2. Motives for Exploration Fresh Resources & Land suitable for the cultivation of cash crops The Lure of Trade in order to establish trade routes to the markets of Asia Missionary Efforts in order to expand the boundaries of Christianity

3. Mediterranean Trade & European Expansion From the 12 th through the 15 th centuries, spices, silk, carpets, ivory, and gold traveled overland from Persia, Asia Minor, Indian, and Africa eventually came to Europe through Mediterranean trade routes Scientific and technological advances also helped set the stage for exploration Portuguese Exploration

4. Vasco de Gama (c.1460s – 1524) Vasco de Gama commanded the first Portuguese fleet to sail to India Portugal quickly capitalized on the commercial potential of da Gama’s new sea route. By the early 16 th century, the Portuguese controlled a far-flung commercial empire in India, Indonesia, and China (referred to as the East Indies)

5. Experts of the period believed that sailing west across the Atlantic to Asia was literally impossible Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain – financed Columbus’ journey Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) - The treaty drew an imaginary line 1,100 miles west of the Canary Islands. Land discovered west of the line belonged to Spain; Portugal claimed land to the east

6. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) Before Columbus died in 1506, he returned to the New World two more times (in 1498 and 1502) Columbus’ discoveries forced 16 th century Europeans to think about the world in new ways Columbus’ voyages demonstrated that lands and peoples entirely unknown to Europeans lay across the Atlantic

7. Ferdinand Magellan (c.1480-1521) Sponsored by Spain, Magellan’s voyage took him first to the New World, around the southern tip of South America, and into the Pacific Magellan’s voyage made clear that it was possible to sail west to reach the East Indies

8. Spanish Exploration & Conquest During the 16 th century, the New World helped Spain become the most powerful monarchy in both Europe and the Americas The Conquest of Mexico Hernan Cortes – credited for conquering Mexico & its people the Aztecs The Search for other Mexico’s New Spain in the 16 th Century

9. Hernan Cortes (1485-1547)Francisco Pizarro (1471-1541)

10. This is a 18 th century painting from Mexico of a mestizo family. The Spaniard rests his hand on the shoulder of his Indian wife and their mestizo son reaches into his mother’s basket

11. Race charts like the one shown, were found throughout New Spain (Mexico) and New Castile (Peru)

12. Indians Confront the French Montagnais Indians confront the French Early French explores of present day Quebec and Montreal – Jacques Cartier & Samuel de Champlain “Our young men will marry your daughters, and we shall be one people” Learning Native languages and ways of living allowed the French to gain access to fur territories

13. The Natives pursued alliances with the French as a means of securing European trade goods The Catholic religion in New France Kateri Tekakwitha – a Mohawk woman who was a devout Catholic Confronted with the threat of English settlers intruding on their lands, many Indians saw the French as their best hope for protection and military support