European Exploration & Settlement

Chapter 2

Mrs. Brown

1

Earliest Exploration• The Vikings are believed to be the

first Europeans to reach the Americas–Vikings from Iceland explored

Newfoundland (in Canada) circa 1000

–There were no permanent Viking settlements

2

Christopher Columbus

• Christopher Columbus was just one of many explorers looking to get riches from the Indies– Came up with the idea

of sailing WEST, not east

– Eastern route was controlled by Portugal

3

Columbus’ Voyages• Columbus set sail

from Spain with 3 ships in August, 1492– Reached the island

of Hispaniola on October 12, 1492

• Columbus assumed that he had reached the Indies

4

Columbus’ Voyages• In Hispaniola,

Columbus came into contact with the Taino Indians– Taino were friendly

and welcoming– Columbus soon forced

the Taino to mine for gold

– Within 100 years, almost all Taino were dead

5

Columbian Exchange

• Transfer of crops, animals, ideas, and diseases between Europe, Africa, and the Americas

6

Spanish Exploration• After Columbus,

Spain sent conquistadors to America

• Cortes – conquered the Aztecs in Mexico– Aztecs thought he

was a god• Pizarro – conquered

the Inca in Peru 7

Spanish Exploration• The first Spanish

settlement in the USA was at St. Augustine, FL– Juan Ponce deLeon, 1513

• Spanish built presidios throughout the southwestern US– Catholic missionaries

attempted to convert the Indians to Catholicism

8

French Exploration• Seeing Spanish

success, the French also set up colonies– Explored the Mississippi

River and claimed the territory for France

• Worked as business partners with the Native Americans, trapping and trading beaver pelts

9

English Exploration• England also

wanted to set up colonies in America

• First attempt at a colony was at Roanoke - 1585– Colony disappeared

• England didn’t try again until 1607

10

English Exploration• In 1607, the London

Company sent 144 men to Jamestown– Very few of the men

had any trade skills

• Area was a poor place to settle, but alliances and tobacco helped colony survive

11

Jamestown• Capt. John Smith became the

leader of Jamestown in 1608–“If a man would not work; neither

should he eat”

• Winter of 1609 – the “Starving Time”–Indians refused to trade with settlers,

and only 60 of 500 settlers survived12