Lecture 1: Discovering the New World

 The Vikings were the first Europeans to arrive in the Americas  Most Native Americans came over from the land bridge.  When the ice melted, they were stuck here.  Over time tribes traveled south and east

 Indians in Mexico began to grow corn (maze)  Methods of growing spread and soon became a staple crop for many tribes  Allowed some tribes to stay in one place  Some Indian tribes maintained a nomadic existence  They moved from location to location hunting and gathering

The Scientific Revolution leads to advances in technology and wealth Wealthier countries send explorers out to sea to find more wealth and resources Monarchs and aristocrats wanted access to Asia and Africa to capitalize on trade of spices and silk Portuguese dominated the age of exploration, with superior ships and better navigation technology

 Portuguese explorers found sophisticated kingdoms in West Africa  Explorers and merchants were not only interested in gold and spices but also in buying slaves  The Portuguese did not invent slave trade, but they did expand it  Overtime the transatlantic route became known as the Middle Passage

 Christopher Columbus lands in the Caribbean.  Thought he landed in the Indies of east Asia. Began to call the natives “Indians”  Europeans took land, tried to convert Indians to Christianity and brought many new diseases  Ex. Smallpox

 The Spanish Conquistadors created a vast empire in Central and South America  Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztecs in Mexico  European had advantages in weaponry but diseases also made it easier to conquer Native Americans  They had no immunity to diseases like smallpox, measles, and cholera  Colonizers brought people and new animals  Pigs, horses, cattle and sheep

1. How did geography impact Native American lifestyles? 2. Why did Europeans want to find a way to Asia 3. How did explorers from Europe affect life in the Americas and Africa?