1. European Contact

2. First Contact: The Norse
The Vikings were the first Europeans to establish colonies in the Americas, as early as the 10th century AD
Norsemen from Iceland first settled Greenland in the 980s and maintained a colony there for almost 500 years
The Vikings then set out further east and made it to Baffin Island, Newfoundland, and Labrador

3. First Contact: The Norse
North American settlements were small and did not develop into permanent colonies
This was partly due to hostile relations with the Native population

4. The Age of Exploration
European history from 1450 to 1700 AD was a time of extensive overseas exploration
Countries like Portugal and Spain led numerous navel expeditions across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans
They were looking for the three G’s:
Gold, Glory, and God
Although a little simplistic, this is an easy way to remember the main motivations of the European explorers

5. The First “G” – Gold
Europeans were looking for wealth (gold and silver) to fuel the rising banking system
Spices from India and East Asia were also big business for the Europeans
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s 1498 trip to India made a 3000% profit!
Other natural resources would come to be sold for profit as well (timber, sugar, tobacco, ivory, etc.)

6. The Second “G” – Glory Glory was a relatively new idea in Europe
Came out of the Renaissance ideal of Humanism, and the focus on individual achievement
With the rise of the printing press, the idea of gaining fame for one’s actions was more possible
Also, individual kings wanted glory for their kingdoms
The Triumph of Fame, a Flemish tapestry from 1502.

7. The Third “G” – God
Europeans had always seen spreading Christianity as a good thing
After the Reformation, competition between different faiths started to heat up
Colonization became a race to convert native peoples to a particular brand of Christianity
Jesuits (Catholics) were some of the most active

8. Seeking the East
Europeans knew the land route there, but wanted a sea route to increase trade
In the 1400’s Portuguese explorers managed to find the sea route to Asia by going around the tip of Africa
Many believed that there was a shorter route

9. The Age of Exploration
Europeans

10. Christopher Columbus Born in Genoa, Italy in 1451
Studied atlases and read whatever he could about travels and exploration
Decided he could get to Asia by sailing west from Europe
Eventually got financial backing for his trip from Spain

11. Christopher Columbus
Left with three ships - the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria in August, 1492
On October 12, he went ashore on a small island in the Bahamas and claimed it for Spain
Columbus believed he had reached the East Indies, so he called Native people Indians

12. Christopher Columbus
The natives that Columbus encountered were the Arawak, who were peaceful and friendly
Noting their gold ear ornaments, Columbus took some of the Arawaks prisoner and insisted that they take him to the source of the gold
From his journal entry of October 12th, 1492:
“They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them. I think they can very easily be made Christians, for they seem to have no religion. If it pleases our Lord, I will take six of them to Your Highnesses when I depart, in order that they may learn our language.”

13. Christopher Columbus
Continued his Caribbean voyage, exploring Cuba and Hispaniola (all the while thinking he was in Asia)
Left 39 of his men to found a settlement in Hispaniola (present day Haiti)
Kidnapped about 10 to 25 natives and took them back to Spain, where those who survived the voyage were paraded through the streets of Barcelona
Columbus made three more trips to the New World, bringing 1200 colonists to Hispaniola on his 2nd voyage

14. The Columbian Exchange
These voyages marked the beginning of the European exploration and colonization of the Americans
The result was a widespread transfer of animals, plants, culture, human populations, technology and ideas between the Americas and Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries
This has become known as “the Columbian Exchange”

15. The Columbian Exchange – Crops
From the Americas:
Maize (corn), potato, tomato, tobacco, beans, cacao (chocolate), cotton, peanuts, pumpkin, peppers, cassava, vanilla, avocado, sweet potato
From Europe:
Sugar, rice, wheat, coffee, banana, citrus fruit, grapes, peach, pear, olive, onion, turnip
Just think, before 1500 there were no oranges in Florida, no bananas in Ecuador, no potatoes in Ireland, no coffee in Colombia, no pineapples in Hawaii, no chili peppers in Thailand, no tomatoes in Italy, and no chocolate in Switzerland

16. The Columbian Exchange – Animals
From the Americas:
Turkey, llama, guinea pig
From Europe:
Cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, chicken, dogs, cats, and bees
The transfer of livestock was much more one-sided; mostly from Europe to the Americas
The horse had a major impact on many Native American bands
Some gave up agriculture and shifted to a nomadic lifestyle, hunting bison and other animals from horseback

17. The Columbian Exchange