European Exploration and Indigenous Contact

European Exploration and Indigenous Contact

What compelled European explorers to look west across the Atlantic? Discuss what happened when the Indigenous people of the Americas came in contact with Europeans.

APA

European explorers were compelled to look west across the Atlantic for several reasons:

1. Economic Motivations – The desire for new trade routes to access Asian spices, silk, and gold fueled exploration. The Ottoman control of Constantinople (1453) made traditional land routes difficult, prompting Europeans to seek alternative paths.
2. Wealth and Resources – European nations sought to exploit natural resources such as gold, silver, and fertile land for agriculture and trade.
3. Religious Expansion – The Catholic Church and Protestant nations aimed to spread Christianity, viewing exploration as a means of religious conversion.
4. Technological Advancements – Improvements in navigation, shipbuilding (e.g., caravels), and cartography allowed longer ocean voyages.
5. Rivalry and Prestige – Competition between Spain, Portugal, France, and England drove exploration, as each sought to expand its empire and claim new lands.

First Contacts: Europeans and Indigenous Peoples

When Europeans arrived in the Americas, their interactions with Indigenous peoples led to profound consequences:

1. Cultural Exchange (Columbian Exchange) – Europeans introduced horses, wheat, and metal tools, while Indigenous peoples contributed corn, potatoes, and tobacco to the global economy…

European explorers were compelled to look west across the Atlantic for several reasons:

1. Economic Motivations – The desire for new trade routes to access Asian spices, silk, and gold fueled exploration. The Ottoman control of Constantinople (1453) made traditional land routes difficult, prompting Europeans to seek alternative paths.
2. Wealth and Resources – European nations sought to exploit natural resources such as gold, silver, and fertile land for agriculture and trade.
3. Religious Expansion – The Catholic Church and Protestant nations aimed to spread Christianity, viewing exploration as a means of religious conversion.
4. Technological Advancements – Improvements in navigation, shipbuilding (e.g., caravels), and cartography allowed longer ocean voyages.
5. Rivalry and Prestige – Competition between Spain, Portugal, France, and England drove exploration, as each sought to expand its empire and claim new lands.

First Contacts: Europeans and Indigenous Peoples

When Europeans arrived in the Americas, their interactions with Indigenous peoples led to profound consequences:

1. Cultural Exchange (Columbian Exchange) – Europeans introduced horses, wheat, and metal tools, while Indigenous peoples contributed corn, potatoes, and tobacco to the global economy…