1.3 European Exploration in the Americas
🇺🇸AP US History Unit 1 Review
1.3 European Exploration in the Americas
🇺🇸 AP US History
1.1
Context: European Encounters in the Americas
1.2
Native American Societies Before European Contact
1.3
European Exploration in the Americas
1.4
Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest
1.5
Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System
1.6
Cultural Interactions Between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans
1.7
Causation in Period 1
Starting in the late 1400s, European kingdoms sent explorers across the Atlantic to seek wealth, spread Christianity, expand trade, and claim territory. These voyages connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas in new ways and began the Columbian Exchange.
What to Know About European Exploration in the Americas
- Caravels made longer voyages possible and helped Europeans navigate shallow waters.
- In 1492, Columbus encountered the Taino, renamed their island San Salvador, and claimed it for Spain.
- News of Columbus's voyage spread through Europe, and other European powers sailed to the Americas seeking gold, glory, and converts to Christianity.
- Spanish explorers Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Aztecs in Mexico and the Incas in Peru.
- Explorers' maps and territorial claims shaped the colonial world, while their voyages led to the Columbian Exchange of plants, animals, and diseases.
Columbus Sails Circa 1492
New ships, such as the caravel, allowed for longer exploratory voyages. Caravels were typically about 50-60 feet long and had a narrow hull with a shallow draft, which made them well-suited for sailing in shallow waters and for navigating in close quarters. They were also equipped with triangular lateen sails, which allowed them to sail close to the wind and make sharp turns—greater maneuverability than previous nautical vessels.
In August of 1492, Christopher Columbus used three caravels (la Niña, la Pinta, and Santa María), supplied and funded by the Spanish crown, to set sail toward India. After an arduous voyage, Columbus and his men reached land on October 12, 1492. At dawn, Columbus went ashore and encountered a group of people now known as the Taino. He renamed their island San Salvador and claimed it for Spain.
Columbus observed in his journal:
“They…brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned…They were well built, with good bodies and handsome features…They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane…They would make fine servants…With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”
When Columbus returned to Spain, word of his discovery spread through Europe and ignited the Age of Exploration.
🎥Watch: AP U.S. History - Columbus & the Legacy of Discovery
The Age of Exploration
Columbus’ voyage pleased the Spanish monarchs, who quickly funded more voyages to the New World. Other European powers quickly set sail across the Atlantic to lay their own claims and explore. Economic and military rivalry among these nations drove their efforts, since each wanted the wealth and territory of the New World before its competitors did. Like Columbus, European explorers set sail to the New World in search of gold, to seek glory, or to spread the word of their God to the Native peoples.
(remember: God, glory, gold as the influences of exploration) ⛪ 🌟 💸
Notable Explorers
The main explorers during the Age of Exploration were:
| Date | Explorer | Country they sailed for | Major Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 CE | Leif Ericson | Norse (Iceland/Greenland) | First European explorer to come ashore in North America, in present-day Newfoundland |
| 1487 | Bartolomeu Dias | Portugal | First to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, setting up the route from Europe to Asia |
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus | Spain | Landed in the Bahamas – eventually, this would lead to the "discovery" of the Americas |
| 1497 | John Cabot | England | Sailed to Newfoundland in northeastern North America; helped lay the groundwork for the later British claim to Canada |
| 1499 | Amerigo Vespucci | Spain | Explored the coast of South America; America was named after Amerigo |
| 1513 | Juan Ponce de Leon | Spain | Discovered Florida; died looking for the fountain of youth 🤔 |
| 1519 | Ferdinand Magellan | Spain | Reached the southern part of South America while attempting to circumnavigate the globe |
| 1519 | Hernan Cortez | Spain | Conquered the Aztecs in Mexico |
| 1531 | Francisco Pizarro | Spain | Conquered the Incas in Peru |
| 1534 | Jacques Cartier | France | Looked for the northwest passage; explored parts of Canada |
| 1540 | Francisco Vasquez Coronado | Spain | Explored and led a large expedition from Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States |
| 1603 | Samuel de Champlain | France | Explored and established the city of Quebec in the northern colony of New France |
| 1609 & 1610 | Henry Hudson | Netherlands (1609) & England (1610) | Explored the Hudson River in 1609 and Hudson Bay in 1610 |
These early European explorations opened the door to a new era in world history. Columbus's 1492 voyage sparked a race among European powers to claim new territories in the Americas. While explorers sought gold, glory, and the chance to spread their faith, their journeys had far-reaching effects that no one could have predicted. The maps they created and claims they established would shape the colonial world that followed. In the next section, we'll see how these initial explorations led to the massive exchange of plants, animals, and diseases called the Columbian Exchange, and the Spanish conquests of powerful Native American empires.
Practice Questions for 1.3
1 of 10
In a 1584 document, English promoter Richard Hakluyt argued that establishing American colonies would provide a market for English goods, yield valuable resources, and counter the growing global dominance of Catholic Spain. Hakluyt most likely intended this document to appeal to which of the following audiences?
A.
Native American leaders looking to form military alliances against aggressive French explorers.
B.
English religious dissenters searching for isolated territories to practice their faith freely.
C.
Spanish colonial administrators attempting to negotiate peaceful trade agreements with rivals.
D.
English monarchs and investors seeking to expand national wealth and global Protestant influence.
Vocabulary
The following words are mentioned explicitly in the AP® course framework for this topic.Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Christianity | The religious faith that European nations sought to spread to indigenous populations in the New World as a motivation for exploration and conquest. |
conquest | The process of subjugating and taking control of territories and peoples, particularly European military campaigns in the New World. |
economic competition | Rivalry among European nations to acquire resources, trade routes, and colonial territories for economic gain. |
exploration | The act of traveling to and investigating unfamiliar territories, in this context referring to European voyages to the Americas. |
military competition | Rivalry among European nations to establish military power and dominance through exploration and territorial conquest. |
New World | European term for the Americas, including North and South America, newly encountered by Europeans during the Age of Exploration. |
wealth | Valuable resources, precious metals, and economic riches that European nations sought to obtain from the New World. |
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