Teaching American History, Year
I
The First Global Age Europeans encounter the Americas
George S. Vascik
Miami University Hamilton
October 14, 2008
Teaching American History, Year
I
Benchmarks and Indicators
• Grade Five, History
– Settlement• primary topic• Explain why European countries explored
and colonized North America
• secondary topic• Describe the lasting effects of Spanish,
French and English colonization in North America
Teaching American History, Year
I
Benchmarks and Indicators
• Grade Eight, History– The First Global Age
• primary topics
• Reasons for colonization, including religion, desire for land and economic opportunity
• Key differences among the Spanish, French and British colonies
• secondary topics
• Interactions between American Indians and European settlers, including the agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances and conflicts
• Conflicts among colonial powers for control of North America.
Teaching American History, Year
I
Background readings
• Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel
• Eric Jones, The European Miracle
• Alan Taylor, American Colonies
Teaching American History, Year
I
Why Europe?
• In 1400, European civilization was on a par with Chinese and Arab civilizations.
• What motivated the European voyages of discovery and the creation of colonial empires?– economic necessity– religious insecurity– the social dynamic
Teaching American History, Year
I
Economic “necessity”
• nobles “needed” products from the East to maintain their lifestyle
• severed trade links with East when Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453
• new opportunities for profit with the discovery of new areas for raising sugar and other crops
• transporting slaves for labor
Teaching American History, Year
I
The religious dynamic
• Religious insecurity– The Reformation fractured the
unity of the corpus Christiana– Importance of this for the Holy
Roman Empire, Spain, and France
• Religious freedom– only manifested in English
colonies
Teaching American History, Year
I
The social dynamic
• In 1500, Europe had an excess of young, noble males– only one male could inherit, the others
had to find socially acceptable employment
• Were commoners driven by poverty?– France, the Netherlands, and England
• Opportunities differed by geography– tropics, mountains, woodlands, plains
Teaching American History, Year
I
National distinctions
• timing– Portuguese and Spanish; Dutch,
French, English
• motivation• governance• economic exploitation• interaction with native peoples• settlement (to be discussed in
February)
Teaching American History, Year
I
Motivation
• push-pull dynamic– to what extent were settlers
attracted to new lands, and to what extent did they feel compelled to migrate because of internal conditions in the home country?
– varied over time and by country– myth of “poverty driven”
colonization
Teaching American History, Year
I
Governance
colonialgovernment
attractingcolonists
imperialcontroltradition
Variables
countryneedtime
English example
Teaching American History, Year
I
National variations
• Spanish– viceroy, audencia, cabildo, visita
• French– governor-general, intendant, bishop
• Dutch– West India Company
• English– displayed the most diversity and
change over time
Teaching American History, Year
I
Economic Exploitation
• Portuguese (spices)• Spanish (gold and silver)• Dutch (sugar, slaves, carrying trade)• French (sugar and furs)• English (sugar, slaves, and raw
commodities)
• Mercantilism in February
Teaching American History, Year
I
Colonists and native peoples
• conquest or accommodation– successful conquest involved
exploiting local conditions– disease– labor shortage
• Christianization– national variations
Teaching American History, Year
I
Imperial conflict
• Which areas mattered and which didn’t?– the gold & silver mines and the Sugar
Islands– Furs?– Staple products (wood and food)
• A timeline approach– Dutch and English privateering– mid-17th century Anglo-Dutch Wars
• More on this in February
Teaching American History, Year
I
Benchmarks and Indicators
• Grade Five, History
– Settlement• primary topic• Explain why European countries explored
and colonized North America
• secondary topic• Describe the lasting effects of Spanish,
French and English colonization in North America
Teaching American History, Year
I
Benchmarks and Indicators
• Grade Eight, History– The First Global Age
• primary topics• Reasons for colonization, including religion, desire for
land and economic opportunity• Key differences among the Spanish, French and British
colonies• secondary topics• Interactions between American Indians and European
settlers, including the agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances and conflicts
• Conflicts among colonial powers for control of North America.