American History A
Mr. Bekemeyer
European Colonization in North America: Spanish, French, Dutch, & British Colonies (Unit I, Segment 1 of 5)
How did the first people come to North America???
I. Asian Migration to America
A. Asian peoples migrated from Siberia (Russia) across Bering Strait to Alaska (U.S.)
B. ______
1. 15,000 - 30,000 years ago
2. hunter-gathers to agriculture (villages)
II. America Before the Europeans
A. Before Columbus’ discover of America in 1492, North America was
dominated ______
1. ______(in Central America) & ______(in South America) created large, powerful empires;
a. Destroyed by arrival of Spanish conquistadors
2. ______North American Indians were hunters & gathers, became mobile hunters after Spanish introduced ______
into North America
3. ______North American Indians lived in small ______communities & were the first contacts with British settlers in Virginia &
Massachusetts
B. The Columbian Exchange
1. Arrival of Europeans led to the introduction of new products between North American Indians & Europeans called the
Columbian Exchange:
a. North American Indians introduced ______, tobacco, potatoes, peanuts to Europeans
b. Europeans introduced horses, livestock, citrus, &
______
c. An estimated _____% of North American Indians died
due to European disease
III. European Colonies in America: Spain, France, the Netherlands, &
Great Britain
A. The Renaissance and Age of Exploration
1. During the Renaissance, a desire for new ______to Asia led to an Age of Exploration:
a. Led by Spain & Portugal, explorers found new trade
routes, colonies, & people to ______
2. Colonization in North America led to destruction of Native American culture, ______for Europeans,
wealth for these nations
B. Four Key Explorers
1. Vasco da Gama "found" India by sailing around Africa
2. Christopher Columbus “discovered” America looking for a
westward route to India
3. Ferdinand Magellan led first expedition to circumnavigate globe
4. Samuel Champlain founded Québec after failing to find a NW
passage to India
C. Exploration led to permanent European colonies
III. The European Colonies in America: Spain, France, the
Netherlands, & Britain
A. Spanish Colonies in North America
1. Motivations:
After Columbus, Spain dominated Central & South America &
the SE & SW sections of North America
a. Spanish conquistadors explored in search of gold & silver
b. Missionaries converted Native Americans to ______
2. Government: Royal control
a. Spanish colonies were funded & controlled by the ______
b. Viceroys were sent to the colonies to serve as governors
3. Economy: Desire for wealth
a. Used Native American & African slave labor to mine ______& silver
b. Built encomiendas (plantations) to farm ______
B. French Colonies in North America
1. Motivations:
a. After Champlain’s attempt to find a NW passage through
Canada, he founded Québec
b. The “______” included
Canada, the Mississippi River, & New Orleans
c. ______converted Native Americans to Catholicism
2. Government: The French colonies were strictly controlled by
______
3. Economy: Desire for ______; Most French colonists profited from the fur trade, small-scale farming, or lumbering
4. Society: Because the French needed furs, they were the most
______with the local Native Americans
C. Dutch Colonies in North America
1. Motivations: Dutch established ______as trade center
2. Political, Economic, Social:
a. To attract settlers, the government allowed ______to immigrate
b. As a result, New Amsterdam was one of the most ______colonies in North America
D. British Colonies in North America
1. Motivations: Many different reasons
a. Economic: Escape poverty or gain ______from cash crop farming
b. Religious: For religious ______& to escape religious persecution
c. Political: Fear during the English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
d. As a result, the British colonies were very ______from each other & were never very ______
2. Government:
a. The colonies differed from French & Spanish because the
British government had no desire to create a ______in America
b. Britain developed a policy called ______in which the colonists could create local laws & taxes in their colonial ______
c. Royal governors were sent by the king, but they had little
______
3. Economy & Society: The societies & economies of the British
colonies were dependent upon the reasons people settled:
a. Southern colonies, like ______, had cash crop economies, large ______between rich & poor farmers, & slave labor
b. New England colonies, like ______, were
closely connected by ______& families, mostly subsistence farmers
c. Unlike the Spanish & French, the British colonists never made sweeping attempts to convert, marry, or trade with local Native Americans, although ______over land were common
Closure Activity
1. (D) (B) Religious freedom
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
6. ______
7. ______
8. ______