Unit 9: Exploration and the African Slave Trade
During the 1500s and 1600s, what was the most valuable trade item?
Slaves.
Who was the French and Indian War between? Why was it fought?
The French and Indian War was between Britain and France over land in North America.
What lands did the French surrender to the British/retain following the Treaty of Paris?
The French surrendered Canada and all of its land east of the Mississippi River, but retained its territory in the central region of North America.
What was the first governing document outlining self-rule in the New World?
The Mayflower Compact, and agreement which set out guidelines for self-governing.
Why didn't Natives make good slaves?
They died from European disease too quickly.
Why did some Native Americans stop resisting the Spanish?
They felt their gods were less powerful because they were being captured and ultimately convert to Christianity.
Portugal used these slaves for?
Working on large estates run by an owner or the owner's overseer (plantations) or as servants for rich households.
Name some navigation tools that were invented and what they were used for.
*Astrolabe - Measures angles, slope, and time *Magnetic compass *Cartography - Map making *Sextant - Determines latitude
Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement where?
A colony in Quebec.
When the Spanish claimed land in the Americas, what did they force the Natives to do?
After they seized the Native's gold, they forced them to find more gold and convert to Christianity.
What happens as a result of the Treaty of Paris?
Britain gains dominance over North America.
Who won the French and Indian War (also known as Seven Year's War)?
Britain wins.
How did disease affect the Native American population in the Caribbean islands?
Disease wipes out 90% of The Native population in Caribbean islands during the 1500s.
What cycle of conquest in the Americas does Columbia begin?
Encounter -> Conquest -> Death.
What were the main reasons behind exploration?
Fame, fortune, and glory.
Who was the first person to circumnavigate/sail around the world? Describe his journey.
Ferdinand Magellan and his crew was the first to circumnavigate around the world. Originally, he was searching for a direct route to the Pacific (Asia). He set sail from Spain with 5 ships but was killed in the Philippines. Only 1 ship and 18 sailors returned.
In the Triangular Trade, the Atlantic trade routes linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas were used to transport goods. Describe the journey the ships went on to obtain these goods. (Hint: There were 3 legs of the journey)
First leg: Merchants brought European goods to Africa (such as guns, cloth, and cash). Second leg: Known as the "Middle Passage". After bringing the European goods to Africa, African slaves were then bought and transported to the Americas. Final leg: After they dropped the slaves of in the Americas, American goods were transported to Europe (sugar, molasses, cotton, furs)
Why did Christopher Columbus of Spain believe that by sailing West, he could reach East Africa (East Indies)?
He based his information on false calculations of the Earth's circumference and underestimated the size of the Earth.
Why did Moctezuma II, the Aztec leader, allow Hernan Cortes into Tenochtitlan?
He believed Cortez may be a god-King.
What did Hernan Cortes bring with him when he arrived in Mexico in 1519?
He brought 600 men, 16 horses, and cannons as he travelled to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
What did Vasco da Gama do that allowed Portugal to gain the status of world power?
He rounded the Cape of Good Hope (in Africa) and lost 1/2 of his ships on the return home. However, the voyage was still profitable and created a trading empire, therefore making Portugal a status of world power.
How was Bartholomeu Dids from Portugal able to open a sea route to Asia?
He rounded the tip of Africa in 1448.
What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?
In 1494, there was an agreed line between Spain and Portugal.
Where was the first permanent European settlement? What was is used for?
In 1652, the first permanent European settlement was settled in Cape Town. It was used to supply ships.
Who was the French explorer who discovered the St. Lawrence River? Why is this significant?
Jacques Carter. By doing so, he claims much of present-day eastern Canada for France.
France claims land in Canada, and this land becomes known as?
New France.
Christopher Columbus took 3 ships with him as he sailed for Spain. When he finally landed, he believed he was in East Asia. Where did he actually land?
On October 12, 1492, Columbus reached San Salvador in the West Indies. The Europeans eventually realized they had discovered unknown continents.
Who did the British and French armies consist of?
On the British side, British colonists and the British army fought against the French and their Native American allies.
Which European nation was the first to enter a slave trade?
Portugal.
What did Prince Henry do that made people refer to him as "Prince Henry the Navigator"?
Prince Henry established a School for Navigation in 1419, trained sailors, captains in navigation, and seamanship, and encourages and sponsored European explorers.
What products did the African leaders get from the exchange of the slaves?
Rum, tobacco, weapons, textiles, etc.
What was the impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on the economy of the new colonies?
Since there was free labor, colonial economy grows and so does the wealth of merchants and traders.
What was the impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on Africa?
Societies were devastated and there extreme differences in age, leading to the loss of generations. Firearms were also introduced.
Why was the Line of Demarcation and the Treaty of Tordesilla impractical?
Some land had already been claimed, and there were other places besides Spain and Portugal that wanted land in the New World.
What were the two main reasons for establishing one of the 13 colonies?
Some were established for commercial profits, some were established for persecuted religious groups.
During the Middle Passage, inland African villages were forced to march to coastal ports, which could be up to 1,000 miles away. Describe what this was like.
The Africans were bound with ropes and chains. If there were any attempts to escape, they were brutally punished. Many died on the march to the coast.
Why did the Spanish destroy the Aztec civilization?
The Aztecs rejected the Christian faith.
The Columbian Exchange was a global exchange of what?
The Columbian Exchange was the global exchange of goods, ideas, plants, animals, and disease that began with Columbus's exploration of the Americas.
How was the Dutch East India Company, a private trading group and sovereign power, able to wage war, control armies, make treaties, and govern territory?
The Dutch East India Company was formed by wealthy merchants, and separated themselves from the Dutch government so they were complete with no limits.
Who was the ultimate challenger of the Portuguese domination of trade?
The Dutch challenged Portuguese domination of trade.
What advantages did the Europeans have over the Natives?
The Europeans had guns and cannons, horses, and immunity to Europeans diseases.
Why did Europe no longer have access to China and India?
The Muslims cut off trade with Europeans after the Crusades.
Why did the Pilgrims travel from Europe to settle in Plymouth, Massachusetts?
The Pilgrims were made up of English Protestants who rejected the Church of England, and they sought religious freedom.
What was the affect of the Renaissance and Reformation on people?
The Renaissance caused curiosity about other lands and people. The Reformation resulted in many refugees seeking homes and missionaries seeking new souls to convert.
How was the caravel ship much better for voyages than previous ships?
The caravel, a redesigned ship for long voyages, provides room for storage to maximize profits of journey.
Why were African leaders such an essential part of the slave trade?
The leaders captured weaker tribes and brought them to coastal trade ports. They were the ones who provided the slaves while profiting from it.
Name the main focuses if the northern, middle, and southern colonies.
The northern colonies housed religious groups, the southern focused on agriculture, and the middle colonies were a combo of the two.
What was the Line of Demarcation?
There was conflict between the Spanish and Portuguese over the land in the New World, so the Pope draws a line: everything west of the line goes to the Spanish; east of the line goes to Portuguese.
The Puritans also rejected the Church of England. Where did they settle?
They establish a larger colony at nearby Massachusetts Bay.
Jamestown was established in 1607 as the first permanent English settlement. What crop did they grow that allowed them to survive.
They grew the cash crop tobacco.
If Canada was not ideal for farming, how was France able to profit from the land?
They harvested the natural resources instead.
What were the effects of the Spanish Conquistadors landing in North America?
They introduce weapons, horses, and disease (which allows Europeans to conquer Native Americans). The Spanish Conquistadors seized huge quantities of valuable goods and Spain becomes Europe's greatest power.
Describe the Dutch farmers (Boers) that settled in Cape Town.
They ousted, killed, or enslaved those who lived in Cape Town. They considered Africans inferior and by 1700, they migrate inland and battle African groups in the Boer Wars.
What horrors awaited the Africans on the ships during the Middle Passage?
They were packed below deck for up to 3 months. There was a lot of disease, including dysentery and smallpox. 1/2 would die due to disease and mistreatment. There were mutinies (revolts by the captives), but 9/10 times they failed. Many committed suicide because the believed they would return to their homeland if they did so.
How was Native American culture able to have been preserved?
While some Native Americans stop resisting, some continue to resist and preserved language, religious traditions, and clothing.
