2. Who was first?
• Asians and the Bering Strait land bridge 10-15,000 (or
more) years ago, duh!
• depends...
• what is America?
3. The candidates
China 1421
Leif 900s
“Amteric” Cristobol Colon
Portuguese 1460s
Polynesians 1000
Giovanni Caboto 1497
Africa 1311
4. How will we know?
• DNA testing
• ocean currents
• archeology
• sunken ships
5. Why did they come?
The Portuguese
• initial leaders of exploration
• trade outposts in Africa
• route to the “Indies”
• slaves and sugar--Brazil
6. Why did they come? Spain
• trade route and resources
• encounter with the indigenous people
• different value systems
• encomienda system
• Cortes (1524) and divide and conquer
• Bartolomé de las Casas
7. Why did they come? England
• prolific in the NE of North America
• pause: Reformation
• resume: industrial revolution!
• competition with Spain and France
• religious fundamentalists
8. Why did they come? France
• busy in the 15th c. with religious wars
• vampire effect
• compete with Spain and England
• highest amount of toleration
9. Consequences of Euro Contact
• Initial impressions
• Americas estimated population total before
Euro contact = 20 to 40,000,000
• 90% of the population perishes from
disease, warfare and suicide
• New ethnic groups: mestizos and zambos
• shift in land usage
