HIST321: Comparative New Worlds, 1400-1750 « Saylor.org – Free Online Courses Built by Professors

Comparative New Worlds, 1400-1750

Purpose of Course show close

This course will introduce you to a comparative history of New World societies from 1400 to 1750. You will learn about European exploration and colonization as well as the cultures of native peoples of the Americas. The course will be structured geographically; each unit will focus on a particular New World society during a specific time period. Each unit will include representative primary-source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as the fifteenth-century conceptualization of the “New World” and colonization, the indigenous peoples living in the Americas at the time of European contact, and the effect of New World societies on native peoples and Africans. By the end of the course, you will understand how the new communities in the New World evolved from fledgling settlements into profitable European colonies and how New World societies—whether French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, or indigenous—were highly varied polities.

Course Information show close

Welcome to HIST321. Below, please find some general information on the course and its requirements.

Course Designer: Christa Dierksheide and Mark Hoolihan

Primary Resources: This course is comprised of a range of different, free online resources. However, the course makes primary use of the following materials:

Yale University: Professor John Merriman Lecture Series via YouTube or iTunes

Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all of its assigned materials.

After working through each unit of the course, students must take the Final Exam. Note that you will only receive an official grade on your final exam. However, in order to adequately prepare for this exam, you will need to work through the materials for each unit.

In order to “pass” this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.

Time Commitment: This course will take you about 87.25 hours to complete. Each unit includes a “time advisory” that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit. These should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be useful to take a look at these time advisories and to determine how much time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit, and then to set goals for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take you 10 hours. Perhaps you can sit down with your calendar and decide to complete subunits 1.1 (a total of 7 hours) over the course of Monday through Wednesday. For example, you could study the first page range for the reading in sub-subunit 1.1.1 (estimated at about 2.5 hours) on Monday, the second page range for the sub-subunit 1.1.1 reading (estimated about 2.5 hours) on Tuesday, all resources for sub-subunits 1.1.2 and 1.1.3 (estimated at 2 hours) on Wednesday, etc.

Tips/Suggestions: Pay careful attention to major names and events in each reading and/or lecture. Taking detailed notes as you work through the materials in each unit and remembering these terms will help you prepare for the Final Exam.

This course features a number of Khan Academy™ videos. Khan Academy™ has a library of over 3,000 videos covering a range of topics (math, physics, chemistry, finance, history and more), plus over 300 practice exercises. All Khan Academy™ materials are available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

A version of this course is also available in iTunes U.
Preview the course in your browser or view our entire suite of iTunes U courses.

Learning Outcomes show close

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Define what constituted the “New World” in the fifteenth century.
Identify and describe the major tribes/native civilizations of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean at the time of European contact.
Identify and describe the effects of European colonization on native peoples.
Identify and describe the reasons for the European “age of discovery” in the New World and how and why the consolidation of powerful European states in the 1600s resulted in New World exploration, settlement, and commerce.
Identify and describe early New World exploration and initial settlements by Portugal and Spain.
Compare and contrast New France, French Louisiana, the French West Indies, and French Guiana.
Compare and contrast British North America (New England, Middle and Lower Colonies), the British West Indies, and British Central and South America.
Compare and contrast New Spain, the Spanish Caribbean, and Spanish South America.
Analyze and describe Portuguese Brazil.
Identify and describe the African slave trade and will also be able to compare and contrast the enslavement of Africans in different New World societies.
Identify and describe inter-European conflicts and European-Native Indian violence in the New World.
Analyze and interpret primary-source documents that elucidate the causes and effects of exploration and colonization in the New World.

Course Requirements show close

In order to take this course, you must:

√ Have access to a computer.

√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.

√ Have the ability/permission to install plugins (e.g. Adobe Reader or Flash).

√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.

√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (e.g. .doc, .ppt, etc.).

√ Be competent in the English language.

√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.

√ Have completed all courses listed in “The Core Program” of the History discipline (HIST101, HIST102, HIST103, and HIST104).

2 Native Peoples of the Americas
2.1 North America
2.1.1 Native Peoples’ Perceptions of Europeans
2.1.2 Indigenous Societies and Cultures of North America
2.2 Central America
2.2.1 The Aztecs/Mexica
2.2.2 Aztec/Mexica Civilization in Central America
2.3 Caribbean
2.3.1 Caribs
2.3.2 Arawaks
2.4 South America
2.4.1 Inca Society and Religion
2.4.2 The Incas and European Explorers
2.5 Effects of European Colonization on Native Peoples
2.5.1 Conquerors and Colonization
2.5.2 Disease

3 The European Age of Discovery
3.1 Discovery, Reconnaissance, and Expansion
3.1.1 Foundations
3.1.2 New Technology
3.1.3 The Explorers’ Motives
3.2 Explorers and the New World
3.2.1 Vasco da Gama
3.2.2 Ferdinand Magellan
3.2.3 Jacques Cartier
3.2.4 John Cabot

4 Spain and Portugal in America
4.1 The Spanish
4.1.1 Early Spanish Colonization Efforts
4.1.2 Imperial Spain and the Conquistadors
4.2 The Spanish in the Caribbean and Latin America
4.2.1 Christopher Columbus
4.2.2 Exploits in the Caribbean
4.2.3 The Conquest of Mexico
4.2.4 Pizarro and Peru
4.3 Early Portuguese Colonization Efforts: The Portuguese Empire

5 England and France in North America
5.1 Early French Settlements in the Americas
5.1.1 Fort Caroline
5.1.2 Cap Rouge
5.1.3 Fort Saint Louis
5.1.4 Huguenots in Brazil
5.2 Early English Settlements in the Americas
5.2.1 Early Adventurers and Colonizers
5.2.2 Fledgling Settlements
5.2.3 Jamestown

6 European Empires, New World Colonies
6.1 Reasons for New World Colonization
6.1.1 European Imperial Competition
6.1.2 The Creation of an Atlantic Economy
6.1.3 Religious Conflicts and Wars
6.1.4 Absolutism
6.1.5 Constitutionalism
6.1.6 A Rising European Population
6.2 The Early Enlightenment

7 French New World Colonies
7.1 French Holdings in the New World
7.1.1 The French in the Great Lakes
7.1.2 Religion in New France
7.1.3 The Fur Trade
7.1.4 The Huron
7.2 Louisiana
7.2.1 Colonial Louisiana
7.2.2 The Mississippi River Valley
7.3 Caribbean
7.3.1 Origins of the French West Indies
7.3.2 Saint Domingue

8 British America
8.1 North America
8.1.1 New England Colonies
8.1.2 Middle Colonies
8.1.3 Lower Colonies
8.2 The Caribbean
8.2.1 Barbados
8.2.2 Jamaica
8.2.3 Sugar and Coffee
8.3 Central and South America
8.3.1 British Honduras
8.3.2 British Guyana

9 The Spanish and Portuguese Americas
9.1 Spanish Central America
9.1.1 New Spain
9.1.2 Colonial Peru
9.1.3 Spanish Florida
9.2 Portuguese South America

10 Africans in the New World
10.1 Enslavement of Native Peoples
10.1.1 Amerindian Slavery in the Americas
10.1.2 Amerindian Slavery in the Caribbean
10.1.3 Encomienda
10.2 Indentured Servitude
10.2.1 From Indentured Servitude to Race-based Slavery
10.2.2 Slavery and Race in the Sixteenth Century
10.3 Africans in New World Societies
10.3.1 Africans in Spanish America
10.3.2 Africans in Portuguese America
10.3.3 Africans in French America
10.3.4 Africans in British America

11 New World Conflicts
11.1 European Wars in the New World
11.1.1 Conflicts between the Portuguese, Dutch, and French in Brazil
11.1.2 Anglo-Dutch Wars
11.1.3 King William’s War
11.1.4 Queen Anne’s War
11.1.5 War of Jenkins’ Ear
11.1.6 King George’s War
11.1.7 The French and Indian War
11.2 Wars with Indigenous Peoples
11.2.1 King Philip’s War
11.2.2 Powhatan Wars
11.2.3 Guarani War

12 Final Exam

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Unit 1: What Was the “New World”?

In the fifteenth century, the “New World” referred to the Americas. When Columbus returned to Spain after his journey across the Atlantic Ocean, he was widely heralded as the discoverer of the “New World.” Of course, the western hemisphere was only “new” to the Europeans. Indigenous peoples had lived in North and South America for centuries, developing unique and varied cultures, societies, and civilizations there.

In this unit, we will examine how people defined the “New World” and why they considered it different from the “Old World.” We will also consider the many different peoples who populated and exploited the Americas: merchants, native peoples, settlers, and slaves.

Unit 1 Time Advisory show close

Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close

1.1 De Orbo Novo

Reading: Archive.org: De Orbe Novo, the Eight Decades of Peter Martyr d’Anghiera
Link: Archive.org: De Orbe Novo, the Eight Decades of Peter Martyr d’Anghiera (HTML or PDF)

Also available in:
EPub
Google Books

Instructions: Please select a method of reading the text (PDF, HTML, or other) from the selection on the left side under “View the Book.” Read pages 1-49 and 55-186. In this 1530 text, Peter Martyr, a Spanish historian, recounts the discovery and early exploration of the Americas. Martyr was one of the first observers to coin the term “novi orbis,” meaning “New World” in Latin. Martyr composed his piece with the aid of information supplied by Christopher Columbus and the reports of the Council of the Indies (the administrative body that oversaw Spanish colonial endeavors).

Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.2 Verrazano’s New World

Reading: Barnard University: Lisa Gordis’ version of “The Written Record of the Voyage of 1524 of Giovanni da Verrazano as Recorded in a Letter to Francis I, King of France, July 8th, 1524”
Link: Barnard University: Lisa Gordis’ version of “The Written Record of the Voyage of 1524 of Giovanni da Verrazano as Recorded in a Letter to Francis I, King of France, July 8th, 1524” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above and read the entire letter. Like Peter Martyr, the explorer Giovanni Verrazano applied the term “New World” to the newly discovered Americas. This text was adapted from Susan Tarrow’s translation in the book The Voyages of Giovanni da Verrazano, 1524-1528, edited by Lawrence C. Wroth.

Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3 Geography

Reading: Concepción Saenz-Cambra’s “The Atlantic World, 1492-1600,” “The First Atlantic Encounters,” and “Discovery, Reconnaissance, and Expansion” and American History Online’s New World Maps: “Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, and “Part 4”
Link: Concepcion Saenz-Cambra’s, The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 “Introduction,” “The First Atlantic Encounters,” and “Discovery, Reconnaissance, and Expansion” (PDF) and American History Online’s New World Maps, “Part 1,” “Part 2,” “Part 3,” and “Part 4” (PDF).

Also available in:
HTML (“Part 1”)
HTML (“Part 2”)
HTML (“Part 3”)
HTML (“Part 4”)

Instructions: Please read the text and view the images of early mapping of the New World linked above and think about the following questions: What landmasses and other geographical and topographical features are included in the maps? What consistencies exist among the maps What differences exist? Collectively, what do these maps reveal about what explorers “discovered?” What did explorers miss?

Reading and viewing these images should take you approximately 15 minutes.

Terms of Use: The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 has been reposted by the kind permission of Concepcion Saenz-Cambra. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder. The New World Maps resources are in the public domain.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 2: Native Peoples of the Americas

When Christopher Columbus landed in the New World in 1492, he mistakenly referred to the native inhabitants as “Indians,” thus implying that all peoples in the Americas shared a common identity. Of course, this was not the case. Between the fifteenth and eighteenth century, “civilization” in the Americas was comprised of many diverse societies that developed in isolation from the rest of the world. Two major centralized cultures emerged during this period: the Aztecan Empire and the Incan Empire. However, hundreds of other sophisticated, albeit diffuse, tribes lived in North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean at this time. The arrival of Europeans in the 1400s disrupted these indigenous cultures through disease, enslavement, and displacement.

In this unit, we will study the many major native peoples who populated the Americas at the time of European contact. We will also study the impact of European cultures and policies on these tribes.

Unit 2 Time Advisory show close

Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close

2.1 North America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 2.1.1 and 2.1.2.

2.1.1 Native Peoples’ Perceptions of Europeans

Reading: The Saylor Foundation's “Native Peoples' Perceptions of Europeans”
Link: The Saylor Foundation's “Native Peoples' Perceptions of Europeans” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above and read the entire article.

Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. It is attributed to The Saylor Foundation.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.1.2 Indigenous Societies and Cultures of North America

Reading: Connexions: James Ross-Nazzal’s U.S. History Since 1877: “Pre-Columbian Era” and Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Thomas Morton’s “Manners and Customs of the Indians (of New England), 1637”
Link: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 1: Pre-Columbian era” (PDF) and Thomas Morton’s “Manners and Customs of the Indians (of New England), 1637” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the sections above in order to get a sense of how the first tribes of Native Americans came to be. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What kinds of evidence do scholars rely on to learn about Amerindian societies? In which areas did Amerindians create permanent settlements and how did their environment shape the social, political, and cultural life of the various Amerindian societies? What criteria does Thomas Morton follow to describe the “Natives of New England” in his 1637 account? Which characteristics of the people he describes does he admire? Which characteristics does he criticize?
(30 minutes)

Terms of Use: “Chapter 1: Pre-Columbian era” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution license, it is attributed to Dr. James Ross-Nazzal, and the original version can be found here (HTML). “Manners and Customs of the Indians (of New England), 1637” is in the public domain.
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2.2 Central America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 2.2.1 and 2.2.2.

2.2.1 The Aztecs/Mexica

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Amerindian Civilizations”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Amerindian Civilizations”

Instructions: Please read pages 5-6, “The Mexica/Aztec,” of the above text for an introduction to Aztec history. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Where did Aztec civilization develop? Describe the social structure of Aztec civilization. What role did religion and art play in creating a unified and distinct Aztec culture?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation
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2.2.2 Aztec/Mexica Civilization in Central America

Reading: Jack E. Maxfield’s A Comprehensive Outline of World History, America: A.D. 1401 to 1500: “Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean”
Link: Jack E. Maxfield’s “A Comprehensive Outline of World History, America: A.D. 1401 to 1500, “Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean” (PDF)

Also Available in:
HTML

Instructions: Scroll down to “Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean” on this page and read the first six paragraphs of the text for a closer look at Aztec society. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: In what ways did the Aztec cooperate with neighboring city-states? What agricultural, military, and artistic developments enabled the Aztec to compete with, and at times, dominate their neighbors? According to the text, how did the Aztec view their religious rites?

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to Jack E. Maxfield, and the original version can be found here (HTML).
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.3 Caribbean

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 2.3.1 and 2.3.2.

2.3.1 Caribs

Reading: American History Online: “Map of the Islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico”, Medieval Sourcebook: “Columbus’ Letter to the King and Queen of Spain, 1494”, and the Saylor Foundation’s “Study Questions for Christopher Columbus”
Link: American History Online’s “Map of the Islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico” (PDF), Christopher Columbus’s “Letter to the King and Queen of Spain, 1494” (PDF), and The Saylor Foundation’s “Study Questions for Christopher Columbus” (PDF).

Also Available in:
HTML(“Map of the Islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico”)
HTML(“Letter to the king and Queen of Spain, 1494”)

Instructions: View the linked image and read Columbus’ letter in which he describes the people with whom he comes in contact. As you read, respond to the “Study Questions” that accompany the reading.
(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: “Map of the Islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico” and “Letter to the King and Queen of Spain, 1494” are in the public domain. “Study Questions for Christopher Columbus” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML); it is attributed to The Saylor Foundation.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.3.2 Arawaks

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Arawaks”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Arawaks” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire text. As you read, consider the following questions: what lands did the Arawak inhabit and how did they organize their society? In what ways were Arawak peoples connected? Describe the social and political organization of the Taíno.
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML); it is attributed to The Saylor Foundation.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.4 South America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 2.4.1 and 2.4.2.

2.4.1 Inca Society and Religion

Reading: Connexions: Jack E. Maxfield’s “A Comprehensive Outline of World History, America: A.D. 1401 to 1500 – Northern and Western South America”
Link: Connexions: Jack E. Maxfield’s A Comprehensive Outline of World History, America: A.D. 1401 to 1500, “Northern and Western South America”

Also Available in:
HTML

Instructions: Scroll down to “Northern and Western South America” on the page and read the selection. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: To what does the term “Inca” refer? Describe Incan expansion. Which aspects of Incan culture accompanied military expansion? What characterizes the way in which political rulers governed the Incan empire? Describe Incan architectural developments. In what ways did these developments facilitate communication and effective governing in the Incan empire?

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML); it is attributed to Jack E. Maxfield, and the original version can be found here (HTML).
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.4.2 The Incas and European Explorers

Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Pedro de Cieza de Léon’s Chronicles of the Incas, 1540
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Pedro de Cieza de Léon’s "Chronicles of the Incas, 1540" (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire excerpt to get a sense of Léon’s descriptions of the Incas. In this 1540 text, the conquistador Pedro de Cieza de Léon describes the nature of the Incan economy. Less directly, the author illustrates the hierarchy of Inca society.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.5 Effects of European Colonization on Native Peoples

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 2.5.1-2.5.3.

2.5.1 Conquerors and Colonization

Reading: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s U.S. History Since 1877: “Chapter 2: When Cultures Collide (1492-1600)”, and Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Matthew Smith and James Gibson’s “Remonstrance of the Pennsylvania Frontiersmen: On the Indians, 1764”
Link: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 2: When Cultures Collide (1492-1600)” (PDF),and Frontiersmen’s “Remonstrance of the Pennsylvania Frontiersmen: On the Indians, 1764” (PDF).

Also Available in:
HTML (“Chapter 2”)
HTML (“On the Indians”)

Instructions: Please read through the selections for an introduction to some of the consequences of colonization. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What were the motivations of European explorers and what circumstances influenced these motivations? In what ways did Europeans realize their motivations after arriving in the Americas? Describe some of the early encounters between Europeans and Amerindians. In what ways did these encounters differ among geographic regions? How were they similar? How does Matthew Smith describe the relationship between Europeans and Native Americans in his 1764 account? What primary differences does he see between Europeans and Native Americans? How do the events and immediate context he describes influence his account?

(25 minutes)

Terms of Use: “Chapter 2: When Cultures Collide (1492-1600)” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML); it is attributed to Dr. James Ross-Nazzal, and the original version can be found here (HTML). “On the Indians, 1764” is in the public domain.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.5.2 Disease

Reading: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600, “The Columbian Exchange.”
Link: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600, “The Columbian Exchange” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the selection on the impact of Old World diseases on the New World (pages 23 to 40). As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What is the “Columbian Exchange” and what is actually exchanged? What did it help to create? In what ways did it transform societies?
(10 minutes)

Terms of Use: The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 has been reposted by the kind permission of Concepcion Saenz-Camba. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 3: The European Age of Discovery

In the fifteenth century, powerful European monarchs launched the first stage of global imperialism. New developments in maritime technology and a desire to expand the influence of Christianity motivated European rulers to sponsor exploration and conquest in the New World. In this unit, we will see how the creation of new commercial and political networks caused profound change: they introduced new peoples, ideas, labor systems and cultures to Europeans while also wreaking havoc on indigenous cultures of the New World.

Unit 3 Time Advisory show close

Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close

3.1 Discovery, Reconnaissance, and Expansion

Note: This topic is covered in the audio lecture listed under sub-subunit 3.1.3.

3.1.1 Foundations

Note: This topic is covered in the audio lecture listed under sub-subunit 3.1.3.

3.1.2 New Technology

Note: This topic is covered in the audio lecture listed under sub-subunit 3.1.3.

3.1.3 The Explorers’ Motives

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction,” Florida History’s “America's early European Explorers,” Richard Hakluyt’s “Discourse of western planting 1584,” and Samuel de Champlain’s “Voyages 1604.”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction” (PDF), Florida History’s “America's early European Explorers” (PDF), Richard Hakluyt’s “Discourse of western planting 1584” (PDF), and Samuel de Champlain’s “Voyages 1604” (PDF).

Also Available in:
HTML (“America’s Early European Explorers”)
HTML (“Discourse of western planting 1594”)
HTML (“Voyages 1604”)

Instructions: Please read the selections detailing the motivations of different European explorers of the New World. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does each author describe the benefits of explorations? How does each author describe the land and people of his destination? In what ways are the descriptions in these documents alike? In what ways are they different?

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: “The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML); it is attributed to The Saylor Foundation. “America’s Early European Explorers” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License (HTML); it is attributed to FloridaHistory.com, and the original version can be found here (HTML). “Discourse of western planting 1584” and “Voyages 1604” are both in the public domain.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “The Age of Discovery”

Link: Wikipedia’s “The Age of Discovery” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire lecture for a good overview of the European age of exploration.

Terms of Use: The Wikipedia article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). You can find the original version of this article here (HTML).

See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2 Explorers and the New World

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 3.2.1-3.2.4.

3.2.1 Vasco da Gama

Reading: Vasco da Gama’s “Round Africa to India, 1497-1498”
Link: Vasco da Gama’s “Round Africa to India, 1497-1498” (PDF).

Also Available in:
HTML

Instructions: Please read the account to get a sense of Vasco da Gama’s journeys. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Describe the progression of da Gama’s journey. How does he describe the natives of the land and his encounters with them? How do these descriptions change with each leg of his journey? Describe da Gama’s interactions with political leaders. How does da Gama characterize his role in these interactions? With which religious traditions does da Gama come in contact? How do these traditions shape his encounters?

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is in the public domain.
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3.2.2 Ferdinand Magellan

Reading: Ferdinand Magellan's “Voyage Round the World, 1519-1522 CE.”
Link: Ferdinand Magellan's “Voyage Round the World, 1519-1522 CE” (PDF).

Also Available in:
HTML

Instructions: Please read the account to get a sense of Magellan’s journeys. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What route does Magellan take when he sets off and which lands are does the author of this account mention as destinations along the way? What does this tell us about the extent of Europeans’ geographic knowledge in the second decade of the sixteenth century? Describe Magellan’s relationship with his crew and the crews of the ships that accompanied him? How did he address discontent among expedition members? According to the account, what is the procedure for approaching an unknown land? Describe the journey of surviving crew after Magellan’s death.

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is in the public domain.
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3.2.3 Jacques Cartier

Reading: Tracy Barnes’ “Jacques Cartier’s Explorations and Achievements”
Link: Tracy Barnes’ “Jacques Cartier’s Explorations and Achievements” (PDF).

Also Available in
HTML

Instructions: Please read the selection in order to get a sense of the fifteenth century itinerary of the French explorer Jacques Cartier. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: According to the text and map at the top right of the page, what lands and waterways did Cartier encounter on his first journey? With which Amerindian peoples did Cartier come in contact? What were some of the outcomes of these encounters? What were Cartier’s objectives for his third journey and what was the outcome?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (HTML); it is attributed to Tracy Barnes, and the original version can be found here (HTML).
See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.4 John Cabot

Reading: John Cabot’s (c.1450-1499): “Voyage to North America, 1497”
Link: John Cabot’s (c.1450-1499): “Voyage to North America, 1497” (PDF)

Also Available in:
HTML

Instructions: Please read the selection to get a sense of Cabot’s journeys. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: From among whom did Cabot acquire his crew and how are these men described through the various letters? What “royal privileges” did the king of England promise Cabot? What riches did the lands Cabot encounters hold? Where, geographically, do these letters suggest Cabot sailed?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is in the public domain.
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Unit 4: Spain and Portugal in America

Spain and Portugal were the first European powers to explore and settle the New World. The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 split the Americas into Spanish (western) and Portuguese (eastern) zones.

Spanish expansion into the New World began with the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, which was followed by the settlement efforts of the conquistadors. The Spanish crown sanctioned these endeavors and hoped that gold, exotic produce, and the conversion of native peoples to Christianity would result from exploration in the Americas. Spanish conquistadors founded several fledgling settlements in the Caribbean and South America, but they were soon abandoned. In fact, Spanish dominance was not established in Central and South America until the mid-1500s, when Spanish forces conquered the Aztec and Inca empires.

The Portuguese founded trading posts in Newfoundland—for cod fishing—and in Brazil—for logwood exports—in the early 1500s. While the Newfoundland settlement failed, the Portuguese settlement in Brazil did begin to thrive by the 1530s.

In this unit, we will consider the monopoly that Spain and Portugal had on New World possessions in the 1400s and early 1500s. We will also examine the many fledgling posts of these European powers in the Americas, few of which developed into permanent settlements.

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4.1 The Spanish

Note: This topic is covered by the resource under sub-subunit 4.1.1.

4.1.1 Early Spanish Colonization Efforts

Reading: Hernan Cortés’, “Second Letter to Charles V, 1520”
Link: Hernan Cortés’, “Second Letter to Charles V, 1520” (PDF)

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Instructions: Please read Cortés’ letter for his description of the land and people he encounters. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does Cortés describe the geographic region of Moctezuma’s realm? What familiar features does Cortés include in his descriptions of the cities and to what does he liken them? What does Cortés included in his description of commercial life in this region and what does he deem valuable? What traditions and architectural structures constitute religious life in Moctezuma’s realm? In what ways are these traditions in conflict with Cortés’ Christian faith and tradition? Describe Moctemzuma. What kind of ruler is he? What does Cortés seem to admire in him? What does he seem to admonish?

(20 minutes)

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4.1.2 Imperial Spain and the Conquistadors

Reading: Bartolome de las Casas’, “A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies [1542]” and Phillip II’s “Two Documents from the Reign of Philip II.”
Link: Bartolome de las Casas’, “A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies[1542]” (PDF), and Phillip II’s “Two Documents from the Reign of Philip II” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the selections to get a sense of the situation the Conquistadors encountered and what motivated them. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does Bartolome de las Casas describe the native populations with which the Spaniards encountered in the Americas? How does he describe the Spaniards’ treatment of this population? What role does Christianity play in las Casas’ account? According to “The Gold of the Indies (1559),” what challenges do the Spanish face in extracting wealth from the Indies? What does the author of this document suggest to overcome these challenges? What details do we learn about Spain’s economy under Philip II from the document “Revenues of the King of Spain (1559)”? How does the author characterize Philip II’s spending habits as they relate to Spain’s possessions in the Americas?

(20 minutes)

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Reading: University of Calgary: The Applied History Research Group’s The European Voyages of Exploration: “Imperial Spain: Castile and Aragon”
Link: University of Calgary: The Applied History Research Group’s The European Voyages of Exploration: “Imperial Spain: Castile and Aragon” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entirety of the webpage in order to get a sense of how and why Spain began to create an empire of conquest overseas.

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4.2 The Spanish in the Caribbean and Latin America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 4.2.1-4.2.4.

4.2.1 Christopher Columbus

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire,” and Christopher Columbus’ “Extracts from Journal.”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire” (PDF), and Christopher Columbus’ “Extracts from Journal” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the selection “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire” in order to understand the impact of Columbus’s voyage to what he thought was the East Indies but turned out to be the Americas. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What was the political and economic situation in Spain when Columbus set sail for the first time? What land did Columbus believe he found? How did Columbus’ objectives change from one voyage to another? What is the long-term significance of his voyages?

Then, please read “Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal.” As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does Columbus describe the situation in Spain and its monarchs on the eve of his first voyage? What clues and knowledge did Columbus and his crew rely on to determine when they were approaching land? What rewards did the Spanish monarchs promise those who participated in the voyage? What details of the sailors’ arrival on shore does Columbus include in his journal? How does Columbus’ description of the native population compare and contrast with Bartolome de las Casas’ account in Subunit 4.1.2? What role does Christianity play in Columbus’ account?

(25 minutes)

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4.2.2 Exploits in the Caribbean

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact,” and King Ferdinand's “Letter to the Taino-Arawak Indians.”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact” (PDF), and King Ferdinand's “Letter to the Taino-Arawak Indians” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the selection “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact” in order to understand origins and impact of Spanish exploration and colonization in the Caribbean. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What were the motivations behind Spanish expansion and colonization in the Americas? What are the two styles of European imperialism? In what ways did the Spanish experience in the Caribbean establish patterns of further expansion and colonization?

Please read “King Ferdinand’s letter to the Taino-Arawak Indians.” As you read, ask yourself the following questions: In whose name and by what authority does King Ferdinand claim the lands inhabited by the Taino-Arawak? What does King Ferdinand ask of the Taino-Arawak? What will be the consequences of not complying with this request?

(20 minutes)

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4.2.3 The Conquest of Mexico

Reading: Modern History Sourcebook’s “Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Motecuhzoma’ “Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the selection in order to get a sense of the Spanish Conquistadors’ defeat of the Aztec Empire. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does Motecuhzoma address Cortés? Who is La Malinche and what is her role in the encounter? How does the account describe the circumstances under which the massacre in the main temple occurred?
(10 minutes)

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Reading: Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s True History of the Conquest of Mexico
Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s True History of the Conquest of Mexico (PDF)

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Instructions: Click on the PDF version, or click on one of the alternate versions and download a version (HTML, PDF, Kindle, etc.) under “View the Book” on the left side of the webpage. Please read Chapters VIII and IX, paying special attention to Castillo’s perceptions and observations of the Aztec Empire.

This account, written around 1568, describes the invasion of Mexico by Don Hernando Cortes and his 600 Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Despite their advanced society, the Aztecs were no match for European disease and warfare; three years later, in 1521, the Aztec capital surrendered to Cortes. Written from the perspective of the European conquerors, this document is one of only a few texts that elucidate the collision of Spanish and Aztec cultures in the New World.

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4.2.4 Pizarro and Peru

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress’s Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson, ed.'s Peru: A Country Study: “Pizarro and the Conquistadors”
Link: U.S. Library of Congress’s Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Peru: A Country Study: “Pizarro and the Conquistadors” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to get an overview of Pizarro’s victory over the Incas in Peru. This website contains electronic texts of previous publications printed by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army from 1986-1998.

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4.3 Early Portuguese Colonization Efforts: The Portuguese Empire

Reading: Library of Congress Country Studies: Rex A Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “Early Colonization”
Link: Library of Congress Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “Early Colonization” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entirety of the webpage to get a sense of the early Portuguese Empire.

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Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Portugal”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Portugal” (PDF).

Instructions: Please read the selection in order to get a sense of the emergence of a powerful and influential Portuguese trading empire. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What circumstances enabled Portugal to take the lead in European overseas expansion? In what ways did the Portuguese monarchy encourage maritime exploration? In what ways was Portugal a “trading empire?” What was the Treaty of Tordesillas and what did it state?

(10 minutes)

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Unit 5: England and France in North America

French and English adventurers arrived in the New World in the mid- to late-1500s seeking wealth and new lands. French exploration in the New World began under the aegis of the French monarchy in the 1520s; the monarch dispatched explorers to chart North America and the Caribbean and to promote French interests there. A number of short-lived French settlements were founded in North and South America: Cap Rouge along the St. Lawrence River, Fort Caroline in Florida, Fort Saint Louis in Texas, and a Huguenot settlement in Brazil. More permanent settlements did not emerge in the Caribbean and along the St. Lawrence River until the 1600s.

The English began settling the Americas in the early 1600s; Queen Elizabeth I was keen to claim land for England and to assert a Protestant presence in the New World. However, many of the early settlements—Roanoke Colony (North Carolina) and Popham Colony (Maine)—failed after a short time. Competing with other European powers, the English established permanent settlements along the North American coast and in the Caribbean in the 1630s and 1640s.

In this unit, we will consider the many factors that imperiled early French and English New World settlements: conflicts with local peoples, disease, starvation, and internal strife. We will also consider the transition from trading posts and forts to permanent French and English settlements.

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5.1 Early French Settlements in the Americas

Note: This topic is covered in the resources for sub-subunits 5.1.1-5.1.4.

5.1.1 Fort Caroline

Reading: National Park Service’s “History of Fort Caroline”
Link: National Park Service’s “History of Fort Caroline” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on and read the link to get a sense of the context of the French settlement at Fort Caroline in the 1500s as well France’s claims to Spanish Florida.

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5.1.2 Cap Rouge

Reading: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600, “Early French Exploration of North America,” pp. 10-14.
Link: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600, “Early French Exploration of North America,” pp. 10-14 (PDF).

Instructions: Please read the selection for an overview of early French exploration of North America. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Describe the circumstances that contributed to France’s late start in overseas exploration. What spurred King Francis I to commission a settlement in the name of France in 1541? What was this settlement called and who was involved in establishing it? What was the relationship between the colonists and the native population, the Iroquois? How and why did the first French colony come to an end?

(15 minutes)

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5.1.3 Fort Saint Louis

Reading: Texas Beyond History: Fort St. Louis: “Main,” “The Visionary la Salle,” and “Life...and Death in the French Settlement”
Links: Texas Beyond History: Fort St. Louis: “Main” (PDF), “The Visionary La Salle” (PDF), and “Life...and Death in the French Settlement” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read all three sections of this article on the rise and fall of the French fort known as Fort St. Louis. You will get a good sense of why the settlement was established, why it failed, and why it was significant.

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5.1.4 Huguenots in Brazil

Reading: Harper’s Encyclopedia of US History’s “Huguenots”
Link: Harper’s Encyclopedia of US History’s “Huguenots”(PDF)

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Instructions: Please read this short article to get a sense of the French Huguenots and their motivations for creating settlements in sixteenth century Brazil. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Who were the Huguenots and how did they distinguish themselves in France? What was their motivation for establishing a colony at the bay of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1555? Why did Huguenots continue to desire refuge in France’s American possessions? How did this lead to a new French colony in North America?

(15 minutes)

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5.2 Early English Settlements in the Americas

Reading: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 “The English in North America” (PDF) pp. 14-23,
Link: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 “The English in North America” (PDF) pp. 14-23,

Instructions: Please read “The English in North America,” pp. 14-18 in The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 for an overview of early English colonization efforts.

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5.2.1 Early Adventurers and Colonizers

Reading: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 “The English in North America,” pp. 14-18, and American History’s “Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh March 25 1584”
Link: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 “The English in North America” (PDF) pp. 14-18, andAmerican History’s “Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh March 25 1584” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read “The English in North America,” pp. 14-18 in The Atlantic World, 1492-1600 for an overview of early English colonization efforts. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What circumstances and policies delayed England’s entry into the Atlantic race? What was the purpose and content of the patents King Henry VII issued to John Cabot? What drove developments in navigation and naval warfare in England and in what ways did Elizabeth I capitalize on these developments with respect to overseas exploration when she ascended to the throne?

Then please read “Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh” in order to get a sense of Sir Walter Raleigh—English adventurer and colonizer. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What rights and responsibilities does Elizabeth I grant to Sir Walter Raleigh? According to the charter, how are any new fortifications to be governed?

(20 minutes)

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5.2.2 Fledgling Settlements

Reading: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600, “The Fledgling Settlements,” pp. 18-20
Link: Concepcion Saenz-Camba’s The Atlantic World, 1492-1600, “The Fledgling Settlements” (PDF) pp. 18-20.

Instructions: Please read the selection, which will help you gain a sense of how and why the English tried to establish several settlements along the Atlantic seaboard between the 1580s and the 1610s. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What conditions compelled more explorers and merchants to take their chances in North America? What were the early English hopes for North American colonies? Where was the first English colony in North America and how did this come to be? How and why did this first settlement come to an end? What contributed to the second attempt at a settlement succumbing to a similar fate as the first settlement? To what can the failure of the fledgling settlements be attributed?

(20 minutes)

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Reading: The Berkeley Electronic Press: Professor Paul Royster’s version of John Smith’s A Description of New England
Link: The Berkeley Electronic Press: Professor Paul Royster’s version of John Smith’s A Description of New England (PDF)

Instructions: Please follow the above link to the website, and click on the Download button to view the entire work in PDF format. There are also three downloadable PDF maps on the bottom of the linked webpage.

Smith’s 1616 work is the first to apply the term “New England” to the portion of North America from Long Island Sound to Newfoundland. Seeking a new arena for colonial opportunities in the New World, Smith saw New England as a place where English life could be transplanted to America.

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5.2.3 Jamestown

Reading: Academic American History: Henry J. Sage’s “Virginia: The London Company” and Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701), “Jamestown””
Link: Academic American History: Henry J. Sage’s “Virginia: The London Company” (PDF) and Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal “Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701), “Jamestown”” (PDF)

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Instructions: Please read the selection “Virginia: The London Company” to get a sense of the significance of the Jamestown settlement as well as its historical context. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What were the motivations and goals of colonists and the London Company in North America? What role did Captain John Smith play in the colony of Jamestown? Describe life in the colony.

The please read the first two sections of Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701), “Spain and Its Competitors” and “Jamestown.” As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What are the three types of British colonies and which type was Jamestown? What were the objectives of the colony of Jamestown? Describe the relations between colonists and the natives, the Powhatten. What did the colonists find in lieu of gold?

(20 minutes)

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Unit 6: European Empires, New World Colonies

By the mid-1600s, the New World had become critically important to many European nations. Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French powers had founded permanent colonial settlements and established plantation economies. Inter-European political conflicts, religious wars between Protestants and Catholics, European population pressures, and the emergence of new “enlightened” ideas had fueled Europe’s new emphasis on imperial aspirations.

In this unit, we will consider how pressures and conflicts in Europe spurred European colonization of the New World in the 1600s and early 1700s. We will also study how agricultural and industrial innovations and new “enlightened” ideas undergirded Europe’s expansionist ideology.

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6.1 Reasons for New World Colonization

Note: This topic is covered by the materials in the inclusive sub-subunits below.

6.1.1 European Imperial Competition

Reading: Richard Hakluyt’s “Discourse of western planting 1584” and Governor Glen’s “The Role of the Indians in the Rivalry Between France, Spain, and England 1761”
Link: Richard Hakluyt’s “Discourse of Western planting 1584” (PDF), and Governor Glen’s “The Role of the Indians in the Rivalry Between France, Spain, and England 1761” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the document “Richard Hakluyt, Discourse of Western Planting 1584” to get a sense of what sparked European exploration and colonization as nations. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What reasons does Hakluyt give for England’s need to establish American colonies? How does he describe Spain’s presence and activities in the Atlantic region? What benefits for England will be wrought by colonization and how will this impact England’s relations with Spain?

The please read the document “Governor Glen, The Role of the Indians in the Rivalry Between France, Spain, and England 1761.” As you read, ask yourself the following questions: According to Governor Glen, over which regions do England, France, and Spain exercise influence in North America? What characterizes the relations among these nations in North America? What impact do Native Americans have on these relations? How does this shape diplomacy in colonial North America?

(15 minutes)

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6.1.2 The Creation of an Atlantic Economy

Reading: The Avalon Project’s “Charter of the Dutch West India Company : 1621”, Thomas Mun’s “England's Treasure By Forraign Trade, 1664”, American History’s “Adam Smith From The Wealth of Nations 1776 The Cost of Empire”, and Modern History Sourcebook’s “Summary of Wallerstein on World System Theory”
Link: The Avalon Project’s “Charter of the Dutch West India Company: 1621” (PDF),Thomas Mun’s “England's Treasure By Forraign Trade, 1664” (PDF),American History’s “Adam Smith From The Wealth of Nations 1776 The Cost of Empire” (PDF), and Modern History Sourcebook’s “Summary of Wallerstein on World System Theory” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the documents to get a sense of the rise of an Atlantic Economy. As you read, ask yourself the following questions for each document:

Dutch West India Company Charter: What rights does the Charter grant to those individuals representing the Dutch West India Company? In what ways does the parent country, the United Provinces, provide support and protection to these individuals? What rights does the parent company retain for itself?

Thomas Mun document: what rule for foreign trade does Mun lay out in this document? What, according to Mun, is the primary goal of foreign trade and how can one recognize the achievement of this goal?

Adam Smith document: According to Adam Smith, what benefits does Europe derive from American colonies? How do goods from the Americas effect markets in Europe? What is the objective of the mercantile system? What are the consequences of this objective for Europe?

Summary of Wallerstein: According to the summary, what was the “feudal crisis” and what caused it? How does the author define the modern world economic system that emerged in the wake of the feudal crisis? What is the division of labor in this system? What roles do each of the following divisions play in this system: Core, Periphery, Semi-Periphery, and External Areas?

(25 minutes)

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6.1.3 Religious Conflicts and Wars

Reading: Modern History Sourcebook’s “Map: Religious Division of Europe”, and The Saylor Foundation’s World History Relevant Chapter – VII, 69: “The Religious Wars”
Link: Modern History Sourcebook’s “Map: Religious Division of Europe” (PDF), and The Saylor Foundation’s World History Relevant Chapter – VII, 69: “The Religious Wars” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the Chapter VII, “The Religious Wars,” in the above textbook. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Over what lands did Charles V preside? Who was the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 between and what was its outcome? To whom did Charles V leave the crown of Spain and Spanish possessions in Italy, Sicily, the Netherlands, and America? What reasons does the author offer for the rebellion against Spanish rule in the Netherlands? What was the result of this rebellion? What reasons does the author give for Philip II’s attempt to conquer England? According to the author, what is the significance of England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada? Among which segment of the population in France did Calvinism spread most widely? What was the Edict of Nantes and what did it grant? What did the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 end and what, according to the author, is its long-term significance?

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6.1.4 Absolutism

Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 2: Absolutism and the State”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Absolutism and the State” (YouTube)

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Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute lecture in order to understand that absolutism emerged in Europe as a result of the protracted religious conflicts of the late 1500s and early 1600s.

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Reading: Jacques Benigne Bossuet’s Political Treatise, Duc de Saint-Simon’s “The Court of Louis XIV” and Jean-Baptiste Colbert’s “Memorandum on Trade, 1664.”
Link: Jacques Benigne Bossuet’s Political Treatise(PDF),Duc de Saint-Simon’s “The Court of Louis XIV” (PDF) and Jean-Baptiste Colbert’s “Memorandum on Trade, 1664” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the documents in order to get a sense of the origins of “absolute” monarchy in Europe. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: According to Bossuet, from where does a king derive his authority? In what ways should kings exercise this authority? How does Bossuet characterize royal power? To whom is the king responsible?

How does Duc de Saint-Simon describe Louis XIV of France? What was the king’s “weakness?” How does Saint-Simon describe life at Versailles?

According to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, how did trade levels shift when Louis XIV ascended to the throne of France? What, according to Colbert, should the king’s trade goals be?

(20 minutes)

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6.1.5 Constitutionalism

Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 3: Dutch and British Exceptionalism”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Dutch and British Exceptionalism” (YouTube)

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Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute lecture in order to understand how and why both England and Holland rejected absolutist rule.

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6.1.6 A Rising European Population

Lecture: Yale University: Professor Robert Wyman’s “Lecture 7: Demographic Transition in Europe; Mortality Decline”
Link: Yale University: Professor Robert Wyman’s “Lecture 7: Demographic Transition in Europe; Mortality Decline” (YouTube)

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Instructions: Please watch the entire 1-hour lecture by Yale biologist Robert Wyman. You will get a sense of the reasons why Europe experienced a population explosion in the 1700s and why some political economists, such as Thomas Malthus, worried that the population might exceed the food supply.

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6.2 The Early Enlightenment

Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 5: The Enlightenment and the Public Sphere”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 5: The Enlightenment and the Public Sphere” (YouTube)

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Reading: Modern History Sourcebook: Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “The Social Contract, 1762”, and Modern History Sourcebook: Immanuel Kant’s “What is Enlightenment?, 1784”
Link: Modern History Sourcebook: Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “The Social Contract, 1762” and Modern History Sourcebook: Immanuel Kant’s “What is Enlightenment? 1784”

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Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute lecture, which argues that the Enlightenment was not simply the “age of reason” but was also the age of the public sphere and the declining power of the monarchy, and read the documents to get a sense of the early Enlightenment. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: According to Rousseau, what must the strong do in order to always be master? Rousseau states, “Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.” What does he mean by this? To what does Rousseau link liberty? How does he define war? What is the problem that the Social Contract solves? What is the Social Contract?

According to Kant, what is enlightenment? How does man remove himself from a life of tutelage? How does Kant define the freedom that accompanies enlightenment? How does he distinguish between the public and the private use of reason?

(25 minutes)

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Unit 7: French New World Colonies

The French colonies in the New World were highly varied outposts. The North American holdings—called New France—were shaped mostly by the lucrative fur trade. New France was not populous, but it was profitable, and fur trading became the center of the French North American economy. In addition, sugar plantations were established in French Louisiana and African slaves were imported to work in the cane fields or to be sold in ports along the Mississippi River. Jesuit missionaries had a prominent role in New France; they provided religious services to French men and women and converted native peoples to Catholicism. The most valuable French holdings in the Americas, however, were in the Caribbean. Saint-Domingue, nicknamed the “Pearl of the Antilles,” became the most profitable plantation colony in the New World. France also claimed a number of other islands in the Caribbean, including Guadeloupe and Martinique, and French Guiana in South America. Sugar and coffee drove the economies of these colonies, and, after decimating the indigenous Arawak and Carib populations, French settlers imported African slaves to labor on plantations.

In this unit, we will consider the differences between New France and the French colonies in the Caribbean. We will also study French colonial governance and economy and consider the impact of these policies on native peoples.

Unit 7 Time Advisory show close

Unit 7 Learning Outcomes show close

7.1 French Holdings in the New World

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 7.1.1-7.1.4.

7.1.1 The French in the Great Lakes

Reading: Modern History Sourcebook: Samuel de Champlain’s “The Foundation of Quebec, 1608”, and University of Groningen‘s “Memoir for the Marquis de Seignelay Regarding Canada January 1687”
Link: Modern History Sourcebook: Samuel de Champlain’s “The Foundation of Quebec, 1608” (PDF) and University of Groningen‘s “Memoir for the Marquis de Seignelay Regarding Canada January 1687” (PDF).

Also Available in:
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HTML(“Memoir for the Marquis de Seignelay Regarding Canada January 1687”)

Instructions: Please read the selections to get an overview of settlement patterns in New France and motivations for French colonization in what is now Canada. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: According to Champlain, why was there a ban on trading pelts? What were the motivations to found a settlement? Where does Champlain deem the best place for a settlement? What structures do the French build at the new settlement and what do they find a few leagues up river?

According to the Marquis de Seignelay, why are the English so troublesome in North America? Why are they more attractive than the French as trading partners for Native Americans? What role do Native Americans play in the relations between the French and the English in North America? Which French lands are most under threat of English usurpation? What role does religion play in the Marquis de Seignelay’s account?

(15 minutes)

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7.1.2 Religion in New France

Reading: Creighton University: Reuben Gold Thwaites’s “The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents: Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France, 1610-1791,Volume X ‘Preface and Part First, Chapter One’”
Link: Creighton University: Reuben Gold Thwaites’s “The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents: Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France, 1610-1791,Volume X ‘Preface and Part First, Chapter One’” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the Preface and first chapter of the account about Jesuits and the establishment of Catholicism in New France. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does Le Jeune characterize his mission in New France? How does he describe the conversion of the Huron? What events, circumstances, and characteristics does he include? What methods does Le Jeune use to convert the Huron? What are the benefits of these methods?

(20 minutes)

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7.1.3 The Fur Trade

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Fur Trade”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Fur Trade” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire text. As you read, consider the following questions: what economic, social, and geographic factors shaped the early fur trade? Who were the primary actors involved in the trade, and what roles did each play? In what ways did disputes over the fur trade alter routes and shape both native and European policies concerning the trade?

Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete..

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Reading: The Manitoba Historical Society: Father Antoine Champagne’s “The Vérendryes and Their Successors, 1727-1760”
Link: The Manitoba Historical Society: Father Antoine Champagne’s “The Vérendryes and Their Successors, 1727-1760” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire article. You will get an excellent overview of the French fur trading interests in the Great Lakes region during the eighteenth century.

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7.1.4 The Huron

Reading: Creighton University: Reuben Gold Thwaites’s “The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents: Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France, 1610-1791,Volume X [85] Part Second, ‘On the Beliefs, Manners, and Customs of the Hurons’ Chapter First.”
Link: Creighton University: Reuben Gold Thwaites’s “The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents: Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France, 1610-1791, Volume X [85] Part Second, ‘On the Beliefs, Manners, and Customs of the Hurons’ Chapter First” (PDF).

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Instructions: Please read the selection listed above about the Huron tribes, many of who became allies of French traders and settlers in New France. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does Le Jeune describe the Huron origin story? How do the Huron account for the creation of the world and in what ways does this account shape their way of life? What parallels does Le Jeune draw between Huron beliefs and Christian beliefs?

(20 minutes)

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7.2 Louisiana

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 7.2.1 and 7.2.2.

7.2.1 Colonial Louisiana

Reading: The Library of Congress' “Louisiana as a French Colony: Difficult Early Years of the Colony”
Link: Library of Congress' “Louisiana as a French Colony: Difficult Early Years of the Colony” (PDF)

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Instructions: Please read the selection in order to get a sense of the nature of settlements in colonial Louisiana. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How does the author describe the relationship between the settlers of Louisiana and the parent country of France? What circumstances affected this relationship? What did settlers do to survive? What privileges did Antoine Crozat receive in the proprietary charter of 1712? Who was John Law and what was his role in developing the economic viability of Louisiana? To what fate did he succumb?

(15 minutes)

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7.2.2 The Mississippi River Valley

Reading: The Library of Congress’ “A Map of Louisiana and of the River Mississippi,”and Connexions: Jack E. Maxfield’s “America: A.D. 1601 to 1700.”
Link: The Library of Congress: The Library of Congress’s “A Map of Louisiana and of the River Mississippi” (PDF), and Connexions: Jack E. Maxfield’s“America: A.D. 1601 to 1700” (PDF).

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HTML (“America: A.D. 1601 to 1700”)

Instructions: Please view the image and read the selection in order to get a sense of French colonization efforts in the Mississippi River valley. Scroll down to “The Mississippi River Region and Louisiana”. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What was the motivation of Robert Cavelier de La Salle to explore the Mississippi River? What reasons did La Salle provide to encourage the French crown to settle the Mississippi region? What happened to La Salle on a subsequent voyage? Who established the French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi delta around 1700 and how did this come to be?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: “America: A.D. 1601 to 1700” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to Jack E. Maxfield, and the original version can be found here (HTML). “A Map of Louisiana and of the River Mississippi” is in the public domain.
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7.3 Caribbean

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 7.3.1 and 7.3.2.

7.3.1 Origins of the French West Indies

Reading: The L’Ouverture Project’s “General Whyte's Proclamation to the People of Saint-Domingue (1794)”, and The L’Ouverture Project’s “Toussaint L’Ouverture's 'Dictatorial Proclamation' (1801)”
Link: The L’Ouverture Project’s “General Whyte's Proclamation to the People of Saint-Domingue (1794)” (PDF), and The L’Ouverture Project’s “Toussaint L’Ouverture's 'Dictatorial Proclamation' (1801)” (PDF).

Also Available in:
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Instructions: Please read the selections to gain an overview of the revolt in the French colony of Saint-Domingue and the establishment of the Haitian Republic. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Who is General Whyte and why does he issue a proclamation to the people of Saint-Domingue? What does Whyte encourage the people of Saint-Domingue to do? What does he offer in return? How does Toussaint L’Ouverture describe his recent actions in his 1801 Proclamation? How does he describe the children of Saint-Domingue? Who has authority in Saint-Domingue under L’Ouverture’s rule? According to the Proclamation, how are foreigners to be treated? What restrictions does L’Ouverture place on citizens of Saint-Domingue

(20 minutes)

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7.3.2 Saint Domingue

Reading: The L'Ouverture Project: “General Whyte's Proclamation to the People of Saint-Domingue (1794)” and “Toussaint L’Ouverture's 'Dictatorial Proclamation' (1801)”
Link: The L’Ouverture Project: The L’Ouverture Project’s “General Whyte's Proclamation to the People of Saint-Domingue (1794)” (PDF), and The L’Ouverture Project: The L’Ouverture Project’s “Toussaint L’Ouverture's 'Dictatorial Proclamation' (1801)” (PDF).
Also Available in:
HTML(“General Whyte’s Proclamation to the People of Saint-Dominque (1794)”) HTML(“Toussaint L’Ouverture’s ‘Dictatorial Proclamation’ (1801)”) Instructions: Please read the selections to gain an overview of the revolt in the French colony of Saint-Domingue and the establishment of the Haitian Republic. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Who is General Whyte and why does he issue a proclamation to the people of Saint-Domingue? What does Whyte encourage the people of Saint-Domingue to do? What does he offer in return? How does Toussaint L’Ouverture describe his recent actions in his 1801 Proclamation? How does he describe the children of Saint-Domingue? Who has authority in Saint-Domingue under L’Ouverture’s rule? According to the Proclamation, how are foreigners to be treated? What restrictions does L’Ouverture place on citizens of Saint-Domingue
(20 minutes)
Terms of Use: Both of the resources above are released under Creative Commons Attribution Licenses (HTML). They are attributed to The L’Ouverture Project, and the original versions can be found here and here (HTML).
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Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Haitian Revolution Part 1” and “Haitian Revolution Part 2”
Link: Khan Academy’s “Haitian Revolution Part 1” (YouTube) and Khan Academy’s “Haitian Revolution Part 2” (YouTube).

Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 27 minutes), which provides an overview of the slave rebellion in Saint-Domingue, which sparked the Haitian Revolution and the rise of the commander and revolutionary leader Toussaint L’Ouverture. The Haitian Revolution is considered the most successful slave rebellion ever to have occurred in the Americas and a defining moment in the history of Africans in the New World. This web media should take 30 minutes to complete. Then, please watch the other above video (approx. 17 minutes) on the second phase of the Haitian Revolution under Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who became leader after the capture of L’Ouverture in 1802. This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.

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Unit 8: British America

Although Britain was the last European power to establish a firm presence in the New World, it exerted wide-ranging influence by the eighteenth century. First, British North American colonies were the most populous. Second, British traders imported more African slaves than any other European nation. And third, Britain maintained extensive landholdings in North, Central, and South America as well as in the Caribbean.

British New World colonies were diverse. North American colonies supplied lumber, naval stores, and agricultural produce to the mother country while the Caribbean colonies exported sugar and coffee. After devastating native peoples and deeming indentured servitude inadequate, many Britons turned to African slaves as their main labor source. And unlike France, British colonies were not directly under the aegis of the monarch; semi-autonomous legislative bodies governed British provinces.

In this unit, we will study the economies, labor systems, and cultures of British North America, the British Caribbean, and British Central and South America.

Unit 8 Time Advisory show close

Unit 8 Learning Outcomes show close

8.1 North America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 8.1.1-8.1.3.

8.1.1 New England Colonies

Reading: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701)”, and Modern History Sourcebook: William Bradford’s “from History of Plymouth Plantation, c. 1650”
Link:Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701)” (PDF), and Modern History Sourcebook: William Bradford’s “History of Plymouth Plantation, c. 1650” (PDF).

Also Available in:
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Instructions: Please read the selections for an overview of the New England Colonies and to get a sense of why Puritans settled in New England and what their society looked like throughout the 1600s. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: According to the author of “New England Colonies,” how do New England colonies differ from Chesapeake and southern colonies? Who were the Separatists and what did they desire? What was the Mayflower Compact and what did the Separatists intend it to do? What characteristics does the author of “New England Colonies” use to describe the Puritans? Who was Anne Hutchinson and why was she persecuted? What was the first Puritan colony and how did John Winthrop envision its mission?

How does William Bradford describe the voyage and initial experiences of his party in North America? What were the terms of the peace the colonists made with local Native Americans in 1621? Who was Squanto and what role did he play among the colonists? According to Bradford, how were food provisions and harvests distributed in the colony?

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: “Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701)” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML); it is attributed to Dr. James Ross-Nazzal, and the original version can be found here (HTML). “History of Plymouth Plantation, c. 1650” is in the public domain.
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8.1.2 Middle Colonies

Reading: Connexions: James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 3: British Colonial America (1588-1701)”
Link: Connexions: James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 3: British Colonial America (1588-1701)”

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Instructions: Please scroll down to “The Middle Colonie.s” Please read the selections for an overview of the Middle Colonies. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How did England come to possess the colony formerly called New Amsterdam? What problems existed in New York colony? In what way and through what event did New York colony create the idea of free press? Which religious group established the colony of Pennsylvania? In what way did William Penn attempt to promote positive relations between colonists and Native Americans?

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8.1.3 Lower Colonies

Reading: The University of Groningen: From Revolution to Reconstruction Project’s “Chapter Two: The Southern Colonies”
Link: The University of Groningen: From Revolution to Reconstruction Project’s “Chapter Two: The Southern Colonies” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this webpage in its entirety. Pay special attention to how the Lower Colonies’ formation was different to the Middle and the New England Colonies.

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8.2 The Caribbean

Reading: National Archives’ “Caribbean Histories Revealed” “Introduction,” “Movement of People,” “Caribbean Identities,” and “Slavery and Negotiating Freedom”
Links: National Archives’ “Caribbean Histories Revealed” “Introduction,” (HTML) “Movement of People,” (HTML) “Caribbean Identities,” (HTML) and “Slavery and Negotiating Freedom” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read each webpage linked above. Also, at the bottom of each webpage, please click on and read the featured primary source documents. This online exhibition will give you a good overview of the culture of sugar and slavery in the British Caribbean.

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8.2.1 Barbados

Reading: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Ch. 3 British Colonial America (1588-1701)”
Link: Connexions: James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 3: British Colonial America (1588-1701)” (PDF)

Also Available in:
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Instructions: Scroll down to “Southern Colonies” and read the brief history of Barbados at the beginning of the selection. Please read brief passage on Barbados to get an overview of British colonial society in Barbados. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Describe the triangular trade in which sugar was one part. Why was there a continuous increase in African slaves in British Caribbean colonies? For what reason was the colony of the Carolinas created in 1653?

(10 minutes)

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8.2.2 Jamaica

Reading: Open Knowledge Repository: World Bank’s “Jamaica - Country Economic Memorandum: Unlocking Growth”
Link: Open Knowledge Repository: World Bank’s “Jamaica - Country Economic Memorandum: Unlocking Growth” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read this article, which will give you an overview of the history of Jamaica.

Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (HTML) license. You can find the original Open Knowledge Repository version of this article here (HTML).
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8.2.3 Sugar and Coffee

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Sandra W. Meditz’s and Dennis M. Hanratty’s (eds.) Caribbean Islands: A Country Study: “The Sugar Revolutions and Slavery”
Link: U.S. Library of Congress: Sandra W. Meditz’s and Dennis M. Hanratty’s (eds.) Caribbean Islands: A Country Study: “The Sugar Revolutions and Slavery” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire article to get a sense of how the sugar revolution in the Caribbean influenced the rise of the Atlantic slave trade and the rise of the plantation complex.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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8.3 Central and South America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 8.3.1 and 8.3.2.

8.3.1 British Honduras

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Tim Merrill’s (ed.) Belize: A Country Study: “The Emergence of the British Settlement,” “Beginnings of Self-Government and the Plantocracy,” “Slavery in the Settlement, 1794-1838,” and “Emigration of the Garifuna”
Links: U.S. Library of Congress: Tim Merrill’s (ed.) Belize: A Country Study: “The Emergence of the British Settlement,” (PDF) “Beginnings of Self-Government and the Plantocracy,” (PDF) “Slavery in the Settlement, 1794-1838,” (PDF) and “Emigration of the Garifuna” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read each webpage in its entirety in order to understand the founding of what became known as British Honduras.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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8.3.2 British Guyana

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Tim Merrill’s (ed.) Guyana: A Country Study: The Early Years,” “The Dutch Settle in Guyana,” “British Take Over,” “The Shortage of Labor,” and “History of the Economy”
Links: U.S. Library of Congress: Tim Merrill’s (ed.) Guyana: A Country Study: “The Early Years,” (PDF) “The Dutch Settle in Guyana,” (PDF) “British Take Over,” (PDF) The Shortage of Labor,” (PDF) and “History of the Economy” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read all of the webpages in order to understand the creation of the British colony in Guyana.

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Unit 9: The Spanish and Portuguese Americas

Spanish and Portuguese colonial forces dominated the New World during much of the eighteenth century. Portuguese Brazil produced gold, and, by the mid-1700s, supplied 40 percent of Europe’s sugar. And under the Bourbon reforms of the eighteenth century, Spanish Central and South America as well as Spanish territories in the Caribbean became more efficient and centralized colonial outposts.

Both Spanish and Portuguese New World colonies owed much of their success to the streamlining of colonial administration and economy during the 1700s. Colonial authorities in most cases reported directly to authorities in Europe; they had little or no autonomous rule. Their expansionist and exploitative mining and plantation regimes resulted in the high production of gold, silver, sugar, and other products. Of course, the result was devastating for African slaves and indigenous peoples, many of whom succumbed to disease or were enslaved or killed during conflicts with Spanish and Portuguese forces.

In this unit, we will consider the hegemony of the Spanish and Portuguese in the New World during the eighteenth century. We will also study how this dominance came at a cost—the millions of Africans enslaved in the New World and the countless deaths of native peoples demonstrated the high price of colonization.

Unit 9 Time Advisory show close

Unit 9 Learning Outcomes show close

9.1 Spanish Central America

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 9.1.1-9.1.3.

9.1.1 New Spain

Reading: Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s “True History of the Conquest of Mexico”
Link: Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s “True History of the Conquest of Mexico” (HTML)

Also available in:
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of the selection, paying special attention to Castillo’s perceptions and observations of the Aztec Empire.

You may view this text online, or you may choose to download the PDF version, by clicking on the link on the left side of the page. This account, written around 1568, describes the invasion of Mexico by Don Hernando Cortes and his 600 Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Written from the perspective of the European conquerors, this document is one of only a few texts that elucidates the collision of Spanish and Aztec cultures in the New World.

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Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Tim L. Merrill’s and Ramón Miró’s (eds.) Mexico: A Country Study: “The Spanish Conquest,” “Encomiendas,” “Colonial Administration,” “The Road to Independence,” and “Criollos and Clergy”
Links: U.S. Library of Congress: Tim L. Merrill’s and Ramón Miró’s (eds.) Mexico: A Country Study: “The Spanish Conquest,” (PDF) “Encomiendas,” (PDF) “Colonial Administration,” (PDF) “The Road to Independence,” and “Criollos and Clergy” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read each webpage in its entirety to gain an understanding of the creation of the Spanish colony of New Spain.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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9.1.2 Colonial Peru

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Peru: A Country Study: “The Colonial Period,” “The Colonial Economy,” “Colonial Administration,” “The Colonial Church,” and “Indigenous Rebellions”
Links: U.S. Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Peru: A Country Study: “The Colonial Period” (PDF), “The Colonial Economy” (PDF), “Colonial Administration” (PDF), “The Colonial Church” (PDF), and “Indigenous Rebellions” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read each webpage in its entirety for information on the creation of Spanish Peru—its government, society, economy, and clashes with indigenous peoples.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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9.1.3 Spanish Florida

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Spanish Florida”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Spanish Florida” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire text. As you read, consider the following questions: what motivated the Spanish exploration of Florida? How did native peoples of Florida respond to the Spanish presence? How would you characterize the relationship that developed between Spanish and native peoples?

Studying this reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
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Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales’ "The Founding of St. Augustine"
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales’ "The Founding of St. Augustine" (PDF)

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Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. In this account, Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, a Spanish priest, describes the landing of the Spanish fleet in La Florida in 1565. King Phillip II of Spain had commanded that his forces explore and colonize the territory, as well as expel any Europeans—namely the French at Fort Caroline.

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9.2 Portuguese South America

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “The Colonial Era, 1500-1815,” “Early Colonization,” and “Gold Mining Displaces Cane Farming”
Links: U.S. Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “The Colonial Era, 1500-1815” (PDF), “Early Colonization” (PDF), and “Gold Mining Displaces Cane Farming” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read each webpage in its entirety to learn about Portugal’s early exploration of Brazil. This website contains electronic texts of previous publications printed by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army from 1986-1998.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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Unit 10: Africans in the New World

Beginning in the Sixteenth century, Africans were brought to the Americans to serve as enslaved laborers on plantations and in mines. However, Africans were not the first laborers to be used in the New World for that purpose. Portuguese and Spanish colonizers had utilized indentured servitude and enslaved local Amerindian peoples. However, when disease depleted the Amerindian slaves and indentured European servants, African laborers became a viable alternative. Africans were accustomed to a tropical climate, were familiar with agricultural production, and seemed resistant to French West Indies, or to Spanish or Portuguese America as captive slaves.

Although African laborers were used throughout the Caribbean, mainland North American and Central and South America, the nature of enslavement and the role of African laborers in each society varied widely. There were many reasons for this. First, the nature of slavery depended upon the goods being produced - slavery on sugar plantations in Barbados, for example, was far different than slavery in the gold mines of Peru. Second, New World societies often perceived slavery (and slaves) differently. In some colonies, for example, manumission (release from slavery) was more common and accepted than in others. And third, many New World societies were shaped by their importation of slaves from specific regions in Africa. Rice planters in the Carolinas, for example, wanted to import African ethnic groups who had experience growing rice in Africa.

In this unit, we will examine why European colonizers turned to imported Africans as their main source of labor on plantations and in gold and silver mines. We will also compare and contrast the slave societies that emerged in the New World between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.

Unit 10 Time Advisory show close

Unit 10 Learning Outcomes show close

10.1 Enslavement of Native Peoples

Note: This topic is covered in the resources for sub-subunits 10.1.1-10.1.3.

10.1.1 Amerindian Slavery in the Americas

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Amerindian Slavery in the Americas”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Amerindian Slavery in the Americas” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire text. As you read, consider the following questions: in which regions of the Americas did Europeans rely on native slavery most heavily, and why? How did Europeans justify native slavery, and what were the objections to it?

Studying this reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.
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10.1.2 Amerindian Slavery in the Caribbean

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Amerindian Slavery in the Caribbean”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Amerindian Slavery in the Caribbean” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire text. As you read, consider the following questions: who, or which groups, protested the enslavement of natives in the Caribbean? In what ways and through what decrees did the Spanish crown address these protests? What were some of the outcomes of these decrees?

Studying this reading and answer the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.
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10.1.3 Encomienda

Reading: The Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s “Encomiendas”, and Modern History Sourcebook: Henry Stevens’s ‘The New Laws of the Indies, 1542”
Link: The Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s “Encomiendas” (PDF) and Modern History Sourcebook: Henry Stevens’ “The New Laws of the Indies, 1542” (PDF)

Also Available in:
HTML (Rex A. Hudson’s “Encomiendas”)
HTML (Henry Stevens’ “The New Laws of the Indies, 1542”)

Instructions: Read the selections for an overview of the labor systems in the early Spanish American colonies, focusing on Native American slavery and the encomienda. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What is an encomienda and how did it come to exist in Spanish colonies in the Americas? What were the responsibilities of the encomendero? How did the repartimento differ from the encomienda? What does the king of Spain charge his official representative, the Audiencias, with in the New Laws of the Indies (1542)? What do the laws prohibit? What provisions and protections do the laws offer to individuals working pearl fisheries? From whom do the laws take away the possibility of using Native Americans as forced labor?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The above articles are in the public domain.
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Reading: Jay I. Kislak Foundation: Dr. Lynne Guitar’s “No More Negotiation: Slavery and Destabilization of Colonial Hispaniola’s Encomienda System”
Link: Jay I. Kislak Foundation: Dr. Lynne Guitar’s “No More Negotiation: Slavery and Destabilization of Colonial Hispaniola’s Encomienda System” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire article to learn about the transition from the encomienda system to the system of chattel slavery in sixteenth century Hispaniola.

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10.2 Indentured Servitude

Note: This topic is covered by the materials in the inclusive sub-subunits below.

10.2.1 From Indentured Servitude to Race-based Slavery

Reading: PBS’s “Africans in America:” “From Indentured Servitude to Racial Slavery”
Link: PBS’s “Africans in America:” “From Indentured Servitude to Racial Slavery” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire passage, which will provide you with an explanation of why many European empires turned from Amerindian slavery to African slavery in the 1500s

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Reading: Academic American History: Henry J. Sage’s “Colonial America (1607-1763), The Lives of Indentured Servants,” Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Atlantic Slave Trade: Carriers and Destinations,” and Antislavery.org’s “Trade Routes: Americas and the Caribbean”
Link: Academic American History: Henry J. Sage’s “Colonial America (1607-1763), The Lives of Indentured Servants” (PDF), Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Atlantic Slave Trade: Carriers and Destinations” (PDF), and Antislavery.org’s “Trade Routes: Americas and the Caribbean” (PDF)

Also available in:
HTML (Henry J. Sage’s “The Lives of Indentured Servants)
HTML (Paul Halsall’s “Atlantic Slave Trade: Carriers and Destinations”)

Instructions: Scroll down to “The Lives of Indentured Servants”. Please read the selections for an introduction to indentured servitude and the Atlantic Slave Trade. In what ways did indentured servants address the labor shortage in colonial America? Why might an individual become an indentured servant? What was the average period of service? As you read and view the graph, ask yourself the following questions: According to the graph, which country transported the largest number of Africans in the Transatlantic Slave Trade? Which region in the Americas received the largest number of Africans from the Transatlantic Slave Trade? What role did the Transatlantic Slave Trade play in the expansion of American colonial economies? What role did it play in the expansion of European economies?

Reading these articles should take approximately 30 minutes.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright status of Henry J. Sage’s “The Lives of Indentured Servants” and Antislavery.org’s “The Trade Routes: Americas and the Caribean,” both of which are used by permission. Paul Halsall’s “The Atlantic Slave Trade: Carriers and Destinations” is in the Public Domain.
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10.2.2 Slavery and Race in the Sixteenth Century

Reading: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 4: Slavery and Empire (1441-1770)”, and Academic American History: Gustavus Vasa’s “Middle Passage”
Link: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal and David White’s “Ch. 4 Slavery and Empire (1441-1770)” (PDF) and Academic American History: Gustavus Vasa’s “Middle Passage” (PDF)

Also Available in:
HTML (Connexions: “Ch. 4 Slavery ad Empire (1441-1770)”)
HTML (Academic American history’s “Middle Passage”)

Instructions: Please read the selections, which describe European propaganda and attitudes towards slavery. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What reasons does the author of “Slavery and Empire (1441-1770)” give for Europeans’ preference for enslaving Africans from the West coast of Africa? How did the institution of slavery and the lives of African slaves differ among the various geographic regions of the English colonies? What is fictive kinship and what role did it play in slave communities? What percentage of British exports came from slave colonies? In the document “The Middle Passage: Voyage from Africa, 1756,” how does the author, Olaudah Equiano, describe his first experiences aboard the slave ship? What conditions did he find? What did Equiano learn from his fellow countrymen also aboard the ship? What did Equino see two other of his countrymen do?

(20 minutes)

Terms of Use: Ross-Nazzal and White’s “Ch. 4 Slavery and Empire (1441-1701)” is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (HTML) license. Academic American History’s “Middle History” is in the public domain.
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10.3 Africans in New World Societies

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 10.3.1-10.3.4.

10.3.1 Africans in Spanish America

Reading: National Park Service’s “African American Heritage and Ethnography”: “Africans in Spanish America”
Link: National Park Service’s “African American Heritage and Ethnography”: “Africans in Spanish America” (PDF)

Also available in:
iBook

Instructions: Please read the entire article to get a sense of the role of African slaves in Spain and Spanish America. Use the “next” link at the bottom of each webpage to move to each subsequent page until you reach the webpage with the “Conclusion” section.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Making of the Atlantic World”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Making of the Atlantic World”(PDF)

Instructions: Please read the selection for an overview of Africans in the Atlantic World. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What various roles did Africans play in the Atlantic system? What conditions occasioned Africans to be captured and transported to Spanish America?

(10 minutes)

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.
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10.3.2 Africans in Portuguese America

Reading: Mediations: Emilio Sauri’s translation of Dr. Luiz Felipe de Alencastro’s “Brazil in the South Atlantic, 1550-1850”
Link: Mediations: Emilio Sauri’s translation of Dr. Luiz Felipe de Alencastro’s “Brazil in the South Atlantic, 1550-1850” (HTML or PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire journal article for a good overview of Brazil’s role in the slave trade, the development of the plantation complex, and the rise of African slavery.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
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10.3.3 Africans in French America

Reading: National Park Service’s “African American Heritage and Ethnography”: “Africans in French America”
Link: National Park Service’s “African American Heritage and Ethnography”: “Africans in French America” (PDF)

Also available in:
iBook

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to get a sense of the system of slavery in French colonies in North America, particularly in Louisiana.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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10.3.4 Africans in British America

Reading: Academic American History: Henry J. Sage’s “Life in Colonial America”, and “Virginia Slave Laws”
Link: Academic American History: Henry J. Sage’s “Life in Colonial America” (PDF) and Henry J. Sage’s “Virginia Slave Laws” (PDF)

Also Available in:
HTML (Henry J. Sage’s “Life in Colonial America”)
HTML (Henry J. Sage’s “Virginia Slave Laws”)

Instructions: Scroll down to “Slavery in the Colonial World”. Please read the selections for an overview of the processes of enslavement in colonial America. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: How and why did the institution of slavery come to consist of lifetime slavery in British North American colonies? Besides the slave trade, what accounts for an increase in the slave population? According to the Virginia Slave Laws, which parent determines the status of a child born in the colony? What effect does Christian baptism have on a slave’s status? What justifications do the laws provide for corporal punishment of slaves?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The use of the articles above is by the kind permission of the author, llease respect their copyright and terms of use.
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Unit 11: New World Conflicts

Between the first voyages of the 1400s and the height of European colonization in the eighteenth century, the New World was plagued by war between European nations or between European forces and native peoples. European conflicts in the Americas were usually an extension of conflicts centered in Europe. The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), for example, embroiled European powers in a contest over the issue of the inheritance of the Spanish crown and kingdom; it resulted in raids and conflicts in the Caribbean, South America, and North America. On the other hand, violence between native peoples and European colonizers usually erupted when colonists infringed on tribal lands or disrupted local economies. King Philip’s War (1675), one of the bloodiest New World conflicts, pitted the Wampanoag Indians and their allies against English colonists, resulting in thousands of deaths.

In this unit, we will consider how inter-European conflicts often migrated to New World settings. We will also consider the uprisings that broke out between land-hungry Europeans and the native inhabitants.

Unit 11 Time Advisory show close

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11.1 European Wars in the New World

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 11.1.1-11.1.7.

11.1.1 Conflicts between the Portuguese, Dutch, and French in Brazil

Reading: U.S. Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “French and Dutch Incursions”
Link: U.S. Library of Congress: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “French and Dutch Incursions” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the whole excerpt in order to get a sense of the conflicts between the French, Dutch, and Portuguese—all of whom grappled for control of Brazil. This website contains electronic texts of previous publications printed by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army from 1986-1998.

Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.
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11.1.2 Anglo-Dutch Wars

Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Anglo-Dutch Wars”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Anglo-Dutch Wars” (PDF)

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire text. As you read, consider the following questions: what was the primary source of conflict between England and the Dutch Republic? What were the immediate causes of the Anglo-Dutch wars? Where were the wars fought, and who besides the English and the Dutch were involved? What were some of the long-term results of the wars?

Studying this reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Terms of Use: The resource above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.
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11.1.3 King William’s War

Reading: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “King William’s War”
Link: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “King William’s War” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage in order to get a good overview of the conflicts that resulted in the outbreak of what was known as King William’s War, 1690-1697.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
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11.1.4 Queen Anne’s War

Reading: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “Queen Anne’s War”
Link: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “Queen Anne’s War” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage in order to get a good overview of the conflicts that resulted from what was known as Queen Anne’s War, 1702-1714.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
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11.1.5 War of Jenkins’ Ear

Reading: New Georgia Encyclopedia Online: “The War of Jenkin's Ear” (HTML)
Link: New Georgia Encyclopedia Online: “The War of Jenkin's Ear” (HTML)

Instructions: Please scroll down to the fourth paragraph, click the link for “The War of Jenkin’s Ear,” and read the entire webpage to learn about this conflict between Britain and Spain during the 1740s in the Americas.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
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11.1.6 King George’s War

Reading: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “King George’s War”
Link: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “King George’s War” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to get a sense of the American iteration of the European conflict called the War of the Austrian Succession.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
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11.1.7 The French and Indian War

Reading: Boundless Learning, Inc’s “The Seven Year’s War: 1754-1763”
Link: Boundless Learning, Inc’s “The Seven Year’s War: 1754-1763” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire article above for an overview of the French and Indian War, known as the Seven Years War in Europe, between Britain, France, and their allies. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What were some of the underlying causes of the French and Indian War? What marks the start of the war? In what year did the French and English actually declare war? What or who helped the English gain the upper hand beginning in 1758? What were the provisions of the Treaty of Paris (1763)? According to the author of the slides, what are some of the lasting effects of the French and Indian War?
(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (HTML) license. You can find the original Boundless.com’s version of this article here (HTML).
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11.2 Wars with Indigenous Peoples

Note: This topic is covered in the resources under sub-subunits 11.2.1-11.2.3.

11.2.1 King Philip’s War

Reading: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “King Phillip’s War”
Link: USA History: Kathy Leigh’s transcription of Henry William Elson’s History of the United States of America: “King Phillip’s War” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to learn about the bloody conflict between Wampanoag Indians and Massachusetts colonists in 1675 and 1676.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
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11.2.2 Powhatan Wars

Reading: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 3: British Colonial America (1588-1701)”
Link: Connexions: Dr. James Ross-Nazzal’s “Chapter 3: British Colonial America (1588-1701)”(PDF)

Also available in:
HTML

Instructions: Scroll down to “Virginia”Please read the selection for information on the series of wars waged between Powhatan Indians and Anglo-Virginian colonists. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What conditions contributed to colonists coming into conflict with the Powhatan? According to the author of the text, what type of warfare did the Powhatan exercise? What did this entail? What was the course of events and time span of the Powhatan War. Who was involved and what were their goals?

(15 minutes)

Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (HTML) license.
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11.2.3 Guarani War

Reading: Renaud and Margaret Olgiati’s translation of Manuel F. Fernández’s “Brief History of the Guarani Language”
Link: Renaud and Margaret Olgiati’s translation of Manuel F. Fernández’s “Brief History of the Guarani Language” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage, paying special attention to the section entitled “The Guarani and the Independence.” Although this article focuses on the language of the Guarani, it still offers an excellent contextual explanation for the violence that erupted among the Guarani Indians, Jesuit missionaries, the Portuguese, and the Spanish in the eighteenth century.

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Final Exam

Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's HIST321 Final Exam
Link: The Saylor Foundation's HIST321 Final Exam

Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.
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