Early America and
European Infiltration
Prehistory to 1720
Name: ___________________________________________________ Unit 1
Social Studies 7
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The Roots of the American People, to 1500
I. The Earliest Americans
Essential Question: How did early civilizations develop in the Americas?
A. Scientists believe that the First Americans came to the Americas by a
land bridge connecting Asia and North America
1. Land Bridge Theory- between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago much of
the world was covered by thick sheets of ice called glaciers
Define: Glaciers: thick sheets of ice
a. More and more of the world’s water froze, exposing dry land
between Siberia and Alaska
b. This area now lies under the Bering Strait
c. Between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago people crossed into
the Americas, probably following animals they hunted
- Wooly Mammoths, Saber Tooth Lions, etc.
d. Over thousands of years they spread across North and South
America
2. Other Theories (but probably not)
a. People may have crossed the arctic waters by boat along the
Pacific coast (Coastal Route Theory)
b. Approached South America by boat from islands in the south
Pacific
c. Each Native American group has its own tradition (theory)
that appear in creation stories
3. Learning to Farm (the Agricultural Revolution)
a. Early on, most people filled needs by hunting and gathering,
living the lives of nomads
- meat for food, furs for clothing, bones for tools, etc.
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Define: Nomads: people who move from place to place
b. As large animals disappeared, hunters started gathering more
c. By 8,000 years ago gatherers in Mexico started growing
squash and lima beans
d. Families became established and developed villages
e. In dry areas farmers developed irrigation methods
Define: Irrigation: a method of watering crops by channeling water from rivers
and streams
f. They also began domesticating animals, such as:
- cattle, pigs, llamas
g. Populations grew and food surpluses encouraged trade
Define: Surplus: extra (food in this case)
h. Villages developed into cities, and even nations, and soon
became centers of trade, government, and religion
Class Discussion: Why do you think people went from hunter gatherers to
developing agriculture and permanent settlements?
B. Several civilizations developed in Central and South America
Define: Civilization: an advanced culture in which people have developed cities,
science, and industries
1. Olmec
a. First major “Mesoamerican” society, around 1200 B.C.
b. Located in Mexico along Gulf coast
c. Developed engineering, writing, and agricultural methods,
including slash and burn
2. Maya and Toltec
a. Between A.D. 250 and A.D. 900 the Mayas built cities in what
is now Mexico and Central America
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b. They built cities with public plazas, pyramids, temples, etc.
c. Developed arts, government, and a written language
d. Made a very accurate calendar
e. Around A.D. 900 the Mayans began to abandon their cities
- the exact reason is unknown, maybe disease, or overpopulation
f. As the Maya collapsed, the Toltec took over areas to the
north (southern Mexico)
- they basically acted as a bridge between the Maya and Aztec
3. Aztecs
a. As the Mayans declined the Aztecs grew in power
b. They built one of the largest cities in the world as their
capital, Tenochtitlan, with more than 200,000 residents
c. They grew food on floating platforms in the surrounding lake
Fun Fact: Aztecs, and other tribes/nations, grew crops that benefited each
other: corn and sunflowers grew high, beans used them for support, and squash
grew low, controlling weeds
d. Religion dominated their lives, with ritual human sacrifices as
offerings for their gods
e. In the 1400s the Aztecs had taken control of half of modern
Mexico
f. They were very harsh rulers, forcing conquered peoples to
pay heavy taxes, lots of food, and prisoners for slaves and
sacrifice
- Subjects eventually turned on the Aztecs
4. Incas
a. In the 1400s the largest empire on the planet was in South
America
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b. It stretched down the coast of South America along the
Andes Mountains, all the way to the Amazon rain forest
c. The capital, Cuzco, was attached to other parts of the empire
by a huge network of roads
d. To grow food, they built walls to hold soil in their fields,
canals to carry water, and bridges to transport trade goods
e. They were known for their weaving, metalwork, and gold and
silver smithing
Essential Question: How did early civilizations develop in the Americas?
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II. The Cultures of North America
Essential Question: How did geography influence cultural development?
A. The First Cultures of North America
1. Throughout North America many different cultures developed
Define: Culture: ways of life
a. By 3000 years ago people had spread through the Mississippi
River valley and Appalachian Mountains
- sometimes called “mound builders” because they built… wait
for it… mounds
- the Mississippian culture had developed cities as large as
40,000 people
b. The Anasazi developed in the Southwest, building cliff
dwellings in mountainous areas
- they were skilled in making jewelry and pottery
c. The Hohokam developed irrigation systems in the desert
areas of Arizona
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B. Ways of Life
1. Basic needs
a. Early on in many cultures women gathered roots, seeds, and
berries, while men hunted and fished
b. Many cultures started growing crops suited to the climate
they lived in
c. Trade became very common using barter and currency in
exchange for goods
What is Barter? ________________________________________________
What is Currency? _______________________________________________
- shells, flint, copper, and salt were common trade goods
2. Shared beliefs
a. Many cultures believed that spirits dwelled in nature and part
of their daily lives
- some examples: in the Southwest they held “Green Corn
Ceremonies” in late summer
- the Pueblo Indians revered “kachinas”, or, benevolent spirits
b. There was a strong oral tradition
- memorized history, traditions, and beliefs, passing on
generation after generation
C. Native Americans in North America- Diverse and distinct
Fun Fact: Almost all U.S. Military helicopters are named after Native American
tribes/nations
1. Far North
a. Lived in a vast, harsh, cold land
b. Survived on fish, shellfish, birds, and marine mammals
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c. Even in subarctic people could not grow food and had to
remain hunter-gatherers
- hunted caribou, moose, bear, etc.
2. Northwest
a. Area stretched from southern Alaska to northern California
b. Hunted deer, fished for salmon, collected roots and berries
c. Because of the copious food, they established permanent
settlements, but did not farm
d. Family status was determined by potlatch
Define: Potlatch: ceremony where hosts shower guests with gifts to show wealth
3. Far West
a. Very different environments, from mountains, forests,
grasslands, desert, hot and cold
b. In many areas food was abundant
c. Housing differed with the environment
4. Southwest
a. Mostly dry areas, with thunderstorms in the summer
b. These people farmed, though some were semi-nomadic
c. Hopis and Zunis built stable towns, built of adobe to last long
and defend against attack
Define: Adobe: sun-dried brick
5. Great Plains
a. Area stretched from Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi
b. Lived mainly by farming corn, beans, and squash
c. Because of the lack of trees housing was often earth lodges
with log frames covered with soil
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d. In the west some used tepees
e. Some had hunting parties to follow buffalo across the plains
6. Eastern Woodlands
a. By 1000 A.D. many had taken up farming
b. Two groups dominated the area:
- Algonquin- southern Canada, the Great Lakes, to Virginia
- Iroquois- New York
Class Discussion: What effect have the Iroquois had on modern life in New York
State?
c. The Iroquois had five distinct nations, separated into clans
Define: Clan: groups of families that were related to one another
- membership passed from a mother and women owned all the
property that belonged to the clan
d. After constant fighting they formed the League of the
Iroquois and established councils
7. Southeast
a. Hot summers and mild winters supported farming
b. Cherokee and Creeks built houses of wood and straw,
plastered with mud
c. Natchez created a complex society where nobles had to
marry commoners
Essential Question: How did geography influence cultural development?
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III. Trade Networks of Asia and Africa
Essential Question: How did trade link Europe, Africa, and Asia?
- trade linked wide areas of the world
- they carried their culture with them
A. The Muslim Link to Trade
1. The Rise of Islam
a. Islam emerged in the 600s
b. Founded by Muhammad, a prophet who taught them
monotheism, and gave them the Quran
c. Islam transmitted rapidly through conquest and trade
- Middle East, North Africa, Spain, sub-Saharan Africa, India,
and south Asia
2. Advances in Learning
a. Arab scholars contributed to mathematics (including Algebra,
yeah…), medicine, and astronomy
b. They accurately measured the circumference of the world
c. Developed ships that could travel great distances for trade
B. The African Link to Trade
1. East African Trade Centers
a. As early as 3100 B.C. Egyptians conducted trade in a wide
area
b. By 1000 A.D. trade center were established along eastern
Africa
c. Zimbabwe, the most powerful trading center, connected the
Indian Ocean to the interior of Africa
- they charged taxes to traders who had to use their port
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d. Many of these trading cities also sent slaves to the Middle
East and Asia- it just wasn’t Europeans…
2. West African Trade Centers
a. Desert nomads used caravans to trade between West African
and the Middle East through the Sahara Desert
b. Ghana was located between the salt in the desert and the
gold mines in the south. They took advantage of this
c. The capital of the Mali Empire was Timbuktu, a center of
trade and an Islamic center of learning
Fun Fact: Mansa Musa, a powerful leader of Mali, traveled with thousands of
subjects and spent untold wealth to the Haj in Mecca
d. The third big trading Empire in West Africa was Songhai
- they reestablished Timbuktu as a premier city, and traded
salt, gold, and slaves
C. The East Asian Link to Trade
1. World Travelers
a. China became a united country in 221 B.C., and quickly
expanded trade with Japan, Korea, India, the Middle East,
and Africa
b. They invented movable type printing, advances in navigation,
and the magnetic compass
Define: Navigation: the science of locating the position and plotting the course of
ships
c. By the 1300s the Chinese had sent 300 ship fleets around
half the globe, led by Zheng He
2. Spice Trade and the Silk Road
a. Traded silk, bronze, pottery, and spices west along the Silk
Road
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b. The Silk Road was one of the great trade routes of ancient
times
c. It was not a single road, but a network of routes going 5,000
miles to the Middle East
Essential Question: How did trade link Europe, Africa, and Asia?
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IV. European Heritage
Essential Question: What major influences shaped European civilization?
A. The Judeo-Christian Tradition
1. Judaism
a. The first major world religion to teach monotheism
Define: Monotheism: the idea that there is only one God
b. Credited Moses with establishing Jewish law, including the
Ten Commandments
2. Christianity
a. Established by Jesus of Nazareth
b. His teachings and his death inspired a new religion, based on
the belief that Jesus was the Messiah, sent by God to save the
world
B. Greek and Roman Traditions- greatly influenced the Founders of the U.S.
1. Athenian Democracy
a. In the 5th century B.C. Athens advanced in education and
developed the world’s first democracy (to be exact, a direct
democracy)
Define: Direct Democracy: form of government where an assembly of ordinary
citizens make decisions
(the U.S. is not a direct democracy, we choose representatives)
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b. Any adult male citizen could participate, but not women,
slaves, or foreigners
c. To prepare for voting, boys attended school, studied various
subjects, even public speaking
2. Roman Government and Law
a. Until 509 B.C. Rome had a king
b. After overthrowing him, they established a republic
Define: Republic: a form of government in which people choose representatives to
govern them
c. Established a code of laws guaranteeing equality and the
presumption of innocence, the framework for American law
d. By 27 B.C. the republic was overthrown and an Emperor took
over, but many of the laws remained the same
Class Discussion: What form of government do we practice in the United States?
C. New Horizons
1. The Middle Ages
a. After the Roman Empire collapsed Europe broke up into many
small states and established feudalism
Define: Feudalism: system in which a ruler grants part of his land to lords
b. Lords owed the king military service and financial assistance
c. The Roman Catholic Church gained great power at this time
d. Other than the clergy, few people could read or write (not
even the nobility)
2. The Crusades
a. In 1095 Pope Urban II declared a crusade, or holy war, to win
back the Holy Land
b. 9 crusades over 200 years left the Holy Land still under
Islamic control
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c. Some long-term effects were European contact with
educated people, spices, new foods, and an increased want to
trade
Fun Fact: interestingly, Europeans regained much of the knowledge developed by
the Greeks and Romans, which had been protected by the Muslims
3. The Renaissance
a. By the 1300s there was a rebirth of learning and art
b. In the mid-15th century Gutenberg developed the movable
type printing press (remember China though)
- allowed the printing of books quickly, easing access for more
people
c. Italian city-states had run all trade in the Mediterranean
since the Crusades
d. Spain, Portugal, France, and England established nations and
moved trade to the Atlantic Ocean
4. The Reformation
a. Many people were unhappy with the Catholic Church
b. In 1517 Martin Luther made his 95 Theses public and
eventually led to the Protestant Reformation, splitting off of
the Church
c. Luther’s movement also split, leading to many different
Christian denominations
Name 3 Christian Denominations
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Class Discussion: How did the Protestant Reformation lead to the Founding of the
United States?
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D. European Exploration Begins
1. The Renaissance, development of nations, and expansion of trade
set the stage for exploration
2. Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal led the way into expanding
power and spreading religion
a. he set up schools that trained sailors in math, geography,
mapmaking, and leadership, along with how to use compasses and
astrolabes
3. By 1498 Vasco da Gama sailed past the southern tip of Africa and
on to India
a. Bartholomeu Dias, among others, refined these routes
4. This route became important in trade, shutting the Italian citystates out, increasing Portugal’s power and wealth
a. they eventually made it to the East Indies and their spices
Essential Question: What major influences shaped European civilization?
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V. The Age of Exploration, Europe Looks Outward, 1000 to 1720
Essential Question: How did the search for a water route to Asia affect both
Europe and the Americas?
A. The First Visitors from Europe
The What’s Up…
1. Christopher Columbus- did he really discover America?
a. obviously there were millions of people already here ((Native
Americans), (see previous 12 pages))
b. absolutely for sure: the Vikings had settlements in parts of
North America- modern Newfoundland and northeast Canada,
probably New England, even some evidence in the Great Lakes
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c. Theories that Chinese fleets, Polynesian nomads, Basque and
Irish fishermen, and Portuguese trading ships
d. Columbus is still important since his “discovery” led to
permanent European settlement
2. The Voyages of Columbus
a. Columbus believed that he could reach the Far East by sailing
west across the Atlantic Ocean
b. Contrary to popular belief, most educated people of the time
did not believe the world was flat
c. Most did not realize how big the globe was though- they did
not realize that a large land mass like the Americas could exist
Fun Fact: Columbus was an Italian, who trained in Portugal, and sailed for Spain
d. Portugal’s king was not interested in Columbus’s idea of going
west Why do you think?
- he did believe that the world was much bigger than commonly
believed
e. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to
support Columbus, but it took them 6 years to commit ships,
men, and treasure
3. Setting Sail
a. In August 1492 about 90 men sailed with Columbus aboard
the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria
b. Columbus thought it would take 21 days to get to Asia
c. After a month of no landfall there were rumblings of mutiny
Define: Mutiny: Soldiers or sailors rebelling against their officers
d. Columbus held firm and on 12 October 1492 land was spotted
e. Thinking he landed in the Indies, he called the people he saw
Indians, and claimed it for Spain
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f. Sailing southwest he thought he found Japan, but was
actually Cuba
g. He set up a settlement on Hispaniola (modern Haiti/
Dominican Republic)
h. In January 1493 Columbus set sail for Spain
4. Spain Goes Back to the New World
a. Columbus reported huge amounts of gold in the West Indies
- as a reward he was made governor of all the lands he claimed
for Spain
b. In September 1493 he returned to the West Indies
c. He now had 17 ships and 1,500 Soldiers, settlers, and priests
- Spain’s intent was to colonize and Christianize
d. Other islands, including Puerto Rico, were discovered
e. The men he left behind had been killed, so Columbus built
another settlement and enslaved the local Indians
f. Within a few months, 12 ships returned to Spain loaded with
gold, trinkets, and slaves
g. A third trip in 1498 Columbus made it to the northern coast
of South America- he thought it was the Asian mainland
h. A 4th trip ended in 1504, with Columbus believing he had
found Asia. He died in 1506
Class Discussion: Why was Spain so excited about exploring to the west?
B. Continuing the Hunt for Asia
1. Lotsa other explorers followed Columbus’s route
a. Amerigo Vespucci made 2 trips, deciding that it was not Asia,
but a new land
Fun Fact: because of this a German mapmaker named a new map “the land of
Amerigo”, later shortened to “America”
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b. In 1510, Vasco Nunez de Balboa explored the coast of
Panama, making it across the isthmus to become the first
European to see the Pacific Ocean
Define: Isthmus: a narrow strip of land having water on each side, connecting two
larger areas of land
c. In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out to
find an Atlantic-Pacific route to Asia
- his fleet made its way down the South American coast, looking
for a strait
Define: Strait: a narrow passage that connects two bodies of water
- it took Magellan 38 days to make it through his namesake
strait
- Magellan was killed in the Philippines, with two of his ships
escaping and one returning to Spain in September 1522, the 18
men being the first to circumnavigate the Earth
Define: Circumnavigate: to travel around
C. The Columbian Exchange
1. The transfer of people, products, and ideas between the
hemispheres
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a. Many good things came of this, new foods especially
b. Some negative things resulted: new diseases, specifically in
the Americas
Class Discussion: What impact did the Columbian Exchange have on Europe?
Essential Question: How did the search for a water route to Asia affect both
Europe and the Americas?
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VI. Spain’s Empire in the Americas
Essential Question: How did Spain establish an empire in the Americas?
A. The Spanish Conquistadors
Define: Conquistadors: Spanish soldier-adventurers- organized under Spain, but
mercenary in their role
1. Cortes
a. In 1519 Hernando Cortes sailed from Cuba to Mexico with
500 Soldiers
b. He allied with different Native American tribes and marched
on the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan
c. Aztec leader Moctezuma (Montezuma) met with Cortes,
offering him gold to leave
- this backfired, as the gold just encouraged Cortes
- Cortes took Moctezuma hostage and claimed Mexico for Spain
- the Aztecs rebelled, forcing the Spaniards to flee
d. In 1520 Cortes returned with more troops, capturing
Tenochtitlan, destroying it, and establishing Mexico City in its
place
Fun Fact: Cortes had a much easier time in his second go around with the Aztecs
because his men had accidently infected them with small pox the first time. Yeah
infectious diseases!!!
2. Pizarro
a. In 1531 Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru, in search of the
Inca
b. In September 1532 Pizarro led 170 Soldiers to the Incan
capital, Cuzco, taking the ruler, Atahualpa, hostage
- though the ransom was paid, the conquistadors executed him
anyways
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c. By November 1533 the Spanish defeated the entire Incan
Empire (pretty much) and claimed it for Spain
3. Why the Spanish were Victorious
a. Only a few hundred men had defeated Native American
armies many times their size
b. Technology
- Native Americans had arrows, knives, clubs, etc.
- Spaniards had armor, muskets, and cannons
c. Transportation
- Native Americans had, well, their feet
- Spaniards had horses, which also scared the Bejesus out of
them
d. Unity
- Native Americans were divided. In Peru there had been a civil
war. In Mexico, almost no one liked the Aztecs
- Though often mercenary like freelancers, Spaniards fought as
a group
B. Spanish Explorers in North America
1. In 1513 Ponce de Leon sailed north, discovering what is now Florida
a. He name it for the beautiful flowers he found there
b. By 1528 about 400 Spaniards landed near St. Petersburg and
were promptly attacked by Indians
- only 80 escaped, making it to what is now Galveston, Texas
- after disease, starvation, and enslavement, only 4 made it to
Mexico City
c. Survivors told of stories about 7 great cities filled with gold
- Expeditions were turned back by attacks
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d. In 1540 Francisco Coronado, another conquistador, led an
expedition of 1,100 Spaniards to find the cities
- he failed to find the cities, but explored much of what is now
New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Kansas
e. In 1540 to 1542 Hernando de Soto was exploring the
Southeastern U.S., traveling as far north as the Carolinas, as
far west as Oklahoma
C. Colonizing Spanish America
1. Harsh Life for Native Americans
a. Conquistador rule was replaced by a formal system of
government run by Spain
b. Little place in Spain’s empire except as labor
c. Spanish settlers granted huge tracts of land to start mines,
ranches, and plantations
Define: Plantation: large farms worked by laborers who lived on the property
d. These landowners were granted encomienda’s
Define: Encomienda’s: land grants that included the right to demand labor or
taxes from Native Americans
e. Landowners could then force Native Americans to labor on
their plantations, or even loan them out to others, especially
gold and silver mines
- though not technically slavery, you can’t get much closer, kinda
like feudalism
f. Some Spaniards protested the treatment of the Natives
Americans, including a priest, Bartolome de las Casas, who wrote
a book on the subject
g. Spain saw it as their duty to convert Native Americans to
Christianity, establishing religious settlements called missions
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Class Discussion: Why do you think the Spaniards treated Native Americans so
poorly?
2. Human Trafficking
a. High death tolls among Native Americans necessitated a new
source of labor- they looked to Africa
b. In 1517 Spain brought about 4,000 Africans to the
Caribbean and forced them to labor
c. By the mid-1500s Spain was bringing about 2,000 slaves a
year just to Hispaniola
3. Society in Spanish America
a. A rigid social system based on birthplace and ethnic group
was established
b. Mulattos were people of African and Spanish descent and
were sandwiched between Mestizos and Native Americans
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c. This system stayed in effect until the early 1800s
Essential Question: How did Spain establish an empire in the Americas?
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VII. Europeans Compete in North America
Essential Question: How did conflicts in Europe spur exploration in North
America?
A. Conflicts in Europe
1. Spain’s empire in America dramatically increased its wealth and
power
a. Other rulers grew jealous
b. The Protestant Reformation was another source of tension as
a long series of wars began
2. Religious Conflicts
a. By 1530 countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and other
countries set up their own Protestant churches
b. Other countries such as France, Switzerland, Scotland, and
the Netherlands had large Protestant populations
c. In England King Henry wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine
of Aragon. The Catholic Church would not allow this, so he
formed the Church of England
Fun Fact: Henry the VIII ended up having 6 wives. 2 he divorced, 2 he had
executed, 1 died a natural death, and the last outlived him. One did give him a son.
3. Economic Conflicts
a. Wars were common and alliances constantly shifted
b. Leaders knew they could not depend on other countries to
help them out, so they wanted their own overseas territories
c. Spain did not want to depend on Italian or Portuguese traders
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- Italy ran the Mediterranean
- Portugal controlled the routes around Africa
- this was a big reason for most of the European countries going
west
d. Spain hoped to establish colonies in Asia and send back gold
(at least 1/5 had to go to the king)
e. This was the start of mercantilism
Define: Mercantilism: colonies existed to make the home country wealthy and
powerful
4. The Spanish Armada
a. After King Henry of England died, there was a push to go
back to Catholicism
b. Elizabeth I stopped this, reaffirming the Church of England
c. English ships started raiding Spanish ships at sea
d. England also was helping a rebellion in Holland, then a Spanish
province
e. In 1588, King Phillip of Spain sent 130 ships, known as the
Spanish Armada, to England, hopefully to overthrow Elizabeth I
f. Off the coast of France the British Navy, with smaller,
faster ships sank about half of the Armada
g. This weakened Spain and its control of the seas and allowed
England and France to found their own colonies
B. Asia Remains the Goal
1. The Northern Voyages
a. John Cabot, an Italian, thought a northern route would get to
Asia
b. Italy, Spain and Portugal were not interested, so the English
financed his voyage in 1497, giving him one ship
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- he explored the region around Newfoundland
c. In 1498, on a second voyage, his ship disappeared
d. England, France, and Holland all realized that these lands
were not Asia and financed further trips to find the Northwest
Passage
Define: Northwest Passage: a sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific that
passed through or around North America
Class Discussion: Why go northwest? What was wrong with the other directions to
Asia/the Pacific?
e. In 1524 Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano searched the
East Coast, discovering the area around New York City
f. Jacques Cartier of France discovered the St. Lawrence River
and went as far as Montreal
g. In the early 1600s English explorer Henry Hudson made four
voyages to North America
- He searched the arctic, explored the Hudson River and
Hudson Bay
- after being stuck by ice, his crew mutinied, setting Hudson,
his son, and 7 loyal crewmen adrift in a small boat
h. After this, there were no more serious attempts to find the
Northwest Passage
Essential Question: How did conflicts in Europe spur exploration in North
America?
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VIII. France and the Netherlands in North America
Essential Question: What impact did the establishment of French and Dutch
colonies in North America have on Native Americans?
A. New France
1. In 1603 Samuel de Champlain started exploring the St. Lawrence
River basin
a. In 1608 Champlain established a settlement named Quebec
b. He discovered Lake Champlain in 1609
2. Life in New France
a. New France developed very differently from New Spain
b. Instead of precious metals, France went for fish and furs
c. Instead of forced labor, the French traded with Native
Americans
d. France set up a series of trading posts, such as Quebec City
and Montreal to trade with and collect animal furs
e. Coureurs de bois, runners of the woods, were independent
traders who lived among the Indians
f. Farming did not begin in earnest until the late 1600s
- change in the market made fur less popular
- Indian wars (between the tribes) interrupted the fur trade
- King Louis XIV sent thousands of settlers in the 1660s,
including single young women, expanding the population
3. Exploring the Mississippi
a. French missionaries founded missions in the Great Lakes, as
fur traders expanded west
b. In 1673 Father Marquette and trader Louis Joliet reached
what is now Green Bay, and explored west until the found the
Mississippi River (they hoped it was the NW Passage)
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c. They made it half way down to the Gulf of Mexico, turned
around and went home
d. In 1682 Rene Robert Cavelier explored the entire river,
claiming it for France and naming it Louisiana for King Louis XIV
B. New Netherland
1. Claim based on Henry Hudson’s exploration
a. In 1610 the Dutch West India Company established a trading
post in New Netherland
b. In 1624 300 settlers went to Fort Orange (modern Albany)
c. In 1626 more settled at the mouth of the Hudson River,
naming it New Amsterdam (modern New York City)
- by 1653 it had grown to 800 people
Fun Fact: Contrary to popular belief, the Dutch did not buy Manhattan for $27 in
trinkets. They did pay this much, but they had negotiated with Indians who lived in
what is now Brooklyn, not the ones who lived on the island
d. New Netherland blocked the English from moving west, so in
1664 they took it over without firing a shot
- they renamed it New York, after the king’s brother, the Duke
of York
Class Discussion: Why was it important to control major waterways, such as
straits and the mouths of rivers?
C. The Impact of Native Americans
1. Native Americans provided the French and Dutch with furs
a. The French and Dutch gave them manufactured goods, such
as cloth, iron pots, and tools, oh yeah, and guns
b. Both European powers made alliances with different tribes
- this set up lotsa issues between different tribes
Define: Alliance: an agreement between parties that benefit them both
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c. The French allied with the Huron, the Dutch with the
Iroquois, their natural enemies
- the Huron’s were almost wiped out
d. Many Native American contracted diseases
e. Over trapping of animals weakened the food chain
f. As fur became less important so did the Native Americans
value to the Europeans
- conversely, now the Europeans wanted their land, without
having to pay for it
Essential Question: What impact did the establishment of French and Dutch
colonies in North America have on Native Americans?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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Unit 1. Early America and European Infiltration
WALL of WORDS
Adobe: sun-dried brick
Alliance: an agreement between parties that benefit them both
Circumnavigate: to travel around
Civilization: an advanced culture in which people have developed cities, science, and
industries
Clan: groups of families that were related to one another
Conquistadors: Spanish soldier-adventurers
Culture: ways of life
Direct Democracy: form of government where an assembly of ordinary citizens
make decisions
Encomiendas: land grants that included the right to demand labor or taxes from
Native Americans
Feudalism: system in which a ruler grants part of his land to lords
Glaciers: thick sheets of ice
Irrigation: a method of watering crops by channeling water from rivers and
streams
Isthmus: a narrow strip of land having water on each side, connecting two larger
areas of land
Mercantilism: colonies existed to make the home country wealthy and powerful
Monotheism: the idea that there is only one God
Mutiny: Soldiers or sailors rebelling against their officers
Navigation: the science of locating the position and plotting the course of ships
Nomads: people who move from place to place
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Northwest Passage: a sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific that passed
through or around North America
Plantation: large farms worked by laborers who lived on the property
Potlatch:
ceremony where hosts shower guests with gifts to show wealth
Republic: a form of government in which people choose representatives to govern
them
Strait: a narrow passage that connects two bodies of water
Surplus: extra
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