Off to the Races: A Land Up for Grabs Featuring: England, France, and Spain in a Massive (Illegal?) Land Grab That Rocked the World

Why Settle/Colonize? Gold, God, and Glory! Main Reason: Water Route to “The Spice Land of East Indies and China” Others: –Gold, silver, and natural resources –Convert Native Americans to Christianity

Spain’s Claims Americus Vespucius, South America – 1499 –1507 map with Americus’ name leads to “America” –First to consider the idea of “New World”

Spain’s Claims, cont. Ponce de Leon, Florida – 1513 –“Fountain of Youth” –Named Florida after its flowers –Died from arrow wound from natives, 1521

Spain’s Claims, cont. Cortes, Tenochtitlan, 1519 Gold n’ Glory: Made Spain filthy rich –Tricked Aztecs to gain control of city –Later, Baja California, Honduras

Spain’s Claims, cont. Pizarro, Peru, 1531 –Conquered Incan Empire with guns, 300 men, and 100 horses –Leader executed; germs kill thousands

Spain’s Claims, cont. De Soto, southeastern US, 1539 –Looking for “Seven Cities of Cibola” –600-men expedition fought with natives –Died on exploration

Conquistadors Spanish mercenaries

Pirates

The Real Pirates of the Caribbean, 1520s-1700 English, French, Dutch ships begin plundering/attacking Spanish ships on route home *Method –Henry Morgan and torture –Port Royal, Jamaica

French Claims Attempt to find “Northwest Passage” to East Asia Ended up establishing fur trade with Native Americans

French Claims All land west of Mississippi River by Samuel de Champlain, Father Marquette, and Louis Joliet Named Louisiana after King Louis XIV

French Claims, cont. Acadie (modern-day Nova Scotia, Newfoundland)

English Settlers The first Pirates of America (privateers) Started out by plundering and stealing gold from Spanish ships along East Coast

English Settlements, cont. For-profit individuals/companies settled –Task: Find route to Asia, gold, crops, etc. Roanoke, Jamestown, 1607 –Tobacco

The “Lost Colony” of Roanoke, First English settlement in North America Settlement stories

Jamestown, 1607 Established for gold mining and permanent foothold in N.A. for England