3. Who am I?

4. Christopher Columbus 1492 – Columbus and three ships sail from Spain
Born in Italy but sailed for Spain
Purpose: Sail to Asia (India) by going west across the Atlantic instead of around Africa (like the Portuguese)

5. Chris’s View of the World
What’s the problem with his view?

6. Was Columbus the First? NO!!!! The Chinese? The Vikings?
The Phoenicians?
Now back to Columbus...

7. Why Explore? Motives (Reasons) for Exploration = GOLD, GLORY, GOD
Gold = MONEY, land, resources, markets
Glory = POWER for exploring nation/king
God = RELIGION - spread Christianity to new lands

8. More Columbus Set off to find a quicker route to the West Indies.
Crew was near mutiny when land was sighted.
Landed near present day Bahamas (thought it was the West Indies)
Indigenous people called themselves the Taino (“noble ones”).
He called them Los Indios…..translation Indians….WHY????

9. So What?
Thus began the move from the Old World to the New World

10. Who Came, and Where did they Settle?
Spanish –
English –
French –
Dutch –
Africans –
built settlements in the Caribbean, South America and Central America
settled in North America (present day United States)
settled in present-day Canada
settled in present-day New York
were brought to work on large plantations in the Caribbean and Southern English colonies

11. Comparing Three Worlds
American Indians
Europeans
West Africans
What were their religious beliefs?
What was their government?
What were their economic systems?
What kind of technology did they have?

12. Comparing Three Worlds
American Indians
Europeans
West Africans
What were their religious beliefs?
Nature-based
Spiritual relationship between man and Earth
Spread Christianity
Everyone should be Christian
A mix: Islam (in some areas); Nature-based (in other places)
What was their government?
tribes (simple) confederations empires (complex)
nations and kings
beginning to have ideas about individual rights
Kingdoms w/ rulers
Council of elders
What were their economic systems?
Communal ownership of land
Live in harmony with land -- use it to sustain life and not to create wealth
Private ownership of property
Labor + land = wealth
Extensive trade in a variety of goods
What kind of technology did they have?
Bows, arrows, spears and tomahawks
Simple farming and hunting tools
Advanced weapons, including guns, cannons and armor
Navigational abilities
Depends on area – simple farming tools or complex trading equipment

13. Impact of Discovery
Colonization – The establishment of distant settlements controlled by parent country.
Often times natives were forced into work on plantations
An exchange begins between the old world and the new.

14. The Columbian Exchange
An exchange of living things between the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (the Americas)
The “Where Am I From” Challenge
Pick an item on your way in….
Put your item under its home world
(where it came from)
The Americas Europe, Asia, Africa

15. New World
Old World

16. The Columbian Exchange
An exchange of living things between the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (the Americas)

17. Trading Food is Good… trading Disease is BAD!
Population decrease estimates between 1/3 and 1/2 of native population.
Decrease in population means decrease in workforce.
What will the Europeans do???

18. Slave Trade Begins
With so many Natives dying of disease, Europeans turned to the slave trade to replenish labor force.
Africans were more resistant to Old World disease and less familiar with New World (less likely to escape).
Europeans began using these slaves in the New World.

19. French
English
Spanish

20. Homework
In your opinion (using what you learned in class and in the article), should we celebrate Columbus Day?
Make sure you explain your reasoning.