Colonization

Motivations of the Conquistadors

Many Conquistadors were motivated to explore and conquer land in the New World for any combination of three reasons. Those reasons are God, Glory, and Gold. Also known as the 3 Gs.

Like almost everyone, the Conquistadors wanted to become rich. This would happen by finding gold. Their desire to explore could even rise when they heard stories of places like El Dorado - also known as the City of Gold.

Gold

Most people like to gain more power. Today, we do this by getting a job where you're a manager, supervisor, or boss. During the time when the Spanish were conquering the New World, they tried to become famous by discovering something. This could also lead to them gaining a title (making them a nobleman) and/or a government job (like the governor of a colony).

Glory

FUN FACT! The Reformation was happening at the same time as the Spanish were conquering the New World. Many Conquistadors believed it was their duty to God to Convert the natives to Christianity.

God

Use this map to complete the map on your notes. (Use the colors on your worksheet)

During this time, the European countries practiced what was called mercantilism. In mercantilism, the European parent country will use their colonies in an attempt to increase their wealth. The only thing that Europe cares about is making money (gold).

Mercantilism

In the 1500s, Spain and Portugal began to colonize the Americas. By the 1600s, the British, French, and Dutch began colonizing the Americas (mainly North America). A colony is a settlement of people living in a new territory that is controlled by its parent nation.

Colonization

On June 7, 1494, Spain and Portugal made an agreement called the Treaty of Tordesillas. This treaty was named after the city in Spain where it was made. The Treaty of Tordesillas split the "New World" of the Americas between Spain and Portugal, who were the two most powerful countries at the time.

Treaty of Tordesillas 1494

The Transatlantic Slave Trade was a significant period in history that lasted from the 1400s to the 1800s. It was driven by the need for work to be done cheaply or free by using power over others in European colonies in the Americas. Slavery had been practiced since humans have existed, but during this time, Africans were primarily enslaved.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

Spain and Portugal decided to split the New World by drawing a line from the north to the south in the Atlantic Ocean. This line was about 345 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, which are off the coast of northwestern Africa and were controlled by Portugal at the time. Portugal claimed all the lands east of that line, and Spain claimed all the lands west of that line.

Why?

Spain and Portugal followed the treaty without any major fights between them. However, in 1506, the line was moved 932 miles further west. This allowed Portugal to claim the eastern coast of what is now Brazil.

What Happens Over Time?

The effects of this treaty can still be seen in the Americas today. For example, most Latin American countries speak Spanish, except for Brazil where they speak Portuguese. This is because the eastern part of Brazil was east of the line in the Treaty of Tordesillas, and that's where most of the Portuguese people settled. The borders of Brazil have grown since the treaty was expanded in 1506.

Effects

At the time of the treaty, Spain and Portugal were the only European countries that had settled in the Americas, so they were the only ones who signed it. The treaty didn't think about any future claims made by other European countries like Britain, France, and the Netherlands. These countries didn't claim parts of the Americas until years after the Treaty of Tordesillas. However, the Treaty of Tordesillas didn't consider the millions of people who were already living in the Americas. The treaty said that any lands with a "Christian king" wouldn't be colonized. But, Christianity hadn't spread widely in the Americas at that time. This meant that Spain and Portugal could claim any land they could conquer in the Americas, unless it was already claimed by a Christian (European) ruler. This led to the conquest and colonization of many civilizations, like the Inca, Taino, and Aztec, and many other communities throughout the Americas.

What About Other European Countries?

The Transatlantic Slave Trade began after Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World and sought to exploit the natives for gold and agriculture (like farming for sugar cane). However, diseases like smallpox decimated the native population, leading Europeans to turn to Africans as a new source of labor.

First Enslavement Attempts

European countries, particularly Spain and Portugal, went to the Gold Coast of Africa and bought Africans from stronger tribes who had captured members of weaker or warring tribes. The Europeans traded goods like guns for enslaved Africans, which enabled the capturing tribes to acquire more captives.

Why Africans?

The transatlantic slave trade was part of the triangular trade, where goods such as weapons and textiles were shipped from Europe to Africa, enslaved people were transported from Africa to the Americas, and products like sugar and coffee were sent from the Americas to Europe.

The Triangle Trade

The demand for enslaved labor increased significantly in the 1600s with the growth of sugar plantations in the Caribbean and tobacco plantations in North America. The trade had devastating effects on Africa, encouraging lawlessness and violence among warlords and tribes. Many people, especially women and young men, were taken captive, disrupting families and societies. The journey from the interior of Africa to the coast was arduous, with an estimated 10 to 15% of captives dying along the way.

What Happens Over Time?

The Middle Passage, the journey from Africa to the Americas, was characterized by overcrowded, dirty conditions on slave ships. Enslaved Africans were packed tightly below decks (they couldn't even sit up), chained together, and subjected to extreme heat and lack of oxygen (there was so little oxygen that a candle couldn't burn). They suffered these conditions for 5,000 miles - or about 3 to 4 months. Historians estimate that between 15 and 25% of enslaved Africans died during this passage.

The Middle Passage

Overall, the Transatlantic Slave Trade had a profound impact on Africa, the Americas, and Europe, shaping the economies and societies of these regions for centuries to come.

Effects