle anywhere between Florida and northern Canada
English claim to North America by virtue of Cabot's voyages
Roanoke
3 English Voyages in 1580s
• 1584
Roanoke Island, North Carolina
Military scouting expedition
• 1585-6
Discovered Chesapeake Bay
Ideal as naval base
Poor relations with inhabitants
Lack of food
Returned to England in 1586
• 1587
Meant to be permanent settlement
Self-sustaining & self-reproducing
John White sent home for supplies
Spanish Armada delays return
Settlement abandoned
& colonists never seen again
Importance of Roanoke
• Lessons Learned
No colony could exist without full support from
mother country in first years
Clear goals were needed to give direction and
purpose to the colonisation effort
Good relations with the Native Americas necessary for
survival
Chesapeake
Settlement of Virginia
• Peace with Spain
1603 – Accession of James VI and I
1604 – Peace treaty with Spain and end of privateering of Spanish ships
• Development of English Atlantic Trade (Virginia Company)
Obtained a charter from King to settle permanently in America
Exploit trade with the local tribes and Christianise them
• Jamestown
1607 – First three ships carrying 144 young men arrived in May
Original settlers struggled
• Maryland
1634 – Colony founded by Lord Baltimore, a leading English Catholic
New England
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Plymouth Colony (Pilgrims)
September 1620 – 102 religious separatists depart Plymouth on the Mayflower
November 1620 – Land in Cape Cod, found Plymouth
Governor William Bradford befriended the native population
After first year, Pilgrims invited the Indians to a 3 day feast of thanksgiving.
Massachusetts Bay (Puritans)
1630 – 700 non-separating Congregationalists
Led by John Winthrop
Settled at Boston
Wanted to establish the true Anglican church in the wilderness
'We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of the world shall be upon us‘
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New Haven, Rhode Island and Connecticut
Founded during 1630s
All had religious backgrounds.
New Netherlands & Delaware
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New Netherlands
1609 – Explored by Hudson for the Dutch East India Company
Sought a privateering base
Established settlements
1624 – Fort Orange (Albany)
1626 – New Amsterdam (New York)
1626 – Fort Nassau (Gloucester, New Jersey)
New Amsterdam
Settlers purchased Manhattan from the Manahate for trinkets worth about $24
Main purpose of settlement was trade with Iroquois
Population in 1650 was 4,000
Delaware
1638 – Small Swedish settlement founded at Fort Christina
1655 – Taken by the Dutch
North America in 1650
European Settlement in 1650