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What were the main motivations behind European exploration?
The main motivations were the desire for new trade routes to Asia (spices, silk), the spread of Christianity, the quest for wealth (gold, silver), and the pursuit of national glory ("God, Gold, and Glory").
Which countries were the first major players in European exploration?
Portugal and Spain were the early leaders, followed later by England, France, and the Netherlands.
How did technological advances help European exploration?
Innovations like the caravel ship, magnetic compass, astrolabe, and improved maps (cartography) made long sea voyages more possible and safer.
Who was Christopher Columbus and why is he important?
Columbus was an Italian explorer sailing for Spain who, in 1492, crossed the Atlantic and reached the Americas, leading to widespread contact between Europe and the New World.
What was the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)?
It was an agreement between Spain and Portugal, brokered by the Pope, dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe between them along a north-south line.
What was the Columbian Exchange?
It was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, people, technology, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World after Columbus's voyages.
How did European colonization impact Native American populations?
It caused massive population declines due to diseases like smallpox, warfare, and harsh labor systems like encomienda.
What was the encomienda system?
A labor system where Spanish colonists were given the right to force Indigenous people to work for them in exchange for supposed protection and Christian teaching.
How did colonization lead to the Atlantic Slave Trade?
As Native populations declined, Europeans began importing enslaved Africans to work on plantations in the Americas, fueling a brutal system of forced labor.
What role did religion play in colonization?
Christian missionaries sought to convert indigenous peoples; religion was often used to justify colonization and conquest.
What regions did England, France, and the Netherlands colonize?
England colonized parts of North America and the Caribbean; France claimed Canada (New France) and parts of the Caribbean; the Netherlands established colonies in the Caribbean and briefly in North America (New Netherland).
How did mercantilism relate to colonization?
Mercantilism was the economic policy that colonies existed to enrich the mother country by providing raw materials and markets for finished goods.
What were some consequences of colonization for Europe?
Colonization led to the rise of powerful European empires, increased wealth, expanded global trade networks, and new foods and resources entering Europe.
How did indigenous peoples resist European colonization?
Through armed conflict (like King Philip’s War), alliances, maintaining cultural practices, and in some cases, adapting and negotiating with colonizers.
What lasting effects of European colonization can still be seen today?
Languages (Spanish, English, French, Portuguese) dominate former colonies; political borders and social structures in many regions trace back to colonial rule; and indigenous populations and cultures have been deeply affected.
What was the significance of Prince Henry the Navigator?
Prince Henry of Portugal sponsored early voyages of exploration along the African coast, helping to start the Age of Discovery.
Why was finding a sea route to Asia so important to Europeans?
A sea route would allow Europeans to bypass Muslim and Italian middlemen and gain direct access to the valuable spice trade.
How did Spain and Portugal differ in their colonization goals?
Spain focused more on conquest and colonization for wealth and religious conversion, while Portugal concentrated on establishing trading posts and controlling trade routes.
How did the Spanish defeat powerful empires like the Aztecs and Incas?
Spanish conquistadors used superior weapons, horses, alliances with rival tribes, and diseases that devastated indigenous populations.
What were missions, and why were they important?
Missions were religious settlements where European missionaries tried to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity and integrate them into colonial society.
How did European competition fuel exploration?
Rivalries between nations like Spain, Portugal, France, and England pushed them to explore and claim new lands to increase their wealth and power.
What was the significance of the Northwest Passage?
European explorers searched for a Northwest Passage as a potential direct sea route to Asia through North America, though it was never found.
Why was sugar considered "white gold" during colonization?
Sugar was extremely profitable and drove the demand for land and enslaved labor in the Caribbean and South America.
What impact did European diseases have on the New World?
Diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza killed millions of indigenous people who had no immunity, leading to massive population declines.
How did the Treaty of Paris (1763) affect European colonies?
The Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' War, leading to France losing most of its North American territories to Britain and Spain.