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America:

Native People and European Exploration

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First Americans

  • How did they get here?
    • Land-Bridge Theory
      • Most widely accepted
      • 20,000 - 30,000 years ago.
    • Coastal-Route Theory
    • Creation Stories

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First Americans

  • Who were they?
    • Native American Tribes
    • Ancient Empires
      • Maya (A.D. 250 – 900)
        • Developed government and writen language
      • Aztec (900 – 1500)
        • Leader: Moctezuma 
        • Capital: Tenchtitlan
        • Rich and harsh
        • Human sacrifice to gods
      • Inca (1400’s)

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Native’s Culture (P. 12)

  • Based on resources provided by their land:
    • Housing
    • Food
    • Transportation
    • Clothing
    • Religions, Rituals, Traditions, and Spirits
    • Tools

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European Exploration

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Dangers at Sea

  • What were some dangers that explores had to worry about when crossing the atlantic?

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  • Turn to page 42 in your History Textbook

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Trade Opportunities and Rumors

  • Gold everywhere!!!!
  • Fur Trade
  • Plentiful/Never-Ending Forests (Lumber)
  • Unlimited Natural Resources
  • New Crops
  • Free Land
  • Peaceful Natives

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Columbian Exchange

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Mercantilism

  • The purpose of colonies was for the mother country to profit.
  • European countries would take raw materials and then sell them for profit.

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Europe Rushes to Claim Land

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Spanish

  • Conquistadors
    • Spanish Conquerers
  • Hernando Cortes
    • Met with Aztec leader Moctezuma and tried bribe him to leave with gold.
    • Failed and returned a year later to conquer the Aztecs.
  • Francisco Pizarro
    • Killed the Inca ruler after taking lots of gold from the people and conquered them

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The French

  • Made money from fish and fur
  • Traded with natives instead of killing or enslaving them.
  • The first Europeans to settle in Wisconsin, but were not often permanent.

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