Explorers of the New World

1. Explorers of the New World -How Europeans “discovered” the Americas

2. European Exploration and Settlement • Explorers were inspired to explore the Americas (North and South Americas)after Christopher Columbus , sailing for the Spanish monarchy (King and Queen), made his voyage in 1492. • Men who were important explorers for Spain include Ponce de León , Cabeza de Vaca , Hernando De Soto , and Coronado. • Important explorers for France were Giovanni da Verrazano , Samuel de Champlain , Louis Jolliet , Jacques Marquette , and La Salle . • John Cabot explored the North American coast for England in 1498. • These three nations, Spain, France, and England were the main nations to establish colonies in the present United States. Other countries took part, notably the Netherlands and Sweden in their short-lived colonies that were conquered by other colonial rivals .

4. Leif Erikson: The first European Explorer of the Americas. • Leif Eriksson, son of Norse explorer Eric the Red, led the first European expedition to North America around ad 1000, according to folk legend. • Norwegian archaeologists found the ruins of an old Norse settlement in Newfoundland in the early 1960s. They believe Norse expeditions to North America may have ceased because of attacks by Native Americans.

5. Spanish Explorers • Columbus’ voyages mark the beginning of continuous European efforts to explore and colonize the Americas. • Spain wanted to break the growing Portuguese monopoly on Asian spice trade and goods into Europe. • Columbus hoped to convert souls as well as find gold for his beloved Spain. Columbus made four trips to America, discovering the West Indies, Central America and South America.

6. Although he was always judged to be vain, ambitious, greedy, and ruthless, traditional historians viewed his voyages as opening the New World to Western civilization and Christianity. • For revisionist historians, however, his voyages symbolize the more brutal aspects of European colonization and represent the beginning of the destruction of Native American peoples and culture. One point of agreement among all interpretations is that his voyages were one of the turning points in history.

7. Columbus: First Expedition • On Aug. 3, 1492, Columbus sailed from Spain, with three small ships, the Santa María, , the Pinta, and the Niña. • After stopping at the Canary Islands, he sailed due west and southwest. On Oct. 10 a small mutiny was quelled, and on Oct. 12 he landed on a small island in the Bahamas. • He took possession for Spain and, with impressed (kidnapped) natives aboard, discovered other islands in the neighborhood. Such as Cuba and on Dec. 5 reached Hispaniola. • On Christmas Eve the Santa María was wrecked on the north coast of Hispaniola, and Columbus, leaving men there to found (set up) a colony, hurried back to Spain on the Niña. • His reception was all he could wish; according to his contract with the Spanish monarchs he was made “Admiral of the ocean sea” and governor-general of all new lands he had discovered or should discover.

8. Columbus: Second Expedition • Fitted out with a larger fleet of 17 ships and with 1,500 colonists aboard, Columbus sailed in Oct., 1493. His new discoveries included the Lesser Antilles, Leeward Islands, and Puerto Rico. • He arrived at Hispaniola to find the first colony destroyed by Native Americans. • He founded a new colony nearby, then sailed off in the summer of 1494 to explore the southern coast of Cuba and discover Jamaica. • He returned to Hispaniola and found the colonists completely disorderly and searching for gold instead of setting up the colony. • His attempts to enforce strict discipline led some men to seize ships and return to Spain to complain. • Columbus left his brother Bartholomew in charge at Hispaniola and returned to Spain in 1496.

9. Columbus: Third & Fourth Expeditions • Third expedition, in 1498: Columbus was forced to use convicts as colonists because of the bad reports on conditions in Hispaniola and because the novelty of the New World was wearing off. • He went exploring and found Trinidad, the mouth of the Orinoco River (in present Venezuela), but he hurried back to Hispaniola to run his colony. • In 1500 the King sent an independent governor who sent Columbus back to Spain in chains. • The admiral was immediately released, but there were no more favors coming from the Spanish King and Queen. • Fourth Expedition: It was 1502 before Columbus finally gathered together four ships for a fourth expedition, by which he hoped to reestablish his reputation. • If he could sail past the islands and far enough west, he hoped he might still find lands answering to the description of Asia or Japan and get the spices and riches Spain was looking for. • After many hardships he was trying to return to Hispaniola and he was shipwrecked on Jamaica. • After his rescue, he was forced to abandon his hopes and return to Spain in disgrace..

10. Map of Columbus’ Routes:

11. Juan Ponce de León, Spanish explorer. • c.1460-1521, Spanish explorer, first Westerner to reach Florida. After finding gold on Boriquén (Puerto Rico) in 1508, he conquered the island and, as governor (1509-12), made a fortune in gold, slaves, and land. Hearing tales from the Carib of a wonderfully rich island called Bimini, said to be North of Cuba, Ponce de León secured a commission (1512) to conquer and colonize that land.

12. There is a legend that he was seeking a spring with waters having the power of restoring youth. From Puerto Rico on Mar. 3, 1513, with three vessels, he sailed NE through the Bahamas, sighting the Florida peninsula (which he thought was an island). • Probably because his arrival in Florida occurred at the time of the Easter feast ( Pascua Florida ), Ponce de León named the land (which he claimed for Spain) La Florida.

13. He turned south, exploring the coast he then returned to Puerto Rico, arriving Sept. 21, 1513. After partly pacifying (killing rioters) Puerto Rico, which had been in revolt, he sailed to Spain, where the king commissioned him to conquer and colonize the “isle of Florida.” • With two vessels, 200 men, 50 horses and other domestic animals, and farm implements, he sailed for Florida in 1521. Upon landing on the west coast, his party was fiercely attacked by Native Americans, and he was severely wounded by an arrow. • The expedition sailed immediately for Cuba, where Ponce de León soon died.

14. Cabeza de Vaca – Spanish Explorer • Cabeza de Vaca came to the New World as a treasurer in the expedition of another explorere that reached Florida (probably Tampa Bay) in 1528. • When hardship and native hostility caused the end of the expedition, he was one of the survivors whose barges were shipwrecked on an island off the Texas coast. • Their story is one of the most remarkable of all.

15. After suffering considerably as slaves of the Native Americans inhabiting the island, Cabeza de Vaca and three other survivors escaped and started a long journey overland. • His companions gained a great reputation among the Native Americans as healers since remarkable cures were attributed to their Christian prayers. Their route westward is unknown as is the identity the island of the shipwreck, but after much wandering they did reach West Texas, then probably New Mexico and Arizona, and possibly (some argue) California before, turning south in 1536, they arrived in Culiacán in Mexico and told their story to Spaniards there.

16. They were almost certainly the first Europeans to see bison, and their stories about the Pueblo gave rise to the legend of the Seven Cities of Cibola

17. French Explorers: Jacques Cartier • In 1534 King Francis I sent French explorer Jacques Cartier to find a northwest passage to Asia’s Spice Islands. • Cartier explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence and regions now known as Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Québec. Much of the French claim to Canada was based on Cartier’s explorations.

18. French Explorer: Samuel deChamplain • 1567-1635, is called the “chief founder of New France”.     • After serving in France in the religious wars, Champlain was given command of a Spanish fleet sailing to the West Indies, Mexico, and the Isthmus of Panama. • Champlain returned in 1604 to found a colony, which was landed at the mouth of the St. Croix River. • In the next three years Champlain explored the New England coast south and most of the larger rivers of Maine and making the first detailed charts of the coast. After the colony’s privileges had been revoked, the colony had to be abandoned, and through the efforts of Champlain a new one was established on the St. Lawrence River.

19. In 1608 in the ship Le Don de Dieu,he brought his colonists to the site of Quebec. In the spring of 1609, accompanying a war party of Huron against the Iroquois, Champlain discovered the lake that bears his name, and near Crown Point, N.Y., the Iroquois were met and defeated by French troops. The incident is believed to be largely responsible for the later hatred of the French by the Iroquois.

20. In 1612 Champlain returned to France, where he received a new grant of the fur-trade monopoly and in 1613 he set off on a journey to the western lakes. • Champlain devoted his time to the welfare of the colony, of which he was the virtual governor. • In 1629 Quebec was suddenly captured by the English, and Champlain was made prisoner in England. • When New France was restored to France in 1632, Champlain returned. In 1634 he sent explorer Jean Nicolet into the West, thus extending the French explorations and claims as far as Wisconsin. • He died on Christmas Day, 1635, and was buried in Quebec.

21. Routes of Champlain

22. French Explorer: Robert Cavelier La Salle • 1643-87, French explorer in North America, one of the most celebrated explorers and builders of New France.    •   He moved to Canada in 1666 and received a land grant near Montréal and entered the fur trade. • He also began to build forts, explore, and trade. During an expedition on the Mississippi River in 1682, La Salle descended the Mississippi to its mouth, arriving Apr. 9, 1682. La Salle took possession of the whole valley for France, calling the region Louisiana. • La Salle was deprived of his authority by the new governor in 1683 and went to France where he was given power to colonize and to govern the region between Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico, La Salle set out (1684) with four ships for the mouth of the Mississippi.

23. He never reached it. With his ships La Salle reached the Gulf of Mexico; but because of the sandy sameness of the coastline he was unable to find the Mississippi. He and his men landed probably on Lavaca Bay, Texas. They were unable to reach the Mississippi overland, and the men grew mutinous. On the third attempt the great explorer was murdered by his own men.

24. English Explorer: John Cabot • 1461-1498, English explorer from Italy. • In 1497, John Cabot (Giovanni Cabotto) set off on a voyage to Asia. On his way he ran into an island off the coast of North America. • Cabot became the second European to discover North America and give the English a claim to North America. • John Cabot left on his second voyage sometime in the year of 1498. He had with him 4 or 5 ships and about 300 men. • One thing is known, Cabot failed to return from his second voyage to the "New Founde Land".Likely he was shipwrecked and drowned.

25. English Explorer: Henry Hudson • He was hired (1607) by the English to find the Northeast Passage to Asia. • He failed, and another attempt (1608) to find a new route was also a failure. • Hired in 1609 for the same purpose by the Dutch (the Netherlands), he sailed but extreme ice and cold brought his crew near mutiny. • Hudson, determined not to lose his reputation as an explorer, disregarded his instructions and sailed westward hoping to find the Northwest Passage. He entered Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and later New York Bay.

26. He was the first European to ascend (1609) the Hudson River (named for him), nearly to present-day Albany, New York. His voyage gave the Dutch their claim to the region. • His fourth expedition (1610), financed by English adventurers, started from England. Again he sailed westward, hoping to find the Northwest Passage. • Between Greenland and Labrador he entered Hudson Strait and by it reached Hudson Bay. • After weeks of exploration, he was forced by ice to winter there. • By the next summer (1611) his starved and diseased crew mutinied and set Hudson, with his son and seven men, adrift in a small boat, without food or water. • He was never seen again. His discoveries, however, gave England its claim to the Hudson Bay region.