Background  Marco Polo  Left Italy with father  Traveled to China ; lived there for 17 years  Returned with lots of stories about the riches of China and the Indies  These stories made people want to find a quick route to Asia

Spain ExplorationSpain Exploration  Christopher Columbus  Inspired by Polo, Columbus looks for way to sail west to get east  Sponsored by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain  Landed in San Salvador, encountered the Taino Natives  Made 4 more trips for Spain  BIG IDEA: DISCOVERED THE NEW WORLD

Columbian ExchangeColumbian Exchange  Transfer of plants and animals from New World (The Americas) to the Old World (Europe)

Conquistadors  Spanish soldiers looking for the three G’s  Famous Examples  Hernan Cortes  Conquered the Aztec Empire (Mexico)  Francisco Pizarro  Conquered the Incan Empire (Modern day Peru)

Hernando De SotoHernando De Soto

 One of the best known Spanish explorers  Was very cruel to the natives he found  Known for staying the longest, traveling the farthest, and killing the most Native Americans living in Georgia (1540)  More than ½ of De Soto’s expedition including De Soto himself died during the expedition  1/3 of the total Native Americans died as well

Early Spanish MissionsEarly Spanish Missions  The purpose of the missions was to convert Native Americans to Catholicism  Native Americans used the missions to help integrate themselves into European world  Spanish missions settled along Georgia’s barrier islands because these islands were easier to access than the mainland was.  First Spanish Mission was St. Augustine  First Spanish Mission on Georgia soil was Guale

England  England sought to use this new land to establish a mercantile system  England also did not want to be left behind in the search for new land and power  England’s cities had become too crowded, and the new land would be a place where many of England’s homeless could go for fresh start

English ExplorationEnglish Exploration  John Cabot  Claimed Newfoundland and Novia Scotia for England  Roanoke  Colony established in North Carolina  Started by Sir Walter Raleigh; John White leader of colony  Colony mysteriously disappeared

English ExplorationEnglish Exploration  Jamestown  Established in 1607  Site of colony badly chosen  Starvation and Disease rampant  John Smith takes control of colony and with the help of Pocahontas able to save colony  The Starving Time  60 of 214 survive  Eventually colony is able to gain stability

France  Like Spain, France also wanted to spread Christianity and find great wealth from the colonies  France also wanted international prestige/power that came with discovering new territory

Impact of Explorers on N.A. Culture  Europeans brought diseases such as measles, chicken pox, small pox, influenza, and whooping cough.  Resulted in the death of 1/3 of the N. A. population  They also brought slavery and guns  Not all contributions were negative  Europeans also brought tools, weapons, and horses

Native Americans Impact on Europeans  Trading with them  Showing them how to survive in the new world  Introducing new foods such as corn and squash

Impact on Both CulturesImpact on Both Cultures  Some Native Americans began to dress in European fashions and speak English  Without the Native American’s help, European colonization in the New World would never have survived