Chapter 2: Colliding Cultures

Section 1: Introduction

• Colombian Exchange: Transformed the Atlantic, with disparate outcomes.
  • New diseases devastated American civilizations.
  • Nutrient-rich foods led to European population growth.
• Spain's Immediate Benefit: Wealth from Aztec and Incan empires.
  • Enabled Spain to dominate European rivals.
• Rival European Nations: Portugal, France, Netherlands, England sought similar gains.
• Native Responses: Varied from cooperation to violence.
• New Empires: Emerged from settlements along the Atlantic.
• Spain's Loss of Power: By the end of the 17th-century due to competition.

Section 2: Spanish America

• Expansion: Spain expanded its reach in the Americas for religious and economic dominance.
• Juan Ponce de León: Arrived in Florida in 1513.
  • Indigenous population reduced by European contact.
• Florida Conflicts: Fought with Native Americans and other Europeans.
• Mission System: Extended Spanish influence through religious missions.
• Spanish Southwest: Brutal beginnings with Pueblo conflicts.
• Franciscan Missionaries: Key in North American colonization.

Section 3: Spain's Rivals Emerge

• European Unrest: Reformation caused turmoil in England and France.
• Spanish Exploitation: Inspired European monarchs to explore and conquer.
• French Exploration: Sought Northwest Passage, cooperated with natives (fur trade).
• Dutch Influence: Established New Netherland, focused on trade not conquest.
• Portuguese Colonization: Treaty of Tordesillas divided new lands.
  • Brazil focused on sugar and slave trade.
• Economic Rivals: New European powers contested Spain's dominance.

Section 4: English Colonization

• Spanish Rivalry: England envied Spain's wealth.
• English Mercantilism: Expanded trade and exploration.
• Religious Motives: Puritans and others aimed to spread Protestantism.
• Colonization Justification: Economic, religious, and political motives.
• Privateering: State-sponsored piracy against Spanish ships.
• Spanish Armada: Its destruction paved the way for English expansion.

Section 5: Jamestown

• Founding: Jamestown established in 1607 for profit.
• Native Relations: Powhatan Confederacy initially aided settlers.
• Starving Time: Severe famine and cannibalism in 1609-1610.
• Tobacco Economy: John Rolfe's tobacco saved the colony.
• Labor Needs: Headright policy and indentured servitude.
• Powhatan Conflict: After 1622 attack, English retaliated.
• Slavery's Beginnings: First Africans in Jamestown in 1619.

Section 6: New England

• Puritan Influence: Religious motives directed colonization.
• Puritan Beliefs: Sought to purify Church of England.
• Great Migration: Thousands moved to form a godly community.
• Community Organization: Towns formed based on religious tenets.
• Economic Structure: Small farms, fishing, and trade.
• Native American Relations: Disease weakened indigenous resistance.

Section 7: Conclusion

• Colonial Comparison: Virginia and Massachusetts less significant compared to Caribbean.
• Atlantic Economy: Depended on slave labor for profitability.
• Cultural Impact: The collision of cultures and creation of new identities.