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1400
Europe Looks to the Atlantic
Europe had began to search for new ways to access new goods and land. Many people wanted to move just out of curiosity and the greater chance at having a better life. The use of new technology, wealth, and the ability to prosper was also very assuring. -
1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher was financed by Spain's King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. And with the thought of the world being much smaller Columbus thought that if he sailed west then he would soon reach the East Indies. He then ran into the islands of San Salvador (now known as the Bahamas). He also ran into other islands now known as Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. If Columbus hadn't discovered this land it would have never been claimed by Spain. -
1494
Line of Demarcation/ Treaty of Tordesillas
Territory that was first defined by Pope Alexander VI and was later revised by the Treaty of Tordesillas. Spain won control of lands discovered west of the line, while Portugal gained rights to new lands to the east. -
1495
Diseases Introduced
Numerous diseases were brought to North America, including smallpox, bubonic plague, chickenpox, cholera, the common cold, diphtheria, influenza, malaria, measles, scarlet fever, sexually transmitted diseases, typhoid, typhus, tuberculosis, pertussis (whooping cough), etc. -
1500
Spanish Conquest of the Americas
Columbus was followed by Spanish conquistadors who made it easier to conquer more land. The Spanish had superior weapons, advanced animals, immunity to certain diseases, and had allies against rival tribes. -
1519
Hernand Cortes
Led the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs who were in modern day Mexico. Cortes forced Montezuma (the Aztec emperor) to sign over his land and treasures and then become a Spanish prisoner. Montezuma was then killed and the land then belonged to Spain. -
1532
Francisco Pizzaro
Led the Spanish conquest of the Incas in modern day Peru. The Europeans arrived at the end of a bloody civil war so it was much easier to conquer the land, the Incas were weaker, had less resources, and didn't have stable weaponry. The city of Cuzco was soon captured and taken over by Spain. -
1539
Animals Introduced to the New World
Horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were some of the few animals that were brought over into the New World. These animals would help bring a new food resource, farming tools, but also have a huge impact on overall health. -
Mercantilism
A national economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports of a nation. Many believed that a nation should export more than it imported and accumulate a valuable source of income to make up the difference. -
Triangular Trade
Triangular Trade across the Atlantic was a series of trade routes that linked Europe to Africa and then to the Americas. First, merchant ships brought European goods to Africa then, the goods were exchanged for slaves and the slaves were sailed to the Americas. In the Americas, the slaves were traded for raw materials which were shipped to Europe, completing the process.
