Exploration and North America

Was Columbus the first to

discover North America?

NO!

Who beat Columbus to North

America?
Who we know for certain:
The Native Americans
The Vikings:
Leif Ericson led a Viking expedition from

Greenland to modern day Newfoundland

sometime between 970 A.D. and 1020 A.D.
His story was seen as a myth for 500 years
until a Viking settlement was uncovered in
LAnse aux Meadows in the 1960s.

LAnse aux Meadows

Some other possible preColumbian explorers

Japan to Ecuador 5000 B.C.
Moderate evidence, similar pottery and fishing styles.
China to Central America 1000 B.C.
Low evidence based on Chinese legend.
Afro-Phoenicia (West Africa) to Central America

1000B.C.-A.D. 300.
Moderate evidence based on sculpture likeness and
Arab history.
Ireland to Newfoundland A.D. 600
Low evidence based on legends of St. Brendan.
Other possible explorers from Polynesia, West Africa,
Portugal, England, and Basque Spain with low to
moderate evidence.

What does it all mean?

We might consider
Columbus last
not first!!!!

Age of Exploration Begins

Why were Europeans

exploring in the first
place?

What pushed Europe to

explore?

The rise of nation-states ruled by kings.

Increase in international trade.
Easier trade with China and India

desired.
Increase in military technology.
Around 1400 bigger guns and
weapons were being made and even
placed on ships in Europe.
Gold, God, and Glory!!!!

Gold is most excellent; gold constitutes treasure; and

he who has it does all he wants in the world, and
can even lift souls up to Paradise.
-Christopher
Columbus
_________________________________________________
The Spanish Requirement: Read to Natives upon
arrival of a new land.
I implore you to recognize the Church and in the
name of the Pope take the King as lord of this land
and obey his mandates. If you do not do it, I tell you
that with the help of God I will enter powerfully
against you all. I will make war everywhere I will
subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church
and to his majesty.
What are the Spanish focusing on and how are they
using God?

Portuguese early dominance

Henry the Navigator of Portugal:
A prince who created the first naval academy

in Europe.
Bartolomeu Dias
Portuguese explorer who rounded the Cape of

Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa in 1488.

Portugal controlled the Mediterranean route

to Asia and the route around Africa.

What options do the Spanish have?

Who was Columbus?

Text book answers

Other Possibilities

From Genoa, Italy

From Spain, Portugal, or

Columbus was

seeking Asia.
Columbus died in
1506 still convinced
that he had reached
Asia.
The journey takes 2
months. Sailors are
mutinous.

Corsica.
Columbus was seeking
new lands to the west.
Columbus admits in his
own journal that he had
reached a new
continent.
They stopped at the
Canary Islands for a
month, thus the voyage
took 2 months. Sources
differ on sailors happiness.

Conclusion: We dont know the truth about Columbuss life or

many parts of the voyage.