Chapter 2 Section 1

First Visitors from Europe Vikings – There is evidence that the only people to reach the Americas before Columbus were the Vikings. The Vikings were a seagoing people who originally lived in the part of northern Europe known as Scandinavia. In 1693, scientist found evidence that early Viking settled in Newfoundland. According to one story, a Viking named Leif Erikson and 35 others sailed from a colony on Greenland to investigate land farther west.

Christopher Columbus -Columbus grew up on the west coast of Italy. -In the 1470’s he moved to Portugal where he sailed Portuguese ships, studied maps, and charts. - Columbus moved to Spain because Portugal’s king showed little interest in Columbus’ plan to find Asia because he believed the world was much bigger than Columbus and refused to fund his trip. - King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella liked Columbus’ plan and after 6 six years agreed to provide ships for his voyage.

Columbus Sets Sail! 1492 – Columbus and 90 men (mostly from Spain) planned to make the voyage. - planned to reach the East Indies by sailing west on the Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria in 21 days. - On October 12, he finally reached land it was the West Indies. Believing he was on the islands known as Indies, he called the people Indians. - Columbus then sailed southwest to a large island. He thought it was Japan but it was actually Cuba. Columbus founded the colony of Hispaniola in the Americas on a his next Voyage.

Second Voyage Columbus sailed back to Spain and told of huge amounts of gold in the land he referred to as the West Indies. In September of 1493, Columbus sailed back to the West Indies with 17 ships and 1500 men. The Spanish planned to colonize and rule the land and convert the people to Christianity. Columbus discovered that the Indians had killed all of his men left in Hispaniola. Columbus built another settlement and enslaved the local Indians to dig for gold. Columbus returned to Spain with cold trinkets and captives.

Third Voyage In 1498, Columbus reached the northern coast of South America and decided it was the Asian mainland. In 1502, Spain allowed him to try to prove his claims in a 4 th voyage. Two years later he returned to Spain and died in 1506 still convinced that he had reached Asia.

Continuing to Search for Asia Vasco Nunez de Balboa – In 1510, a Spanish colonist, Balboa, explored the Caribbean coast of Panama. Hacking his way across the jungle, he became the first explorer to see the Pacific Ocean. Ferdinand Magellan – In 1519, Portuguese explorer Magellan set sail to find an Atlantic-Pacific passage.

Magellan For more than a year, the Magellan and his small fleet, moved slowly down the South American coast looking for a strait. A strait is a narrow passage that connects two large bodies of water. It encountered penguins and other animals never seen before. Near the southern tip of present-day Argentina, Magellan found a narrow passage. After 38 days of battling winds, tides, and currents, his ships exited what we now call the Strait of Magellan.

The Philippine Islands Magellan finally reached the Philippine Islands where he and several others were killed in a battle with Filipinos. The survivors fled in two ships and one ship finally reached Spain in September Three years after they had begun, the 18 men aboard became first to circumnavigate the entire Earth. Circumnavigate means to travel around.

The Columbian Exchange These early Spanish voyages set the stage for a great exchange between the Western and Eastern hemispheres. The next century began what is now known as the Columbian Exchange or a transfer of people, products, and ideas between hemispheres.

Positive Effects of Columbian Exchange Europeans introduced cows, hogs, and other domestic animals to the Western Hemisphere. Many food plants, such as wheat and oats, also arrived on the ships that brought the Europeans.

Negative Effects of Columbian Exchange Europeans brought germs to the Native Americans who had no immunity (natural resistance.) Diseases such as smallpox, chickenpox, measles, and other contagious diseases killed thousands of Native Americans.

Impact of Americas on Europeans Europeans found plants and animals in the Americas that they had never seen before. For example, the Americas introduced llamas, turkeys, squirrels, and muskrats to the world. More important, were the crops that Native Americans taught the Europeans to cultivate. Today, plants that once were found only in the Americas account for nearly one third of the world’s food supply.