European Contact

First Contact: The Norse

• The Vikings were the first Europeans to

establish colonies in the Americas, as

early as the 10th century AD

• Norsemen from Iceland first settled

Greenland in the 980s and maintained a

colony there for almost 500 years

• The Vikings then set out further east and

made it to Baffin Island, Newfoundland,

and Labrador

First Contact: The Norse

• North American

settlements were small

and did not develop into

permanent colonies

• This was partly due to

hostile relations with the

Native population

The Age of Exploration• European history from 1450 to 1700 AD

was a time of extensive overseas exploration

• Countries like Portugal and Spain led numerous navel expeditions across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans

• They were looking for the three G’s:

– Gold, Glory, and God

• Although a little simplistic, this is an easy way to remember the main motivations of the European explorers

The First “G” – Gold

• Europeans were looking for wealth (gold and silver) to fuel the rising banking system

• Spices from India and East Asia were also big business for the Europeans

– Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s 1498 trip to India made a 3000% profit!

• Other natural resources would come to be sold for profit as well (timber, sugar, tobacco, ivory, etc.)

The Second “G” – Glory

• Glory was a relatively new idea in

Europe

• Came out of the Renaissance ideal

of Humanism, and the focus on

individual achievement

• With the rise of the printing press,

the idea of gaining fame for one’s

actions was more possible

• Also, individual kings wanted

glory for their kingdoms The Triumph of Fame, a

Flemish tapestry from 1502.

The Third “G” – God • Europeans had always seen

spreading Christianity as a good thing

• After the Reformation, competition between different faiths started to heat up

• Colonization became a race to convert native peoples to a particular brand of Christianity

• Jesuits (Catholics) were some of the most active

Seeking the East• Europeans knew the

land route there, but wanted a sea route to increase trade

• In the 1400’s Portuguese explorers managed to find the sea route to Asia by going around the tip of Africa

• Many believed that there was a shorter route

The Age of Exploration

• Europeans

Christopher Columbus

• Born in Genoa, Italy in 1451

• Studied atlases and read whatever

he could about travels and

exploration

• Decided he could get to Asia by

sailing west from Europe

• Eventually got financial backing for

his trip from Spain

Christopher Columbus• Left with three ships - the

Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria

in August, 1492

• On October 12, he went

ashore on a small island in

the Bahamas and claimed it

for Spain

• Columbus believed he had

reached the East Indies, so

he called Native people

Indians

Christopher Columbus• The natives that Columbus encountered

were the Arawak, who were peaceful

and friendly

• Noting their gold ear ornaments,

Columbus took some of the Arawaks

prisoner and insisted that they take him to the source of the gold

• From his journal entry of October 12th, 1492:

– “They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very

quickly whatever we say to them. I think they can very easily be made

Christians, for they seem to have no religion. If it pleases our Lord, I will

take six of them to Your Highnesses when I depart, in order that they may

learn our language.”

Christopher Columbus• Continued his Caribbean voyage,

exploring Cuba and Hispaniola (all

the while thinking he was in Asia)

• Left 39 of his men to found a

settlement in Hispaniola (present

day Haiti)

• Kidnapped about 10 to 25 natives and took them back to Spain,

where those who survived the voyage were paraded through the

streets of Barcelona

• Columbus made three more trips to the New World, bringing 1200

colonists to Hispaniola on his 2nd voyage

The Columbian Exchange• These voyages marked the

beginning of the European

exploration and colonization

of the Americans

• The result was a widespread

transfer of animals, plants,

culture, human populations,

technology and ideas between

the Americas and Europe in

the 15th and 16th centuries

• This has become known as

“the Columbian Exchange”

The Columbian Exchange – Crops• From the Americas:

– Maize (corn), potato, tomato, tobacco, beans,

cacao (chocolate), cotton, peanuts, pumpkin,

peppers, cassava, vanilla, avocado, sweet potato

• From Europe:

– Sugar, rice, wheat, coffee, banana, citrus fruit,

grapes, peach, pear, olive, onion, turnip

• Just think, before 1500 there were no oranges in Florida, no

bananas in Ecuador, no potatoes in Ireland, no coffee in

Colombia, no pineapples in Hawaii, no chili peppers in Thailand,

no tomatoes in Italy, and no chocolate in Switzerland

The Columbian Exchange – Animals• From the Americas:

– Turkey, llama, guinea pig

• From Europe:

– Cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, chicken, dogs, cats, and

bees

• The transfer of livestock was much more one-sided; mostly from

Europe to the Americas

• The horse had a major impact on many Native American bands

• Some gave up agriculture and shifted to a nomadic lifestyle,

hunting bison and other animals from horseback

The Columbian Exchange