Social Studies Ch.2 lesson 1-3 ;)

Spanish Class

A class system developed in Spain's empire. At the top were people who were born in Spain, called peninsulares. The peninsulares owned the land, served in the Catholic Church, and ran the local government. Below them were the creoles, people born in the Americas to Spanish parents. Then came the mestizos people with Spanish and Native American parents. Still lower were the Native Americans, who were often very poor. At the bottom were enslaved Africans.

Pedro Menedez

Although the French claimed Florida, Felipe II, king of Spain, believed they were trespassing on Spanish land. He named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés governor of Florida. The king ordered Menéndez to build a colony in Florida and to drive out the French. On September 8, 1565, Menéndez founded the settlement of San Agustín (St. Augustine). Menéndez did not know it then, but St. Augustine was the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States. Ribault planned to attack the Spanish. He sent ships south to attack St. Augustine, but a hurricane destroyed many of the boats. Spanish soldiers killed the few survivors who managed to reach shore. Menéndez then sent forces overland to capture Fort Caroline. He ordered his soldiers to kill everyone at the French fort except women, children, and Roman Catholics. This Spanish victory ended France's attempt to control Florida.

Rivalry in America

Catholics from Spain and France worked to spread their faith among the Native Americans. The Spanish settled in the southwestern and southeastern regions of North America, and the French settled in the northeast. Dutch and English Protestants set up colonies along the Atlantic coast between the French and the Spanish settlements. Religious differences contributed to the rivalries between these settlements.

John Carbot

England sent John Cabot, an Italian, to look for a northern sea route to Asia in 1497. Cabot probably landed on the coast of present-day Newfoundland. In 1524 France hired another Italian, Giovanni de Verrazano, to look for a northern route. Verrazano explored the coast of North America from present-day Nova Scotia down to the Carolinas.

Why the Spanish won

First, the Spanish had weapons and animals the Aztec and Inca had never seen. The Spanish had guns and cannon. They rode horses and had huge, ferocious dogs. To the Native Americans, the Spanish seemed almost like gods. One Aztec recalled the fear that spread at the soldiers' approach: "their weapons clashed and rattled. . . . They terrified everyone who saw them." Cortés got native help in his campaign. Local Native Americans disliked their harsh Aztec rulers and were happy to help overthrow them. Finally, disease played a large role. For many native groups, contact with the Europeans was deadly. With no immunity, or resistance, to European diseases, the Aztec and the Inca suffered terrible epidemics. Illness and death weakened them in their struggle against the Spanish.

France in Florida

France realized Florida was a key location. Spanish treasure ships, loaded with silver from Central America, sailed along Florida's coasts on their way to Spain. If the French controlled Florida, they could capture this rich Spanish cargo.

French and Dutch settlements

French explorers and settlers trailed the Spanish by many years, but the French did establish settlements in North America. At first, the French were most interested in natural resources, including fish and furs. French trappers went far into the interior of North America and traded with Native Americans. France built forts to protect their trade. French missionaries followed the traders. In 1663 New France became a royal colony. The new royal governor supported expanded exploration.

New French

French settlement in North America advanced slowly. New France was made up of estates along the St. Lawrence River. Estate holders brought in settlers in exchange for land. These tenant farmers( paid rent and worked for their lord for a set period each year. The French got along well with the Native Americans. French trappers and missionaries lived among them, learned their languages, and respected their ways. The missionaries had come to convert Native Americans to Catholicism, but they did not try to change their customs. Because the French colony grew slowly, it did not seem to pose a threat to the Native Americans and their lands.

Hernando De Soto

Hernando de Soto set out on an expedition. For three years his group wandered throughout what is now the southeastern United States, seizing food and supplies from Native Americans. In 1541 de Soto crossed the Mississippi River. After reaching what is today Oklahoma, de Soto died of fever.

Amerigo Vespucci

In 1502 Amerigo Vespucci (veh • SPOO • chee) sailed along South America's coast. Vespucci concluded that South America was a continent, not part of Asia. European geographers soon began calling the continent "America," in honor of Amerigo Vespucci.

Luther and the reformation

In 1517 a German priest named Martin Luther nailed a list of complaints on the door of a local Catholic church, questioning the power and authority of Catholic leaders—including the pope, the head of the Catholic Church. Luther hoped to spark reform within the Church, but Pope Leo X rejected his ideas. Others agreed with Luther. His ideas helped launch a movement called the Reformation (reh • fuhr • MAY • shuhn). The movement led to a new form of Christianity called Protestantism (PRAH • tuhs • tuhn • tih • zuhm). Among the differences between Protestants and Catholics was that Protestants did not accept the leadership of the pope. The Reformation led to widespread conflict within and between the nations of Europe.

Hernan Cortes

In 1519 Hernán Cortés landed on the east coast of present-day Mexico. Within two years, Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire that had ruled the region. Huge amounts of Aztec gold made Cortés and Spain wealthy.

Ferdinand Magellan

In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan a Portuguese sailor working for Spain, reached the southern tip of South America. He sailed through a strait, or narrow sea passage, into the ocean Balboa had seen. The waters were so peaceful—pacífico in Spanish—that Magellan named the ocean the "Pacific." Although Magellan died during the voyage, his crew sailed on and reached Spain in 1522. They became the first known people to circumnavigate , or sail around, the world.

Panfilo Narvaez

In 1528 Pánfilo de Narváez (PAHN • fee • loh day nar • VAH • ays) arrived to start a colony. After landing in the Tampa Bay area his expedition came under attack from a local Native American group, the Apalachee (ap • uh • LACH • ee). The Spaniards tried to fight off the attacks, but the Apalachee forced them to flee by boat across the Gulf of Mexico. You will read more about this ill-fated group shortly.

Religious Rivalry

In 1533 the English king, Henry VIII, left the Catholic Church. Later, during the rule of his daughter Elizabeth I, further reforms established England as a Protestant nation. At that time, it was common for kings and queens to insist that their subjects follow their religion. Subjects who did not could lose their lands and fortunes. In England, many people were unhappy about leaving the Catholic Church, but they had little power to resist. England's Protestantism caused conflict with Spain. Beginning in 1585, King Philip of Spain made plans to invade England. A successful invasion could mean the overthrow of Protestantism. In May 1588, Philip sent an armada (ahr • MAH • duh), or war fleet, of 132 ships to England. With 30,000 troops and more than 2,000 guns, the Spanish Armada was the mightiest naval force in the world. Yet the smaller, faster English ships quickly gained the upper hand. The defeat of Spain's armada marked the end of Spanish control of the seas. Now the way was clear for the English to start colonies in North America.

Jacques Cartier

In 1535 French explorer Jacques Cartier (kahr • tee • AY) sailed up the St. Lawrence River, hoping it would lead to the Pacific. Cartier did not make it to the Pacific, but he discovered a mountain peak that he named Mont-Royal, which means "royal mountain." This is the site of the present-day city of Montreal.

Jean Ribault

In 1562 French explorer Jean Ribault (REE • BOH) sailed to the St. Johns River near present-day Jacksonville. He claimed Florida for France and built a stone monument as proof of the French claim to the land. Two years later, a group of French settlers came to Florida to establish a colony. To protect the settlement, the French built a fort along the St. Johns River called Fort Caroline.

Robert Cavelier

In 1682 Robert Cavelier de La Salle followed the Mississippi all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. He claimed the region for France, calling it Louisiana in honor of Louis XIV. In 1718 the French founded New Orleans. French explorers and missionaries traveled west to the Rocky Mountains and the Rio Grande.

Northwest Passage

In the 1500s and early 1600s, England, France, and the Netherlands sent explorers to map the coast of North America and, later, establish trade and colonies. Explorers also hoped to discover a northwest passage to Asia, a direct water route through the Americas.

Native American cruelty

In the 1500s, Spain gave conquistadors the power to demand taxes or labor from Native Americans living in certain areas, turning the Native Americans into slaves. Grueling labor took its toll. Many died from malnutrition and disease. A Spanish priest, Bartolomé de Las Casas, condemned the cruel treatment of the Native Americans in the Americas. He pleaded for laws to protect them.

Louis Joliet

In the 1670s, two French explorers—a fur trader, Louis Joliet, and a priest, Jacques Marquette—traveled the Mississippi River by canoe. Joliet and Marquette hoped to find precious metals. They were also looking for a northwest passage. When they realized that the Mississippi flowed south into the Gulf of Mexico rather than west into the Pacific, they headed back upriver.

Settling in the South

In the early 1600s, England, France, and the Netherlands began sending colonists to North America. The Spanish were long-established in comparison to these new arrivals. They still controlled parts of the present-day United States and most of Central and South America. To avoid threats to its empire by other European powers, Spain settled present-day New Mexico. In 1609 or 1610, the Spanish founded Santa Fe. In the late 1600s, they went to what is now Arizona. When France claimed land around the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Spanish moved into what is now Texas. Spain wanted to control the area between the French territory and Mexico. In the early 1700s, Spain built San Antonio and other military posts in Texas.

St. Augustine

Menéndez served as governor of La Florida for 10 years. In addition to St. Augustine, Menéndez founded the settlement of Santa Elena in present-day South Carolina and made it the capital of La Florida. Menéndez also set up Catholic missions. The first, Nombre de Dios (Name of God), was a few miles north of St. Augustine. The Spanish built more missions and forts in areas that became Florida, the Carolinas, and Virginia. St. Augustine provided an emergency safe harbor for ships sailing from the Americas to Spain. Colonization in Florida grew slowly, however, and Florida relied on financial help sent from the Spanish government in Mexico City.

Ships

New ships were faster and more seaworthy. The carrack (KA • ruhk), for example, was sturdy and large enough to carry supplies for a long voyage. On Christopher Columbus's first voyage, the Santa María was a carrack. The Niña and the Pinta were caravels. The caravel (KEHR • uh • vehl) was smaller but easier to handle. Caravels could also sail close to shore.

Juan Ponce de Leon

On April 2, 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León (came ashore on the Florida coast. He claimed the territory for the Spanish crown. Ponce de León found a land full of wildflowers and fragrant plants. The day was Easter, a Christian holiday, so Ponce de León named the land "La Florida." In Spain, Easter is known as Pascua Florida or "Flowery Easter." According to legend, Ponce de León was not only looking for gold. He also hoped to find the legendary fountain of youth. This had been described by a historian of that time as, "a spring of running water of such marvelous virtue" that drinking it "makes old men young again." Ponce de León never found the fountain. Still, King Ferdinand of Spain was pleased with Ponce de León's adventures. The king appointed him governor of Florida and asked him to set up a colony there. In 1521 Ponce de León returned to Florida with 200 settlers. However, the Calusa a Native American people, attacked the expedition. Many Spaniards died in the fighting. Ponce de León himself was seriously injured and died a few days later.

Christopher Voyage

On October 12, 1492, at two o'clock in the morning, a lookout shouted, "Tierra! Tierra!"—"Land! Land!" He had spotted a small island in the chain now called the Bahamas. Columbus went ashore, claimed the island for Spain, and named it San Salvador. Columbus believed he had arrived in the East Indies, the islands off the coast of Asia. The maps he and the first European explorers used did not include the Caribbean islands or the Americas. They showed three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—as one gigantic landmass. Some explorers thought that the Western (Atlantic) and Eastern (Pacific) oceans ran together to form what they called the "Ocean Sea." No one realized that another huge landmass—the Americas—lay in the middle. Columbus had actually arrived in the Caribbean islands—known today as the West Indies. Columbus explored the area for several months. Because he thought he was in the East Indies, he called the native people "Indians." He noted that they looked at the Europeans with wonder and often touched them to find out "if they were flesh and bones like themselves." When Columbus returned to Spain, Queen Isabella and the Spanish king, Ferdinand, received him with great honor. They made him Admiral of the Ocean Sea and agreed to devote funds to his future voyages. Columbus made three more voyages to the Americas from Spain in 1493, 1498, and 1502. He explored the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Cuba, and Jamaica. He also sailed along the coasts of Central America and northern South America. He claimed the new lands for Spain and started settlements. Columbus also mapped the coastline of Central America.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

One Spaniard, Vasco Núñez de Balboa (bal • BOH • uh), heard stories of the "great waters" beyond the mountains of Panama in Central America. He led an expedition westward. There, in 1513, Balboa found a vast body of water, the Pacific Ocean. He claimed the ocean and lands along it for Spain.

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

One of these conquistadors was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Cabeza de Vaca was part of the Spanish expedition to Florida in 1528 led by Pánfilo de Narváez. After fleeing from the Apalachee, the survivors sailed southwest across the Gulf of Mexico. Three of the five boats were lost in a storm. The two surviving ships went aground on an island near what is now Texas. Within a few months, only a handful of the Spaniards, including Cabeza de Vaca, were still alive. After living for a time among the Native Americans of the area, the survivors set off once more for Mexico. Reaching Mexico in 1536, Cabeza de Vaca talked about what he had seen and heard on his journey. As part of this tale, he described a fantastic place—the seven cities of gold called the "Seven Cities of Cibola."

Christopher Columbus

Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to fund the expedition. She had two reasons for doing so. First, Columbus promised to bring Christianity to any lands he found. This appealed to Isabella's strong faith. Second, she knew if Columbus found a new route to Asia, Spain would grow rich from the increased trade. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set out from Palos, Spain. He had three ships—the Niña, the Pinta, and the larger Santa María. Columbus served as captain of the Santa María, his flagship, or lead ship. The three ships carried about 90 sailors and a six-month supply of food and water. Still, after a few weeks at sea, the sailors grew nervous about the distance they had traveled. Columbus refused to alter his course. Instead, he encouraged the crew by describing the riches he believed they would find. He urged them on, saying that, "with the help of our Lord" they would arrive in the Indies.

Plantation help

Some settlers profited by exporting crops and raw materials to Spain. In the West Indies, the main exports were tobacco and sugarcane. The Spanish raised these crops on plantations (plan • TAY • shun)—large farms that have many workers. The Spanish used Native Americans as plantation workers. Later, traders brought millions of Africans from West Africa to the Americas to sell to plantation owners.( sugar cane and tobacco)

conquistadors

Spanish explorers who got encouragement from Spanish rulers. The rulers gave conquistadors the right to explore and create settlements in the Americas. In return, the conquistadors agreed to give Spain one-fifth of any treasure they found. This deal allowed Spanish rulers to explore the Americas with little risk. If a conquistador failed, he lost his own fortune. If he succeeded, both he and Spain gained wealth and glory.

Settlements of the Spanish

Spanish law called for three kinds of settlements in the Americas—pueblos, missions, and presidios. Pueblos (PWEH • blohz), or towns, were centers of trade. Missions (MIH • shuhnz) were religious communities that usually included a small town, surrounding farmland, and a church. The goal of the mission was to spread religion and the Spanish way of life among the Native Americans. The Spanish often built a presidio (prih • SEE • dee • oh), or fort, near a mission.

The Indies

The Indies were a source of valuable spices. At this time, spices were more than flavorings for food. People used them as medicine and to keep food from spoiling.

Henry Hudson

The Netherlands also wanted to find a passage through the Americas. The Dutch hired English sea explorer and navigator Henry Hudson to look for it. In 1609 he discovered the river that now bears his name. In his ship, the Half Moon, Hudson sailed north on the Hudson River as far as the site of present-day Albany, New York. Deciding that he had not found a passage to India, he turned back. The following year England sent Hudson to try again. On this trip, Hudson discovered a huge bay—now called Hudson Bay. Thinking he had reached the Pacific, Hudson spent months looking for an outlet. His crew became impatient and rebelled. They set Hudson, his son, and a few sailors adrift in a small boat, never to be seen again.

New Netherlands

The Netherlands was a small country with few natural resources and limited farmland. This is why the Dutch were anxious to set up a North American colony. After Hudson's voyage in 1609, the Dutch began to explore North America. The Netherlands also had a large fleet of trading ships that sailed all over the world. In 1621 the Netherlands created the Dutch West India Company to run its trade between the Americas and Africa. In 1623 the company took over control of the Dutch colony in North America, called "New Netherland." The heart of the colony was New Amsterdam. The town was built on the tip of Manhattan Island. In 1626 governor Peter Minuit bought the island from the Manhattoes people for 60 Dutch guilders (about $24) worth of trade goods.

Compass

The compass was invented in the 1100s. Even at night or in cloudy weather, a compass showed which direction was north. The astrolabe and the quadrant measured the positions of the sun and stars. This made it possible for a sailor to determine distances north and south from a given point. These tools helped sailors to chart their location on a map.

The Columbian Exchange

The voyages led to the exchange of people, plants, animals, and germs from each continent to the other. This exchange—today known as the Columbian Exchange

Francisco Pizzaro

Twelve years after the Aztec conquest, Francisco Pizarro led an army into the Inca capital in Cuzco, Peru. The Spanish arrested and later executed the Inca ruler. Without their leader, the Inca were not able to fight effectively. Pizarro soon controlled most of the vast and wealthy Inca Empire.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

also wanted to find the seven cities of gold. Traveling through northern Mexico and present-day Arizona and New Mexico, his expedition reached a Zuni settlement in 1540. Coronado and his expedition realized at once that there was no gold in the area. Members of the expedition then traveled west to the Colorado River and east into what is now Kansas. They reported that they found nothing but "windswept plains" and strange "shaggy cows" (buffalo)

treaty of tordesillas

separated spain and portugal

Technology

technology (tehk • NAH • luh • jee)—the use of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems—helped make Columbus's voyage possible. Advances in shipbuilding and navigation meant his ships could sail across the open ocean, well beyond sight of land.