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European Exploration in North America. Essential Quesion. Why and how did European explore the Americas and where did they build their first colonies?. Who am I going to learn about?. John Cabot Vasco Nunez de Balboa Juan Ponce de Leon Christopher Columbus Henry Hudson
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Essential Quesion • Why and how did European explore the Americas and where did they build their first colonies?
Who am I going to learn about? • John Cabot • Vasco Nunez de Balboa • Juan Ponce de Leon • Christopher Columbus • Henry Hudson • Jacques Cartier
What do you think the reasons were for European exploration?
Why explore? • The 1400s marked the Renaissance (meaning rebirth) period. • This was a time of new ideas. • Johannes Gutenburg invented the printing press at this time as well. Before the this, all books were hand-written!! Talk about writer’s cramp!
The Travels of Marco Polo was the most popular book at this time. • It was about Marco Polo’s voyage to Cathay, which is now called China. • Europeans were amazed to read about Chinese inventions such as gunpowder and the compass (what is a compass?) • Merchants, or people who sold things, were interested in the riches he spoke of. They wanted to buy and then resell to Asian goods such as silks and spices.
Traveling to Asia • In effort to buy goods from the Asians, the Europeans had to travel to Asia. Could they buy a round trip ticket?? • NO! • At this time, no one had ever traveled to Asia by boat; they had no maps to show them the route. • So they had to travel by foot over mountains and desert! Find these two continents on your class map. • Not having a sea route or the technology was a problem, so scientists started working to solve this.
Learning to sail • Prince Henery of Portugal opened a school of navigation. • This school taught people how to sail. • Mapmakers at the school worked hard to create better maps. They did this by reading early explorers’ journals where they would read about bodies of water and land shapes. • Expeditions began with the goal of finding a sea route to Asia.
Europeans knew about Asia because of Marco Polo’s book and trade. • Traders had been using the “Silk Road”- an ancient route between China and Italy . • At this time Europeans knew all of Asia as the Indies. (Find the Indies on your map.)
Wanted to sail to Asia • Believed he could get to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic • The Europeans had already found a route around Africa, but Columbus thought his would be faster. • After receiving permission from the King and Queen of Spain, he set sail.
“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”… • He took a crew of 90 and three ships. • Do you know what his ships were named? • The Nina • The Pinta • The Santa Maria
Columbus’s Discoveries • On his expedition Columbus discovered a tiny island and named it San Salvador. • He thought he was in the Indies, but really he was in the Americas. • Because he thought he was in the Indies he named the people there “Indians”. • He claimed this land for Spain which made the King and Queen happy.
Q & A • Who invented the printing press? • Johannes Gutenburg • What was the route called that traders used to travel between China and Italy? • The Silk Road • Why did Columbus want to go on an expedition? What was he looking for? • A shorter sea route to Asia • Where did Columbus land? • San Salvador • Where did he think he was? • Indies in Asia • Where was he really? • The Americas • What did he call the people living in San Salvador and why? • Indians, because he thought he was in the Indies.
Who was John Cabot? • Italian sailor From the country of England • Sent on an expedition by King Henry VII to find riches and land like the Europeans had. • He sailed North of Columbus’ route • He found land and claimed it for England. • He, like Columbus thought he was in the Indies, but today it is believed he was really in Newfoundland and Labrador (in Canada).
Who was Vasco Nunez de Balboa? • Spanish explorer • One of the first Europeans to settle in the Americas. • Failed at becoming a farmer on the island of Hispanola, and ended up owing a lot of people money. • Because there were so many people upset with him, he ran away and hid on a ship bound for Colombia. • After arriving in Colombia he found a settlement that was falling apart. He helped them take land from the Native Americans and started a settlement in what is now called Panama.
Balboa con’t… • While Balboa was in Panama he heard of a huge ocean to the West. • Over time, Balboa and his group reached what is now the Pacific Ocean. • He was 38 when he first saw it.
Q & A • Why did King Henry VII send Cabot on an expedition? • He wanted him to find riches and land for England. • What did Cabot discover? • Newfoundland and Labrador, but he thought it was the Indies • Who was the first European to settle in the Americas? • Balboa • Why did he flee from the island of Hispanola? • Because he owed people money. • When he reached Panama what did he do? • Helped a settlement become successful and went on an expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
Who was Juan Ponce de Leon? • Spanish explorer (or a conquistador) • He led the first European expedition to Florida while looking for the island of Bimini • He named the land of FL La Florida, Spanish for “flowery” and claimed it for Spain • He is associated with the Fountain of Youth- it’s water supposedly made old people young again • He became the first Spanish explorer to set foot on land that became part of the US
Henry Hudson • English explorer • Made 4 trips to find Northwest Passage (Asia is reached more easily by sailing through or around N. America) • An English company paid for his first 2 trips • On 1st trip in 1608, he reached the island of Greenland • He failed to find the NW Passage
Henry Hudson • Dutch East India Company (located in the Netherlands) paid for Hudson’s 3rd trip • 3rd trip= he spent a month exploring a river in NY, the Hudson River and claimed this and the land around it for the Dutch • 4th trip was paid for by an English company • He sailed along northern coast of N. America to what is now the Hudson Bay • He claimed the land for England and spent 3 months exploring there
Hudson cont’d. • By Nov. his boat was frozen in the ice • His crew became fed up from the cold winter and rebelled against Hudson • They sent Hudson and 8 others adrift in a small boat • They were never seen again
Jacques Cartier • French navigator • In 1534, King Francis sent him to look for the Northwest Passage and to look for gold • Between 1534-1541 he made 3 trips to N. America • Reached mouth of St. Lawrence River on 1st trip and claimed the land around it for France
Cartier cont’d. • On 2nd trip, he traveled up St. Lawrence River • He met river rapids and his boat could not pass- he had to turn back • In 1541 he visited the St. Lawrence River again, but could not find the NW Passage or gold • He returned to France
