Competing Claims in North America Chapter 20 Section 2

European Nations Settle North America Magellan shows ships can travel around the globe. Spain claims the right to sail around the southern tip of South America. Search for a northwest route to Asia begins. The French, Dutch, and English establish North American colonies.

Explorers Establish New France Giovanni da Verazzano discovered New York Harbor. Jacques Cartier charts the Saint Lawrence River to Montreal. Samuel de Champlain claims the region that is now Quebec for France. Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explore the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Robert Sieur de la Salle claims Louisiana for France.

Jacques Cartier

Giovanni da Verrazzano

Samuel de Champlain arrives in Quebec.

Jacques Marquette

A Trading Empire The French want a trading network. They are not interested in establishing large towns. Catholic priests want to convert the natives. France’s main economic activity in New France was the fur trade. In general, the French want to make money off the land, not occupy it.

The English Settle at Jamestown In 1607, The English send three ships and more than 100 settlers to establish Jamestown, Virginia. Initially, the colony is a disaster. Seven out of ten settlers died. High demand for tobacco in England made it a profitable cash crop. Jamestown becomes the first successful permanent English colony in North America.

Puritans Create a “New England” “Pilgrims” seeking religious freedom establish Plymouth, Massachusetts in “Puritans” establish Massachusetts Bay Colony in Puritans want to “purify” the Church of England, the Anglican Church.

The Dutch Found New Netherland The Dutch East India Company sponsors colonies in New York. Henry Hudson, working for the Dutch explored the Hudson River, Hudson Bay, and the Hudson Strait. They establish trade posts at Albany, and Manhattan Island. Dutch holdings become known as New Netherland.

Diversity in Dutch Colonies In order to attract settlers, the Dutch invite German, French, and Scandinavian settlers to the region. They are tolerant of diverse religious faiths. Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jews.

Colonizing the Caribbean The French seize control of Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. The English settle Barbados and Jamaica. The Dutch occupy the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. African slaves were used to harvest tobacco and sugar.

The Fight for North America The French, Dutch and English struggle for supremacy in North America. After years of battles, the English gain control of most of the continent.

The English Oust the Dutch In 1664, Charles II granted permission to his brother, the Duke of York, to drive the Dutch out of New Netherland. They surrendered without a shot. It was renamed New York. By 1750, 1.3 million English settlers lived in 13 colonies from New Hampshire to Georgia.

Charles II

England Battles France Conflicts between England and France grow as the English settle further westward. The French and Indian War starts over fighting in the Ohio River Valley. It was part of the Seven Years War in Europe. The English defeat the French in 1763 and seize control over the eastern half of North America.

Native American Reaction European colonization brings disaster to Native Americans. They fall victim to warfare and disease.

A Strained Relationship The French and Dutch establish good trading relationships with native Americans. The fur trade benefits both sides. English settlement means relations with the natives are not as peaceful.

Settlers and Native Americans Battle As early as 1622, the Powhatan tribe attacked colonial villages at Jamestown and killed 350 settlers. King Philip’s War (1675) ended in a massacre of Indians.

Natives Fall to Disease An epidemic of smallpox in 1616 ravaged the New England coast. The population of the Massachusett tribe dropped from 24,000 to 750 by The loss of laborers eventually leads to the importation of African slaves.