2. Europeans were looking for a quicker, more direct
water route to get to the East with all its gold,
spices, and other treasures. They wanted a way
that would not have to go through the
Mediterranean with its Italian and Arab
merchants.
Christopher Columbus, who most believe was born
in Genoa, Italy, went to European monarchs
looking for the money, ships, and men needed for
an expedition to find this route by sailing to the
West. He had read the works of many others,
such as Ptolemy, Marco Polo, and Eratosthenes;
their ideas would suggest his westward route idea
was feasible.
After a few years, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
named him Admiral of the Ocean Seas and gave
him the title of Viceroy over what he would find.
3. Why is Columbus significant?
His reaching the New
World
• Gave hope for riches
in a new land
1492-
• Began trade between
East and West
1504
On the other hand, his
journeys resulted in
•Greatly diminished native
population
•Growth of transatlantic
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.asp
4. Other Spanish Explorers
Balboa - reached the Pacific Ocean and claimed it
for Spain.
1513-
1519
Some images from http://arch.ttu.edu/wiki/2011_Valparaiso_Acculturation_(1492-
1540)_Spanish_Colonization#1513
5. Other Spanish Explorers
Magellan- circumnavigated the globe*
1519-
1522
*Magellan was actually killed in the Philippines. Only
18 of his original 230 men returned to Spain over a
year later.
6. Other Spanish Explorers
Hernando de Soto-
traveled through FL to
the MS River. We have
a city(Hernando) and a
county (de Soto) in MS
named for him.
1538-
1543
7. Other Spanish Explorers 1540-
Coronado 1542
Looking for the
“Seven Cities of
Gold,” he explored
Arizona, New Mexico,
and the Grand
Canyon.
http://www.psi.edu/epo/coronado/coronadosjourney2.html
9. Cortes defeated the Spanish
Conquistadors
Aztecs in Mexico.
•Cortes allied with local 1519-1522
Indians and a woman
named Malantzin.
•Spaniards had superior
weapons.
•Montezuma invited them
in and they took him
hostage.
•Large percentage of
Aztecs were killed by
diseases brought by
Europeans.
10. Spanish
Pizarro defeated Conquistadors
the Incas in Peru. 1531-
1537
•Many Incas lost to disease.
•Incas were fighting a civil war.
12. 5 Social Classes in New Spain
http://www.ccsdk12.org/doug/SS8/statetest/html/20090602book1.htm
13. Spanish gov’t
gave land grants
(encomiendas) to
settlers.
They demanded
hard labor from
the Natives.
14. A priest named
Bartolome de las
Casas spoke up
about mistreatment
of the natives.
Ironically, in his
desire to help one
group of people, he
suggested the
harm of another.
17. Northwest Passage
A direct water route to
Asia was not found, so
Europeans began to find
ways to profit from the
natural resources of
America.
18. Religious Rivalries in Europe
In 1517 Martin
Luther began
the Protestant
Reformation
when he posted
his 95 Theses
on the church
door.
Another Protestant, John Calvin,
developed a large following.
19. Religious
Rivalries
Spanish and
French
monarchs-
Catholic;
English and
Dutch*
monarchs-
Protestant.
* Dutch-The
Netherlands AKA
Holland
20. Religious Rivalries
In the 1530’s, England
and other countries set
an established church,
persecuting those who
did not follow.
(section 5)
