THE "NEW" WORLD AND EARLY SPANISH EXPLORATIONI. Columbus and Discovery- 1492, Trade with the far east was very lengthy and dangerous when traveling through land looking to get cloth (silk), medicine, perfume, spices, and precious stones ect. (highly valued items needed)- Believed if you sail west from Europe you will eventually reach the far east , Had no knowledge of America: Which was found by accident [Earth was flat: Myth]- 1492 Columbus discovers AmericaII. Native AmericansA. Migration Theory/Development of Settlements- Theory: Believed the people inhabiting the Americas are Mongolian andthere was a Bridge between Asia and Alaska called Bering Strait (2000 B.C.E) and they crossed over for food ect. Migration - Last Ice age ended so land bridge is covered or under water - Nomadic , Hunter gatherers move southward by 18000 B.C.E reached the tip of South America - Natives in Meso America- Developed new product called Maize founded in 5000 B.C.E become agricultural revolution that changed life- Caused settlement (Permanent and semi permanent )- Not everyone needs to search for food , others in community are provided jobs such as making baskets - Specialization developed due to stable food source- Population explosion due to significance to the development of Maize - Cultivate beans, squash ect. Which helped broaden diet and lead to a well balanced and healthier diet and reproduction - Develop of an advanced civilization - There was another civilization and complex sophisticated society - Mayans in America gone by the time of Columbus (300-400 A.D)B. Advanced Civilizations - the Mayans- Pyramid builders, built aqueduct ( above ground water ways), bridges - 300-900 A.D - Developed written language based on hieroglyphics - Several cities with 4000-8000 population - Sophisticated, complex system (civilization)- Management of cities- Great mathematicians- Knew and understood concept of zero 700 years before - Observed skies - Developed an extremely accurate calendar with 365.2422 days (Today’s computers use 365.2405 for calendars)- Theory: Mayans could have been destroyed by drought or by Native Americans - Native cultures rival European cultures (able to create complex sophisticated civilizations ) - Lived in Meso America area - Americas had complex sophisticated civilizations before Europeans came - Spanish first to establish sustained contact with Natives- Other explorers from Scandinavia traded with native Americans but didnot maintain contact, Polynesians- Life will not be same - A few nations will die- Sustained contact with Spanish changed the world III. The Columbian Exchange- Transfer of products from one continent to another- 4 elements (animals, plants, metals, and disease) A. Animals- Bringing animals that were not in either world, relocating animals fromAmerica to Europe and Europe to America- European brought cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horse (which were unknown to the New World)- Natives adopted the new animals except pigs (thought they looked like giant rats)- Introduction of horses changed life in American south west - Horses provided transportation, work (Labor), military advantage and status symbols - Previously there was Mongolian ponies but were extinct by time Europeans came , reintroduction of horses to Americas- [Animals encountered by Europeans in America] Turkey {Found and introduced to Europe}- Buffalo (Took a few for examples)- [South America] Llamas, Alpacas : became profitable and valuable , armadillo, rattlesnakes, and cougarsB. Plants- Europeans brought wheat, oats, rye, which adapted well in America and became common to natives- (Island of Caribbean’s) Fruit trees, bananas, sugar cane [Tragic elementthat caused labor force]- Europeans forced natives to refine cane to sugar- Death rate became high, natives eliminated in some Islands- At that point Europeans brought slaves - Death rate of slaves became high and started the slave trade, Africans brought to the Islands - New World supplied Maize (corn) and broadened diet , white potato, sweet potatoes (South America) , Ireland depended on Potatoes which were the main source of food by 1800- Potato famine, squash and certain kinds of beans (Lima, snap and kidney)- Improved European diet - Pumpkin, Peanuts, tomatoes - Cacao produced chocolate and became popular (added sweetener to taste)- Economic influence- Products introduced to Asia and Africa by mid 1500 (Corn and potato) reached china and became 1/3 of worlds food supply - Diet improved and became well rounded - Europeans became healthy and productive - European population grew - Long term- (consequence) helped people migrate and become a big population - Europe’s economy: Dye plant used for textile products, producing cloth,indigo (vibrant blue)- Profitable enterprise to use indigo to create dye to sell clothe- Caused impaction in Europe’s economy - Europe wanted red dye - Found Brazil wood product that improved the red color - Spanish invaded Mexico (1519)Found Mexican people wearing red clothing, But didn’t find food, Red dye was produced form bugs lived in cactus plant - Forced native American labor to get red dye (becomes economically important)- Red clothe was expensive to create and only wealthy could afford (important in Spain, Portugal and England)C. Metals- Europeans brought guns (bronze) refining iron ore - Created weapons (guns, swords, crossroads)- Didn’t help natives but destroyed them- Spanish took with them millions of dollars in Gold and copper - Forced natives in labor which caused death and then brought slaves from Africa - Europeans became rich- Turquoise found in large quantities D. Disease- Most tragic- When Europeans arrived they brought disease, typhus, measles, cholera, smallpox and typhus - Europeans built antibodies to these diseases- Natives were exposed to them before but this was different- Disease killed millions of natives- 1492-1592 estimate of 90% natives population died due to conflict, majority from disease due to no immunity - People would escape to other communities when others got infected therefore spread the disease as well to other communities - Disease made conquest easy in Mexico- Syphilis (sexually transmitted) natives immune to it , conquistadors brought more deadly form back to Europe and killed 15 million Europeans (1493) IV. Advance of the Spanish Into North AmericaA. Early Settlements in the Caribbean- (1508) Puerto Rico , (1510) Cuba - 1519 ready to make first move to mainland