European Exploration and the Discovery of America Unit 1, Lesson 1

Essential Idea ► Contact between the “Old” and “New” Worlds led to the exchange of many things but ultimately led to conflicts.

The “New World” ► Where? ► The “New” World, which was the Americas ► Migration: ► The first people in America likely migrated over from Asia over a land bridge during the last Ice Age ► People Arrive in the Americas People Arrive in the Americas People Arrive in the Americas

Mesoamerica ► Location: ► Mesoamerica, which is present day Mexico and Central America ► Climate: ► The climate was warm and stable ► Agricultural revolution: ► Time period when early Americans learned to grow crops because of the good climate

Cultures of the New World ► Culture: ► Centralized because of agriculture, especially maize/corn, allowing people to stay in one place ► Benefits: ► Civilizations were able to grow into complex societies with high populations ► Problems: ► Much easier to conquer

Cultures in Mesoamerica ► Mayans: ► Developed complex architecture, mathematics, and calendars ► Aztecs: ► Built sophisticated, highly populated cities

Cultures of the New World ► Location: ► Present day United States ► Climate: ► Not as dependable as Mesoamerica ► Food Source: Agriculture in stable climates, animal herds in less stable areas ► Culture: ► Nomadic because these people tended to move from place to place following food sources (animals) ► Why follow animals? ► Less stable weather limited effects of agricultural revolution ► Benefits: ► Spread out and difficult to conquer (United States government will struggle with Indians for decades) ► Problems: ► Could not develop into advanced civilizations

Cultures in Present- Day Western United States ► Anasazi and Cahokia: ► These groups built complex civilizations but likely fell apart due to drought (unstable climate)

Cultures in Present-Day Eastern United States ► Cherokee: ► Lived in more stable region of United States (the Southeast) and managed to grow maize, beans, and squash

Iroquois Confederacy ► Iroquois Confederacy: ► Northeastern tribes formed this government, loosely joining their tribes together ► Confederacy: ► Union of small governments with a WEAK central government

The “Old World” ► Where? The “Old World,” which was the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, Asia) ► Reasons to start exploring- ► The Catholic Crusades exposed Europeans to products in Asia such as silk and spices ► The “Great Silk Road” became the major trade route that connected Europe and Asia ► This route was dangerous, slow, and expensive to use ► European countries started looking for other routes, over water, to access Asia

European Exploration: Portugal ► Portugal: ► Route- Went around Africa to access Asia ► Prince Henry the Navigator established a school dedicated to exploration ► Portugal developed the caravel, a boat able to travel Africa’s rough coast ► While exploring Africa, Portugal was exposed to African slavery and started trading for slaves

European Exploration: Spain ► Spain: ► Route- Went west across the Atlantic Ocean ► Spain commissioned Christopher Columbus to look for a western route ► On October 12, 1492, Columbus “discovered” (disputed!) the “New World” when he landed on islands in the Caribbean Sea, later called the West Indies ► European Exploration European Exploration European Exploration

The Columbian Exchange ► Columbian Exchange- the transfer of goods, crops, diseases, etc. between the “old” and “new” worlds after 1492 ► The “New World” brought: gold, silver, corn, tobacco, and other vegetables ► The “Old World” brought: sugar, rice, horses, cows, and DISEASE, and SLAVES ► Future implications: ► 1. Disease would wipe out Indian populations and make conquering them easier in the future ► 2. Slavery went on to become vital to much of the economy of the United States, and also became very controversial

Spain vs. Portugal? ► Issue: Spain and Portugal were exploring and claiming new lands ► Why an issue? ► Both were Catholic, and the Pope did not want two Catholic countries fighting ► Solution: ► Treaty of Tordesillas- Pope set a “line of demarcation” to divide Spain’s and Portugal’s lands ► Consequence: ► Spain was the first country to explore what is now the United States