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European Background to Its Incursion in and Settlement (Conquest) of North America. How did the United States come to be?. Conquest of a continent was not a foregone conclusion. A unitary state did not have to emerge out of the conquered lands of native peoples.
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European Background to Its Incursion in and Settlement (Conquest) of North America
How did the United States come to be? • Conquest of a continent was not a foregone conclusion. • A unitary state did not have to emerge out of the conquered lands of native peoples. • In many way, the European encounter with the Americas was an accident.
Portuguese Forays • Along the African Coast to India (Prince Henry the Navigator) • Bartholomew Dias around the Cape of Good Hope (1488) • Vasco da Gama to India (1498) • Pedro Cabral to Brazil (1500)
Spanish Forays • Christopher Columbus (1492—first of 4 voyages) • Columbus Controversy—hero or instigator of genocide?
European Motives • Escape disease and scarcity • Technological, economic, and political, intellectual transformations • Why Europe and not China? Zheng He commanded a large treasure fleet in the 1430s, but China had no incentive to explore beyond the Indian Ocean and East African Coast.
Spanish Empire in the New World • Conquistadors conquer Mexica and Quechua (Cortes and Pizarro) • Coronado and DeSoto explore interior of North America • Focus on Silver in Mexico, especially rich strikes at Zacatecas. • Encomienda • Great Biological Exchange
Reformation • Martin Luther • John Calvin • English Reformation—from Henry to Elizabeth
Marriage politics Aided Protestants in Netherlands Supported “Sea Dogs”—really pirates like Drake ELIZABETH I—1558-1603
Spanish Armada • Phillip II desired to rid himself of both his English and Protestant problems in the north. • Mythology of Armada or why we can’t get the obvious falsehood on page 40—[‘smaller . . . English vessels to go Away.]
Results of Armada • English freer to exploit North Atlantic • Spanish sea power was considerably weakened • English morale heightened.
Established Roanoke on Carolina’s outer banks Armada interfered with supplying ti. “Lost Colony” Walter Raleigh