1. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Spain Builds an Empire
• The Portuguese in Brazil
• French, Dutch, and English Colonies in the Americas
• Quick Facts: Causes and Effects of the French and Indian War
• Map: Colonies in the Americas
Conquest and Colonies
2. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Reading Focus
• How did Spain build an empire in the Americas?
• What kind of colony did the Portuguese establish in Brazil?
• What was life like in the French, Dutch, and English colonies in
the Americas?
Main Idea
1. The countries of Europe established colonies in the lands they
had discovered but, in some cases, only after violently
conquering the native people who lived there.
Conquest and Colonies
3. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
• Scramble to establish colonies and empires in new lands
• Spain first to successfully settle in the Americas
• Eventually conquered native empires, the Aztecs and Incas
• First areas settled
by Spanish,
Caribbean islands,
Hispaniola, Cuba
• Columbus hoped to
find gold, did not
• Spanish introduced
encomienda
system there
Spain in Caribbean
• Colonist given land
and Native
Americans to work
the land
• Required to teach
native workers
about Christianity
Encomienda
• Disastrous system
for Native
Americans
• Mistreatment,
overwork took toll
on population
• Europeans spread
new diseases
Millions Died
Spain Builds an Empire
4. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Conquistador
• Some Spaniards moved from Caribbean to mainland to set up colonies
• Hernán Cortés led expedition to Mexico, ended with conquest of Aztecs
• Cortés a conquistador, military leader who fought against Native Americans
Other Advantages
• In addition to Native American allies, Cortés had metal weapons, heavy
armor, guns, horses—animals never seen before in Americas
• Disease also swept through Aztec Empire, killing thousands of people
Cortes Marches on Capital
• Moctezuma II, Aztec emperor at time of Spanish arrival in Mexico
• Aztecs powerful, ruled much of Mexico; unpopular with those they conquered
• Cortés joined by thousands of those who wanted to defeat Aztecs
The Conquest of Mexico
5. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Aztec Empire
November 8, 1519, Cortés, army entered Tenochtitlán,
Aztec capital
• Cortés, Moctezuma greeted each other respectfully
• Spanish soon took emperor prisoner
– Battle erupted
– Moctezuma killed
• Months of heavy fighting followed
– Cortés eventually took city
– Defeated entire Aztec empire
6. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
• 1532, new ruler, Atahualpa,
agreed to meet with Spanish
• Pizarro demanded Atahualpa
accept Christianity, hand over
empire to Spain
• Atahualpa refused
• Spanish killed Atahualpa,
destroyed Inca army, took over
empire
New Ruler
• 10 years after conquest of
Aztecs, Francisco Pizarro led
expedition to Peru
• Had heard of fabulous wealth of
Inca Empire; hoped to win
wealth for himself
• Inca Empire already weakened
by smallpox; many killed,
including emperor
• Civil war had also broken out
Francisco Pizarro
The Conquest of Peru
7. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Beginnings of Slavery
• Disease, mistreatment took toll on native population
• Some appalled at treatment
• One reformer, Bartolomé de Las Casas recommended replacing
Native Americans as laborers with imported African slaves
• Slave labor soon became common practice in Americas
Life in the Spanish Empire
• With Mexico, Peru, Spain gained control of huge empire in Americas
• Spanish king chose officials, viceroys, to govern American holdings
• Spanish colonial economy based on gold, silver mining, farming
• Spanish drafted Native Americans for labor in mines, on farms
8. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Summarize
How did the Spanish create an empire in the
Americas?
Answer(s): conquered Aztec and Inca empires;
appointed viceroys to govern
9. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
2. Portuguese built an empire in the Americas
Because of treaty, their empire was not as large as the Spanish one
• 1494, Treaty of Tordesillas
drew imaginary line through
Atlantic Ocean
– Everything west, including most
of then-undiscovered
Americas, would belong to
Spain
– Everything to east would be
Portuguese
– Only Brazil remained as
Portuguese colony
Treaty
• Heavy Brazilian jungles made
mining, farming difficult
• Portuguese in no hurry to
settle
• 1530s, colonists slowly moved
in, mostly along Atlantic coast
– Established huge farming
estates, as in Spanish lands
– First used Native American,
then African slave, labor to
work on farms
Colonization
The Portuguese in Brazil
10. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Explain
Why did few colonists originally move to
Brazil?
Answer(s): Heavy jungles made farming and
mining difficult.
11. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Native American hunters were the French traders’ main source of furs.
Many traders married Native American women, intermingling the two cultures.
Silver and gold from American colonies began to circulate in Europe;
other European countries paid close attention.
Leaders in France, England, and the Netherlands decided that they
needed to establish colonies in the Americas.
• French explorers established
colonies in New France, or Canada
• Hoped this would be a rich source
for gold, silver
• Did not find riches, but found other
potentially valuable trade goods
New France
French, Dutch, and English Colonies in the Americas
• Waters of North Atlantic swarming
with fish, staple of European diet
• Forests yielded valuable furs
• French did not send large numbers
of colonists; small groups of traders
• Did not enslave Native Americans
Trade and Colonization
12. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
• 1682, René-Robert La Salle
canoed down entire Mississippi
River to Gulf of Mexico
• Claimed enormous Mississippi
region, tributaries for France
• Named huge, fertile area
Louisiana, after King Louis XIV
Mississippi to Gulf of Mexico
• A few French explorers headed
south to seek more lands to
claim
• 1608, Samuel de Champlain
founded city of Quebec
• French also explored
Mississippi River
• Thought it flowed to Pacific,
would provide route to Asia
South from New France
Further Explorations
13. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Trade Interests
• Dutch who came to North
America interested in trade
• Only large colony, New
Netherland, in Hudson River
valley
Slow Growth in Americas
• New Netherland did not grow
• Dutch focused on developing
colonies in other parts of world
• Other colonies more profitable
New Amsterdam
• 1626, governor bought island of
Manhattan from Wappinger
• Founded city of New
Amsterdam, later New York City
More Valuable Goods
• Produced goods that could not
be obtained in Europe,
Americas
• Caribbean sugar, Asian spices
more valuable
The Dutch of New Netherland
14. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
• 3. 1607, first English colony established at Jamestown
• Settlers hoped to find gold, silver, river route to Pacific
• Instead found marshy ground, impure water
• 80 percent of settlers died during first winter in America
• Colony still endured
• 1620, Pilgrims sailed from England
• Pilgrims had been persecuted in
England for religious beliefs
• Established colony at Plymouth,
Massachusetts
• Persevered despite difficulties
• Colony self-sufficient within 5 years
Pilgrims
• English settlers did not share same
relationship with Native Americans
as French, Dutch
• Jamestown, Plymouth colonies
received aid from local peoples
• Still, colonists viewed Native
Americans with distrust, anger
Native Americans
The English Colonies
15. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Problems
• English ran into conflict with French settlers in Americas
• Mid-1700s, English colonists attempted to settle in French territory, upper
Ohio River valley; tension in region grew; war broke out, 1754
Costly War
• Eventually French surrendered, yielded Canada, all French territory east of
Mississippi
• War costly for British; king tried to place costs of war on colonists
• Led to resentment, which eventually brought about American Revolution
French and Indian War
• Both had Native American allies; English called it French and Indian War
• War began badly for British; French had more soldiers than English
• British turned tide, took city of Quebec
British-French Conflict
18. Exploration and Expansion Section 2
Sequence
What series of events led to the French and
Indian War?
Answer(s): English attempted to settle in Ohio
River valley; tension grew between English and
French; Native Americans allied with each side
