Chapter 2 Section 2 European Competition in North America

The Race to Explore With Spain and Portugal’s Success finding wealth, other Nations in Europe begin to look for new opportunities at Sea. Spain especially fights any attempt by other countries to make claims in the New World. Spain had grown extremely wealthy and powerful from its conquest of the Aztecs and later the Incas in the Early 1500s. Spain fights and goes to war at different times in the 1500s to stop England, the French, and the Dutch (The Netherlands) for claiming land in the Americas. (Discussed in later slides)

John Cabot John Cabot – an Italian sailing for the English crossed the Atlantic and searched the area around what is today Newfoundland in Canada. Cabot made two trips in 1497 and 1498 looking for a Northwest Passage An All water to Asia through America. On his first trip he claimed for England Newfoundland and on his second he never returned.

Giovanni da Verrazzano and Jacques Cartier In 1524 Verrazzano – was an Italian that sailed for the French also looking for a Northwest Passage. He explored the Atlantic coastline of North America but did not find the route In 1534, 1536, and 1541 Cartier traveled up the St. Lawrence River to present- day Montreal, Canada looking for a Northwest Passage but rapids blocked his way. On his 1541 trip he tried to establish a colony that failed because the colonists were not prepared for the extreme conditions and shortage of food.

Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson Champlain explored the St. Lawrence River 50 years after Cartier He founded a fur trading post at Quebec in The French developed a strong relationship with the Native Americans by trying do work within their customs. The French also sent Catholic Priest to convert the Natives but it wasn’t forced on them. Henry Hudson working for the Dutch searched for a Northwest passage in He Claimed the area around what is today the Hudson River in New York. The Dutch built New Netherland at Fort Nassau (1614) and New Amsterdam today’s New York City (1626) In 1610 Hudson this time working for England searched for the Northwest passage into what is now Hudson’s Bay. His crew Mutinied and he was never seen again.

Spain Responds to Competition In 1564, French Huguenots (Protestants) started a colony in Present Day Florida called Fort Caroline. The Spanish built Fort Augustine in response. The Spanish used a base to later massacre the French Colonists (mainly because of their Protestant Religion) Fort Augustine is the oldest continual city in the United States today.

Spain and England clash Religious differences In the 1500s England became Protestant when Henry VIII removes England from the Catholic church to get a divorce. (Spain hates this) In 1558 Henry’s daughter Elizabeth I (a Protestant) becomes Queen. (Spain hates this) England harasses Spain. The English Seadogs, to the Spanish were pirates that stole the gold Spain had taken from the New World. Spain Hates this Sir Frances Drake the most famous Sea Dog sails around the world to escape the Spanish.

Spanish Armada In 1588 the Spanish declare war on the English. The King of Spain sends 130 ships to end the English raids and more importantly to return English to Catholicism. England with their smaller faster ships and more importantly a hurricane destroys most of the Spanish Fleet As a result Spain is never as powerful again England remains protestant and can defend itself England though does not establish a permanent colony until Other nations began to challenge Spain’s Authority in the Americas