1. Contact and European Explorations

3. Spanish Explorations in North America
Renaissance leads to trade
Renaissance means “rebirth”
-begins in Italy; 1300s-1600s
-time of change in learning, art, religion and trade
Trade is mainly between Europe and Asia by eastern land route
-merchants suggest shorter sea route

4. Finding a Water Route to Asia
Portuguese explorers try to sail around Africa to Asia
-Vasco da Gama succeeds in 1497
Christopher Columbus thinks he can sail west across Atlantic to Asia
-He finds Americas instead; Spain’s wealth, power increase

5. Spanish Explorers in the New World
Conquistadors are conquerors, seek to take over existing cultures; do not live peacefully with natives
Coronado, de Soto, Cabrillo expeditions each seek “cities of gold”
Gold never found, treasure stolen from natives, Spain grows richer

6. Spanish Explorers in Florida
Juan Ponce de León on Columbus’s second voyage, stays in Caribbean
Brutally conquers natives in Puerto Rico, becomes governor
Explores Florida coasts, seeks “fountain of youth,” never finds it
Discovers Gulf Stream —powerful ocean currents

7. Other Explorers in the Southeast
Vásquez de Allyón tries to set up Spanish settlement on east coast
First attempt in North Carolina fails
Establishes San Miguel Guadalupe settlement off Georgia coast
-lasts less than year; Vásquez de Allyón and most settlers die
-survivors leave for Hispaniola

8. Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto enters southwest corner of
Georgia in 1540; de Soto goes northeast into Carolinas; first Europeans to cross Appalachian Mts.
Reentered Georgia into Chiefdom of Coosa
De Soto cruel to Native Americans, captures Coosa chief
Southeastern native groups angered, try to destroy expedition
Massacre fails, 2,500–3,000 Native Americans killed in attempt
De Soto heads west but dies soon after, possibly
from battle injuries

9. Hernando de Soto Only 300 of de Soto’s men survive the expedition
Return to Spain penniless; never find gold
Natives suspicious of Europeans after de Soto
-blame explorers for exposure to European diseases
Other Spanish explorers focus efforts in Mexico, South America

10. A Spanish Colony St. Augustine
•1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés tries to keep French out of Florida
Defeats French, builds St. Augustine fort not far from Georgia
Spanish Missions in Georgia
•Missions —small settlements built around church
•Purposes: convert natives to Christianity, keep
French off coast
•Guale mission district covers Outer Coastal
Plain, barrier islands
•Spanish control coast and southern Georgia for
over 100 years

11. French Explorations in North America
France hopes to gain riches, freedom by peaceful colonization
Sends Jean Ribault in 1562 to establish colony on Atlantic coast
-travels with Lieutenant René de Laudonnière, 150 settlers
Settlers are Huguenots—French Protestants
wanting religious freedom

12. A Failed Attempt by Ribault
Ribault lands in Florida, goes north, builds Fort Caroline
Ribault and de Laudonnière must return to France for supplies
French religious war prevents aid; Ribault asks England for help, but is imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth until 1565

13. René de Laudonnière René de Laudonnière, 304 Huguenots return to
Florida, 1564
Group builds Fort Caroline near present-day
Jacksonville
De Laudonnière friendly with natives until supplies run out
Some colonists lose faith in leadership, turn to piracy
De Laudonnière, colony wait for France to help

14. Conflict with Spain
Ribault released from prison, sent to rescue Fort Caroline
Spain’s King Phillip II angered by French in Florida territories
-sends Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, warships to defeat colony
500 men destroy Fort Caroline; Ribault killed
-de Laudonnière wounded; escapes, writes history of event
-France ends colonization of southeastern North America

15. New France
English settle coast of North America; France explores interior
By late 1600s French claim Ohio, Mississippi valleys; Great Lakes
French Louisiana runs from Appalachians to
Rockies
New France colony has 80,000 people by 1760
French control most land in interior of North America

16. Early English Colonies in North America
Catholic Spain, Protestant England clash over religion
English navy defeats powerful Spanish Armada (1588)
-England remains Protestant, Spain no longer major power
English challenges Spanish claims in North America

17. Conditions in England
Poor conditions in England: cities overcrowded, food shortages
Colonization seen as solution to overcrowding, boost to economy
Colonies become market for English exports; provider of raw materials
Transfer of wealth from colony to parent country
called mercantilism

18. The Roanoke Colonies
Sir Walter Raleigh funds colony on Roanoke Island, Virginia (1585)
Food supplies run out; survivors return to England the next year
Second try at Roanoke colony in 1587; John White named governor
White goes to England for supplies, returns in 1590; colonists gone
-colonists may have joined nearby tribes, or
relocated and died
-known as the Lost Colony

19. A Colony at Jamestown
English learn that one person cannot finance entire colony
Joint-stock companies formed to raise money for projects
-investors back company, receive stock shares, split profits or losses
Virginia Companies of London, Plymouth obtain
charters in 1606
-charters—written contracts giving holder rights to set up colony

20. A Difficult First Year
Virginia Company of London sets up Jamestown in 1607; 100 colonists
Climate, malaria, inefficiency take toll, 38 alive January, 1608
John Smith has wall built around colony, trades food with Powhatans
Colony survives, 800 more colonists arrive in 1609

22. Tobacco Changes Jamestown
John Rolfe develops easy-growing tobacco; popular in England
Virginia Company offers 50 acres to those who can pay own passage
Indentured servants —sell labor to person who pays their passage
-work for set number of years, then free to set up own farm or trade
First enslaved Africans brought to Jamestown in 1619 (for tobacco)
Population of colony 2,000 by 1621

23. Other Early English Colonies
Carolina founded 1663, Charles Town (later
Charleston) in 1670
Charles Town becomes Huguenot refuge in 1685
English use trails through Georgia to raid Spanish forts in Florida
Spanish attack Charles Town but are defeated, retreat to Florida
Creek trade with English, fight tribes who side with Spain

24. The Yamasee War France, Spain lose power, England dominates
trade in colonies
English hold monopoly—control prices of all goods, supplies
Native Americans cheated; Yamasee tribe leads uprising (1715)
Other tribes join; traders killed; settlers flee to Charles Town
English regroup, push Yamasee to Florida; Creek retreat to Alabama

25. Plans for a Georgia Colony
English want Carolina plantations protected, fear Spanish in Florida
Need to colonize land between Spanish Florida, English Carolina
Scottish nobleman Sir Robert Montgomery proposes colony
1717, Margravate of Azilia colony planned in present-day Georgia
Charter lost 3 years later; English wary of dangers of settling land