Age of Exploration
GOAL 1
What is the Age of Exploration?
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The Age of Exploration is a time period when people from Europe
became interested in exploring the rest of the globe.
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There were many different reasons why…
WHY were they exploring?
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The Renaissance nurtured a spirit of optimism and
adventure.
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Europeans clamored for more and cheaper products
from Asia.
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The Portuguese demonstrated the feasibility of long
range ocean navigation. (Technology)
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The Astrolabe- It enabled explorers to determine their position on the sea
The Compass- Allowed the explorers to determine their direction
WHY were they exploring (cont.)
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For GOD, GOLD, and GLORY
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GOD- To spread Christianity to new parts of the world
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Christian Crusaders were indirectly responsible for the discovery of America
because They brought back news of valuable Far Eastern spices, drugs, and
silk (where Columbus thought he was going when he “found” America)
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GOLD- To find valuable resources that would make them rich

GLORY- To become the first person to ever accomplish impressive feats
WHO were some of these explorers?
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Ferdinand Magellan
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Samuel de Champlain
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His 1519 voyage was the first to circumnavigate, or sail around the globe
established the first FRENCH settlement in the “New World”
Cortes
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Spanish conquistadors like Cortes were primarily motivated by the desire to
find Gold
WHERE were these people exploring?
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Early on, in the 1400-1500’s most of the exploration was trying to find
a new route to the East Indies (Asia).
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Christopher Columbus famously found “The New World” by mistake

America, as this land was later called was named after another
explorer named Amerigo Vespucci

Most of the exploration was concentrated in what is now Central
and South America. (At least at first)
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Spain eventually created an Empire in this region
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Portugal was also prevalent in the region
Who did they meet when they
came to the new places?
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Native American populations were found all up and down the two continents
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Native American civilizations in Mexico and South America were much larger
and more sophisticated than those in North America because they
developed AGRICULTURE sooner.

The Europeans learned a lot about Agriculture from the Natives and brought back
the knowledge to Europe, causing the population of Europe to grow.
But how did the Europeans effect
the Natives?
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Millions of Native Americans, who had little resistance to European
diseases, died

The Encomienda System- It gave Europeans the right to enslave
Native Americans if they promised to Christianize them

There were some benefits, but mostly this was the beginning of the
decline of the Native populations.
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Why is this? Class Discussion
Spain makes South and Central
America it’s own Empire

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Spain used South and Central America as a way to make money for
themselves and their country.

They mined gold, silver, and other valuable resources from the land

They enslaved the Native people to help them with agriculture and for
many other reasons

The Spanish are considered to be the most brutal towards the Natives
As a result, Spain begin to fortify and settle its North American
border lands to protect its Central and South American domains
from encroachments by England and France.
New France

France also settled land in the “New World”. They settled mostly in
what is now Canada.
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This colony was controlled by the King of France

They were mostly there to make money for their King by Fur Trapping
England settles North America
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England and Spain were fighting over who would control North America
(Spain already dominated South America)
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The Spanish Armada- Naval battle between England and Spain

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England wins a long battle
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Victory helped ensure England’s naval dominance over North America
First Attempt for colonization was at Roanoke Island, on the Outer Banks
of North Carolina. This attempt failed—known as the “Lost Colony”
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WHY? Discussion
Reasons why England colonized
North America:
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There were several motives for English colonization
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Laws of primogeniture- 1st born sons inherit all of Father’s wealth, so 2nd
born sons (3rd, etc.) wanted to leave England so they could earn their
own wealth.
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The enclosure of public lands- meant no extra land for farming, etc.
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A desire for religious freedom- The Puritans left England to practice their
version of Christianity peacefully.
nd
2
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English Attempt at Colonization:
JAMESTOWN
The Virginia Company (named after the “Virgin” Queen) was formed with
the original intent to find gold in the New World
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The colonists did not find gold at Jamestown, and as a result the struggled
with disease, starvation and frequent Indian raids.

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Members of the Virginia Company were still guaranteed the rights of Englishmen
(Important for later…people living here were still considered to be English)
However, they continued the colony
A man named John Smith “saved” Jamestown by demanding that settlers
build permanent housing and plant crops
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Learned from the Natives… (Pocahontas???)
Issues continue at Jamestown
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There were several battles/wars fought between the English colonists
and the Powhatan Indian tribe.
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2nd Powhatan War- end result was that the Natives would not be
assimilated (absorbed) into Virginia Society
Things finally start to get better in
Jamestown when…
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A man named John Rolfe perfected methods of raising and curing
tobacco
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Cash Crop- People back in England enjoyed using tobacco, so growing
it in America became a big business

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People moved to Virginia (1st Colony- where Jamestown was) in large
numbers to grow tobacco to make money
With the cultivation of tobacco came:
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the destruction of the soil.
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a great demand for controlled labor (the “need” for slaves)
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increasing tensions between settlers and native peoples.
Another group of English colonists
arrive in America…
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“Separatists” were people from England who broke away for the
official religion set forth by King James I.

They wanted to practice religion their own way, but were treated badly
in England for doing so.
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King James realized that if his subjects could defy him in spiritual
behavior, they could defy him as a political leader, which scared him


The result was that the Separatists were kicked out of England, and came to
America
They came over on a ship called the Mayflower, and established
the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts (would later expand to be
known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Mayflower Compact
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Before anyone was allowed off of the ship, they held a meeting.

There, the agreed to form a simple government and submit to the will of
the majority (Very important---first democracy in the New World)
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This agreement becomes known as the Mayflower Compact
Summary of colonization in the New World
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Spain
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Largest Empire in the New World
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Richest Empire in the New World
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Longest lasting Empire in the New World
England
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Greatest degree of Self-Government in the New World
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Had struggles getting permanent settlements
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Two distinct and different groups came for different reasons
France
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Came for fur trading
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Not as concerned early on about permanent settlement