II THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

American expeditions:

 1000 AD - LEIF ERICSON leading Viking expedition from Iceland



Establishment of Norse scattered settlements from Newfoundland to Virginia



the Viking colony supposedly called Vinland - described in the sagas

- he was the first one who discovered America; he reached today's Canada; Vikings never settled down and the

first people who stared to colonize the continent were the Spaniards;

European exploration starts by the end of the 15th century due to:



search for spices



search for gold and silver after exhaustion of European sources

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new developments in navigation and shipping technology - three-mast hulks



CRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, Oct 12, 1492

- on his first voyage he had 3 ships: Santa Maria,

Nina and.................He discovered Cuba, Bahamas, Dominica, Panama, San Salvador and Puerto Rico.

San Salvador was first reached by them. They took 4 journeys to the new world.



Genoese in service of Spanish king and Queen Isabella in search of the Indies of the Spice Islands

(the Moluccas)



1st expedition with three ships The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria



First landing - San Salvador, Bahamas, and Hispaniola (Haiti)

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calling the natives INDIANS (by mistake, thinking he landed in India)

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1493 - discovery of Jamaica, Puerto Rico,



dies certain of discovering Asia or India



Oct 12, Columbus Day - celebrated since 1792

Other discoverers from various European countries:

 1490s Amerigo Vespucci (Florence) describes the new land in letters

 JOHN CABOT – an Italian in service of Henry VII of England reaches Newfoundland and Chesapeake

Bay (Canada) in

1497

, opening British claim to America

 GIOVANNI VERRAZANO – Italian sailor in service of Francis I of France



1524 - discovers the New York harbor - today's the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

 FRANCESCO VASQUEZ DE CORONADO



1540 from Mexico - search north of the legend of 'Seven Cities of Gold'



exploration of New Mexico and discovery of the Pueblos



Garcia Lopez de Cardenas - companion of Coronado – discovers the Grand Canyon in 1540

 Spain

claims a huge territory in North America

1565 - St. Augustine, Florida - the oldest settlement in the USA

FRANCIS DRAKE 1578 – arrives in today’s San Francisco Bay

Reasons for colonization:



enlargement of Christ's Gospel



new trade possibilities



enlargement of revenues for Her Majesty



religious freedom



overcrowding poverty



possibilities of gaining quick fortunes



prospects of enrichment



fleeing religious or political persecution



adventure

Difficulties:



climate



diseases



failing crops - hunger



hostile Indians



lots of lands in America already taken by the Spanish or the French in Canada

First settlements in North America:



1585-88 ROANOKE ISLAND, the LOST COLONY

- an early American legend.



Walter Raleigh founds a settlement on Roanoke Island, coast of North Carolina-the first English

settlement in America



The colonists in search of gold give up and rescued back by Drake-the colony is abandoned after 9

months



resettlement in 1587-they return under John White - grandfather of Virginia Dare - the first English

person born in America (only women and children)



White sails to England for supplies and never returns to America, involved in the defeat of the Spanish

Armada



1590 - the colony is lost – what remains are letters 'CROATON' carved on a tree. The colonists could

have either died, lived with the Indians or captured by the Spanish



1607 JAMESTOWN in VIRGINIA - first permanent English settlement under John Smith, a

courageous and tough leader and explorer - dictatorial rule; his maps used by later English explorers
(Virginia Company-sponsored by private enterprise-London joint stock company based on division of

prospective profits.



1607-three ships arrive in the New World



disease, starvation, attacks of Indians almost wiped out the colony



TOBACCO becomes Jamestown’s main export bringing enormous profits for the settlers (John

Rolfe idea)



Legend of POCAHONTAS - Powhatan princess - the mythical mother of Virginians - saved

Smith from Indian attacks. In 1614 married John Rolfe, converted to Protestantism and traveled to
England - dies on the journey back, leaving a newborn son.



1619-Negroes come as indentured servants



1620- Virginia Colony has 2000 people



Puritan New England:

PLYMOUTH

COLONY

- 1620 - Pilgrim Fathers

- Separatists and Strangers -

Congregationalists based on Calvin arrive in America by ship “MAYFLOWER” and found the colony.
(from the port of departure) - via Leyden, Holland



fleeing religious persecution outside any government- 35 of them were Pilgrims escaping prosecution

in England



MAYFLOWER COMPACT - FIRST written document on government and democracy in American

history stressing civil body politic and just and equal laws is signed on board.-IT SET UP A
GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR NEW SELTTLEMENT



Intolerant and strictly religious



Harsh conditions - Samoset and Squanto (English speaking Indians) help out.



THANKSGIVING - 1621

– a feast in thanks to God (Indians), turkey and survival; becomes later

the most important American holiday, est. by A. Lincoln.



Boston Puritans

MASSACHUSETTS BAY

COLONY – 1628 –

led by John Winthrop and

Puritans



Later the port of Boston



To be the ideal community for the mankind: "We shall be like a city on a hill." (words from J.W.'s

sermon)- he believed that their task was to create new perfect nation living according to the God's
rules



Corn seeds given from Indians saved the colonists from starvation--->Thanks Giving



theocracy- the clergymen were ministers

1733 - THIRTEEN COLONIES ALONG THE EAST COAST



By 1760 → 13 colonies were established:



Virginia,



Plymouth,



Massachusetts,



Maryland-

1634

–religion colony founded by English Roman Catholic fleeing persecution,

under Cecillius Calvert, Lord Baltimore



Connecticut

THREE AMERICAS-

THREE REGIONS

(political, economic, cultural, social):

I. New England

(New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island)



climate: the severe winters



mostly hills with rocky soils



towns were build around fields, towns consisted of congregations with the church in the middle



economy-self-sufficient forms





free farming and handicraft - family life





timber, fishing and shipping, lumbering



trade with West Indies



slaves

II. Middle Colonies

(New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania)



Climate: relatively hot



soil-fertile and less rocky



3 social classes: gentry, middle classes, lower classes





mercantile-capitalist and aristocratic



Economy; farmers gathered wheat, barley, rice, grains, fruits



merchant-based economy



large cities - New York, Philadelphia



diversified ethnically

III. The South

(Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)



climate-warm, moist



aristocratic-planters ,oligarchic, slave-holding plantation



small white wealthy population - large black!



Lack of towns



Tobacco, cotton, indigo, rice

 Social structure:

-great planters (slave labors)

-yeoman farmers

-frontier families