European countries like Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia explored and claimed lands in the New World between the 15th and 17th centuries. They were seeking riches like gold and silver, looking for a Northwest Passage to Asia, and establishing settlements with official charters or documents from their home authorities. Many colonists built their homes near bodies of water for transportation of people and supplies as well as access to fishing and other resources.

1. Why and where
did European
countries claim
land?
Unit 2, Lesson 4- Vocabulary

2. Agenda
• Vocabulary
• Review of claimed
lands

3. Charter
n (noun) an
official
document from
an authority to
do something

4. Settlement
n (noun) a
place to
live that
is set up
in a new
area
Jamestown

5. Which countries
claimed land in the
new world?
Which countries
claimed land in the
new world?
SPAIN
FRANCE
ENGLAND
PORTUGAL

6. Which countries
claimed land in the
new world?
Which countries
claimed land in the
new world?
Many other countries explored the New
World. Many of them claimed land:
Dutch- New Amsterdam
Fort Orange
Sweden- Fort Christina
Russia- Alaska/California

7. What were they
looking for?
What were they
looking for?
Many other countries explored the New
World looking for the Northwest Passage.
Many explorers believed there was another
way (or Northwest Passage) through North
America that would take them east to Asia.
They mapped much of the northeast of North
America (Hudson, Champlain, Cartier)

8. Claimed Lands

9. Lesson 4-Questions
• Why did colonists in the Americas
often build their homes near bodies of
water?
• Colonists settled near bodies of water so
that they could move people and supplies
easily and have access to fish and other
supplies.• What are a few words we use
today that come from another
language?
• Words like alligator, cruise, parade,
and yam come from other

10. Lesson 4-Questions
• Why did colonists in the Americas
often build their homes near bodies of
water?
• Colonists settled near bodies of water so
that they could move people and supplies
easily and have access to fish and other
supplies.• What are a few words we use
today that come from another
language?
• Words like alligator, cruise, parade,
and yam come from other