1. European Exploration and Colonization (European Empires)
Essential Question: Why was exploration and colonization important in the development of Europe and the world?
SS6b: Trace the empires of Portugal, Spain, England, and France in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

2. Words to Know
Empire: group of territories or nations under a single ruler or government Imperialism: the practice of a larger country growing stronger by taking over smaller countries that have important natural resources.

3. Words to Know
Colonize: to send a group of settlers of a nation to establish political control over the land and the indigenous (native) people of that area

4. Movie: Avatar How many of you have seen this movie
Movie: Avatar How many of you have seen this movie? How is it an example of exploration and colonization?

5. Empire building
After the 14th century, Europe’s most powerful countries competed to see who could get the most colonies (colony).
They wanted to build their Empire by taking over other parts of the world (Imperialism).

6. Remember Spices and Goods from Asia???
How did the Europeans know about
the spices and goods in Asia?
The Crusades ( )
Military expeditions sent by the
Popes of the Roman Catholic Church
to capture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the
Muslim Turks.
Not successful, but had a few
positive results
Western Europeans learned to:
Create better maps
Build better ships
Exposed Europeans to spices & goods
from Asia
Travels of Marco Polo

7. Trade Routes to Asia
1400’s—major trade routes from Asia to Europe went
Through 2 Italian cities (Venice and Genoa)
Italian merchants marked up the
prices on the jewels, fragrances,
woods and finished goods & sold
them throughout Europe.
Portugal, Spain, France, and England
Resented the huge profits made by
Italians. Since the Italians controlled the trade routes
Through the Mediterranean Sea they began to look for other routes to Asia and the Spice Islands—water route to Asia!

8. Spain and Portugal: Treaty of Tordesillas
Portugal and Spain claimed territories in the New World before any other European powers.
Since both nations were Catholic, the Pope drew a line on the map showing which territories would belong to Portugal and which ones belonged to Spain
Who is going to get most of the New World?

9. Portugal Leads the Way!
Established the earliest of the modern European colonial empires.
Prince Henry the Navigator
school of navigation
sent more than 50 expeditions down
the west coast of Africa
Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern
tip of Africa called The Cape of Good Hope
and the Indian Ocean
Vasco da Gama and other Explorers, later
sailed around the cape and continued to
India

10. Portugal Leads the Way!
For decades, the Portuguese continued to explore east Asia where they established forts & trading posts.
By 1571, a string of outposts connected Portugal to Africa,
India, South Pacific Islands, and Japan
Portugal grew wealthy from these trade routes, but…
Its most profitable colony was Brazil in South America.
Brazil was a Portuguese colony until 1822.

11. Use the European Empires Student Map to record the different routes
You may want students to label the continents.

12. Portugal’s Explorations: Color the route of the Portuguese

13. Empire of Portugal: color the land area and complete the key

14. Spain’s Empire
Spanish explorers were searching for a trade route through or around North & South America to Asia
Wanted to find a quicker route to the gold & spices in Asia
Christopher Columbus (Italian)
given $ by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
…find a quick route to through the Atlantic to Asia.
He discovers the Bahamas, but thought he was in Asia… called the land “West Indies”. Found 2 new continents.
Exploration of these areas brought great wealth to Spain.

15. Spain’s Empire Huge empire that spanned the globe
Spanish conquistadors conquered the Inca and Aztec civilizations in the 1500s (South America)
--Looking for gold & spices
--Used missionaries to convert natives to Christianity
Claimed huge areas of North & South America & ruled over them for 300 years

16. Spain’s Explorations: Color the route of the Spanish

17. Empire of Spain: color the land area and complete the key

18. England’s Empire
England used to be one of three countries (England, Scotland, & Wales)
1700s, the three united and became Great Britain
British empire was the largest in history
--At its peak, Great Britain controlled: Canada, Australia, India, much of Africa, and numerous islands

19. England’s Empire North America came under British control in the 1700s
--Lost American colonies in 1776
--Maintained control over Canada until 20th century
Colonized Australia in
1788
--used it as a penal (prison) colony to relieve over crowed jails in England

20. England’s Explorations: Color the route of the English

21. British Empire: color in the lard area and complete the key

22. France’s Empire Established other colonies in the 16th-17th centuries:
--Islands in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific, the North Pacific, & the North Atlantic
France also maintained influence in Canada, South America, Southeast Asia, & Northwest Africa
Many French explorers were searching for the Northwest Passage. Founded Quebec, the
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Established fur trading posts in the New World.

23. France’s Explorations: Color the route of the French

24. Empire of France: color the land area and complete the key

25. Remember Definition of an Empire?
Empire: group of territories or nations under a single ruler or
government
Can you think of an Empire?

26. Star Wars (Galactic Empire)

27. Star Trek (Romulan Empire)

28. Roman Empire

29. The countries of Portugal, Spain, England, and France led the exploration and colonization movement and built individual empires across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

30. European Empires Map Activity
Turn your maps over to the other side. Record the different empires on your map.