U.S. History Ch. 4

European Empires in the Americas

1500-1700

Hernan Cortes & the Aztec

l   Spanish Governor asked Cortes to create a post on mainland North America.

l   March 1519, Cortes landed on the Yucatan Peninsula

l   Met Malintzin who spoke both Nahuatl (Aztec language) and Mayan.  She became Cortes’ interpreter.

l   April, 1519, Cortes began marching inland toward Tenochtitlan.

l   Founded colony on the coast and named it Veracruz, claiming Mexico for Spain and the Roman Catholic Church.

l   Burned his ships before leaving, to prevent his men from retreating to Cuba.

l   Montezuma tried to stop Cortes by sending him bags of gold, but this just made him want more

Cortes in Tenochtitlan

l    Arrived at Tenochtitlan  on November 8, 1519.

l    Montezuma invited him and his men into the city, gave them quarters, food, and riches.

l    He captured Montezuma and held him hostage.

l    Cortes and his men took all the gold in the city

l    Montezuma was killed by a stone throw from an Aztec during a revolt.

l    The Aztec united and drove Cortes and the Spanish out of Tenochtitlan.

l    When the Spanish left, the Aztec were faced with a “great sickness” that spread across the people (probably smallpox).

l    Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan 10 months later and captured the city.

l    Aug. 13, 1521 the Aztec surrendered to the Spanish.  They had fallen in two years.

l    Cortes ordered a new city be built on the site of Tenochtitlan.  It would be the new Spanish capital, renamed Mexico City.

Pizarro and the Inca

l    Francisco Pizarro searched for riches along the South American coast.

l    In 1526 he spotted an Incan trading boat loaded with silver and gold.  Pizarro had his men take the ship and the men.  He trained them to be interpreters.

l    In 1531 Pizarro led an expedition along the west coast of South America.

l    Pizarro captured the Incan ruler Atahualpa and killed thousands of Inca

l    Pizarro promised to free Atahualpa when the Incan collected enough gold and silver to fill the room that the emperor was kept in.  The ransom was paid (totaling $65 million today) but Pizarro killed Atahualpa.

l    Pizarro captured the capital of Cuzco.

l    By 1535 the Incan empire fell.  Pizarro set up his capital in Lima, Peru.

l    From Lima, Pizarro conquered the rest of South America outside of the Portuguese realm (Brazil).

Spain’s American Empire

l  Spain divided the New World in half

¡ Peru – was the southern part, made of claims in South America

¡ New Spain – land north of South America, including the Caribbean islands, Central America, Mexico

¡ Borderlands – were the lands along the northern edges of Spanish territory

l  Viceroy - governing official in control of empire.  One in Peru and one in New Spain.

Settlements and Social Structure

l    Spanish law set up three types of settlements

¡ Pueblos – towns, places for trade

¡ Missions – religious communities that usually included a small town

¡ Presidio – fort built near a mission to protect it from invaders.

l    Social Classes in New Spain

¡ Peninsulares – those born in Spain.  Held the highest positions, most power and wealth

¡ Creoles – Born from Spanish parents in the New World.  Below the Peninsulares.  Held important positions, but could not go as high as Peninsulares.

¡ Mestizos – Mixture of Spanish and Native American.  Most worked on farms

¡ Native Americans – bottom of the social ladder.  Made up most of the population.  Most worked in some form of slavery.  Treated poorly

Spanish Borderlands

l   1513, Juan Ponce de Leon visited Florida searching for riches

l   1565 Spanish established St. Augustine to stop a French attempt to colonize Florida.  It is the oldest city in the U.S. started by Europeans.

l   In 1540 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado went searching for 7 cities called Cibola in Southwest of U.S. (rumored to be full of gold & riches).  Never found the cities, but did claim all lands north of Mexico for Spain.

l   In 1539 Hernando De Soto went searching for the 7 cities.

l   He explored Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee

l   Traveled down the MS River and was buried in it after he died.

l   He claimed these lands for Spain.

Borderland Missions

l    Missions were established throughout the borderlands to attract settlers.

l    Hundreds of missions were created throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, California, Florida, and Georgia.

l    Many missions met the basic needs of the Native Americans and they in turn had to practice and accept the Catholic religion.

l    Many Native Americans enjoyed them, but others didn’t like the rules and restrictions and revolted.  Some attacked them, killing missionaries and tearing down the missions.

l    Upper California wasn’t settled by the Spanish until the 1760’s

l    Spanish became alarmed b/c of traders from Russian held Alaska.

l    In 1769 a chain of missions were established in California.

l    They began a settlement known as San Diego.  21 missions stretched from here to San Francisco

French in the New World

l  France didn’t get involved in the New World, b/c they were busy fighting wars in Europe.  Wars ended in 1589

l  Establishing New France

¡ Samuel de Champlain led expedition to North America in 1603.  Landed on the eastern coast of present day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.  French named it Acadia.

¡ 1608 Champlain established Quebec, the first permanent French settlement.

French Fur Trade & Native Americans

l  French accepted Native American cultures and had a peaceful existence with them.

l  Champlain explored Lake Ontario & Huron, and explored northern New York.

l  This land became known as New France and Champlain was considered the father of New France.

l  The Fur Trade fueled the economy of New France.  Beaver, otter, and fox skins were traded and sent back to France.

Exploring the MS and Expanding New France

l  Native Americans kept telling them of a great river further south of where they were.

l  Joliet & Marquette explored the route in 1673 thinking it may be the Northwest Passage.

l  Robert de La Salle traveled the length of the river in 1682.

¡ He claimed the Mississippi River Valley for France.  He named it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV.

l  The French Empire was huge.  It contained Acadia, Canada, & Louisiana.

Attracting French Settlers

l  French had a hard time convincing people to leave the comfort of France to settle in the New World.

l  People heard stories of harsh weather and Indian attacks.

l  King Louis XIV gave land grants to nobles if they brought settlers in to work the land.

l  Population slowly grew.

l  Created forts stretching from Canada down to New Orleans along the MS River for defense.

Dutch and Swedish

l  1609 a Dutch sailor named Henry Hudson sailed his ship, the Half Moon, across the Atlantic and landed in North America.

l  Dutch became interested in the fur trade and created a colony named New Netherland.  Included New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware.

l  In the late 1630’s, Sweden settled south of New Netherland along the Delaware.  Called the area New Sweden.

l  Conflicts quickly arose between the two.