Early America and Colonial Beginnings 2 Flashcards
How did the Protestants and Catholics view the religious nature of exploration and conquest?
Both Protestants and Catholics viewed religious conversion of Indians as a primary justification for exploration and conquest; each group sought to convert the Indians to their version of Christianity.
After Columbus established permanent contact with the New World, how did Spain focus its colonial efforts?
Spain focused primarily on conquest and expeditions under conquistadors (conquerors) who were sent from Spain to the New World.
In 1521, Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs in modern-day Mexico, and in 1534, Francisco Pizarro completed the conquest of the Incas of Peru.
How did contact with Europeans affect the native inhabitants of the New World?
Indians had no resistance to European diseases, and roughly 90% of the Indian population died from diseases like smallpox. Many of the remaining Indians were enslaved to work Spanish farms and mines under the Encomienda System.
The chain of disease was not one-sided; from the New World Spanish explorers brought syphilis back to Europe.
Define Northwest Passage.
The Northwest Passage was a purported sea route north and west of North America that provided a direct sailing route to Asia from Europe.
The search for an easy sea lane around the New World by French explorers such as John Cabot and Giovanni Verrazzano, and Dutch explorers such as Henry Hudson, spurred exploration of North America.
Today, melting sea ice above Canada threatens to make the Northwest Passage a reality.
Describe the Renaissance.
The Renaissance (meaning rebirth) was a rediscovery of the works of classical antiquity following the Middle Ages. This rediscovery renewed a focus on scientific inquiry and the arts and literature.
Inventions such as the printing press, compass, and gunpowder spurred exploration.
