1. H O W T H E D I S C O V E R Y O F T H E A M E R I C A S
C H A N G E D W O R L D H I S T O R Y F O R E V E R D A Y 1
Exploration of the New World

2. How does this compare to Asian and African
Exploration?
 Exploration originally
occurred for
monetary/economic
purposes.
 Unlike the other two
continents
though, Europeans
automatically began
colonizing (living) in the
Americas.

3. Spain and Portugal Focused on…..
 Spain and Portugal came to Mesoamerica and South
America. There, they began to find large amounts of
gold and silver.
 This led to a desire to trade and when trade
failed, conquest began.

4. Give me some sugar….
 The Spanish began growing sugar on the Caribbean
Islands first discovered by Columbus.
 There, they built plantations, large farms, to harvest
the sugar.
 They enslaved the natives (at first) to get the
sugar, but eventually replaced the natives with
African slaves.

5. Who was in charge?
 The Spanish and
Portuguese colonies
were led by the king.
 He would choose a
“viceroy” or a royal
representative to govern
the colony.

6. Religious Zeal….
 The Spanish and Portuguese spread Roman
Catholicism amongst their colony.
 This was NOT a major goal though for the Spanish
and Portuguese. It was an added bonus.