Name Date Class

CHAPTER 2
Exploring the Americas

Chapter Overview CHAPTER

BENCHMARKS
SS.8.A.1.7 View historic events
Starting in the late 1400s, Europeans explored the through the eyes of those who were
oceans. They hoped to find a direct sea route to the there as shown in their art, writings,
music, and artifacts.
East Indies, where they could carry out valuable trade.
SS.8.A.2.1 Compare the
In search of a new trade route, Christopher Columbus relationships among the British,
chose to sail directly west across the Atlantic Ocean. French, Spanish, and Dutch in their
struggle for colonization of North
Columbus’s discovery of lands unknown to the America.
Europeans led to further explorations and began new SS.8.A.2.5 Discuss the impact of
colonial settlement on Native
patterns of trade that would change the world. American populations.
SS.8.E.1.1 Examine motivating
economic factors that influenced the
In their search for wealth in the new lands, the Spanish development of the United States
economy over time including scarcity,
conquered several great Native American civilizations. supply and demand, opportunity costs,
incentives, profits, and entrepreneurial
Eventually, Spanish and other European explorers aspects.
travelled through Florida and areas that would become SS.8.E.3.1 Evaluate domestic and
part of the United States. Several European powers also international interdependence.
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

took interest in the Americas, and conflicts between SS.8.G.1.2 Use appropriate
geographic tools and terms to identify
those nations soon grew. and describe significant places and
regions in American history.
SS.8.G.2.1 Identify the physical
elements and the human elements
that define and differentiate regions as
relevant to American history.

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

TERMS Hernán Cortés
technology Protestantism
armada Francisco Pizarro
compass Juan Ponce de Leon
strait northwest passage
tenant farmer Jean Ribault
circumnavigate Pedro Menendez de Aviles
conquistador St. Augustine
PEOPLE, PLACES, EVENTS
immunity Martin Luther
Christopher Columbus
pueblo Henry Hudson
Queen Isabella and King
mission Ferdinand Louis Joliet and Jacques
presidio Amerigo Vespucci Marquette
plantation Ferdinand Magellan Robert Cavelier de La Salle
Reformation The Columbian Exchange

37
CHAPTER 2
Exploring the Americas
CHAPTER BENCHMARKS, continued
SS.8.G.4.4 Interpret databases, LAFS.68.RH.1.1 Cite specific textual LAFS.68.RH.2.4 Determine the
case studies, and maps to describe the evidence to support analysis of meaning of words and phrases as they
role that regions play in influencing primary and secondary sources. are used in a text, including
trade, migration patterns, and cultural/ vocabulary specific to domains related
political interaction in the United LAFS.68.RH.1.2 Determine the to history/social studies.
States throughout time. central ideas or information of a
primary or secondary source; provide LAFS.68.WHST.2.6 Use technology,
SS.8.G.6.2 Illustrate places and an accurate summary of the source including the Internet, to produce and
events in U.S. history through the use distinct from prior knowledge or publish writing and present the
of narratives and graphic opinions. relationships between information and
representations. ideas clearly and efficiently.

Exploring the Americas

Make this Foldable and label the three columns Trade, Exploration, and

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Colonization. As you read the chapter, take notes in the sections of
your Foldable. Explain the purpose of each and describe how they
changed the lives of people in North and South America.

Step 1 Step 2
Fold a sheet of paper into Label your Foldable as
thirds to form three equal shown.
columns.
Trade Exploration Colonization

38 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 LESSON 1 SUMMARY
The Growth of Trade

SS.8.A.2.1, SS.8.E.3.1

1. CITING TEXT
Searching for New Trade EVIDENCE There
were many reasons that
Routes European nations launched
explorations—cultural,
During the 1400s, European countries competed to find a sea economic, political, and
route to the Indies—the islands southeast of Asia. The spices technological. As you read
from this area were in great demand in Europe, and traders the text, circle each reason
could make large profits from selling them. and label it as follows: “C”
Portuguese sailors were for cultural; “E” for economic;
the first to find a new route “P” for political; and “T” for
to Asia. They sailed around technological.
A. Gomez/Getty Images

Africa then eastward to After you have identified each

Asia. Italian-born reason, choose the one
Christopher Columbus category that you think was the
tried a different route. He most important to European
sailed west across the nations who supported
Atlantic Ocean. He had no voyages of exploration. Explain
idea that the continents of the reason for your choice.
North and South America
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

lay in his way.

Better Ships,
Better Sailors
New technology,
Astrolabe such as the compass, the
astrolabe, and the
quadrant, made it possible
for Columbus to sail
across the open ocean, well beyond the sight of land. With the
compass, sailors could tell which direction they were sailing.
The astrolabe and quadrant helped sailors measure the angle
of a star in relation to the horizon. This helped them find their
location at sea.
Better maps and new ship designs also made the trip safer
and faster. The ship called a carrack was sturdy and large
enough to carry supplies for a long voyage. Caravels were
smaller but easier to handle and could sail close to shore.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 39

Name Date Class

LESSON 1 SUMMARY, continued

2. POSING
QUESTIONS Write five
Exploring the New World
questions that you would Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to pay for Columbus’s
ask Christopher Columbus if expedition. She did this because Columbus promised to bring
he asked you to finance his Christianity to the people in any lands he found. She also
first voyage to Asia. knew that if Columbus found a new route to Asia, Spain would
grow rich from the increased trade.
1. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set out from Spain with a crew
of about 90 sailors and supplies for six months. He had three
ships—the Niña, Pinta, and the larger Santa María. Columbus
2. was captain of the Santa María. Two months later, on
October 12, 1492, the ship’s lookout spotted land. It was
actually an island chain called the Bahamas. Columbus went
ashore and claimed the land for Spain. He named it San
3. Salvador.

4.
Columbus Explores the Caribbean
Columbus was sure that he had reached the East Indies, the
islands off the coast of Asia. The maps he used showed
5. Europe, Asia, and Africa as one large land mass. They did not
show North or South America. At the time, some explorers
thought that the Western (Atlantic) and Eastern (Pacific) Oceans
ran together to form what they called the “Ocean Sea.”

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Today the place that Columbus came ashore is part of the
Caribbean islands. Columbus named the people he saw
“Indians,” because he believed he was in the East Indies.
When he returned to Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella received
him with great honor and agreed to pay for more voyages.
Columbus made three more trips: in 1493, 1498, and 1502. He
continued to explore the islands of the Caribbean, including
what are now Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica. He also sailed
along the coasts of Central America and northern South
America. He claimed the lands for Spain and started
settlements.

Exploring the Americas

Other European explorers followed Columbus. In 1502
Amerigo Vespucci sailed along the coast of South America.
He realized it was a separate continent and not a part of Asia.
European geographers called the new continent “America,” in
his honor.

40 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

3. ANALYZING VISUALS
How does the artist portray
Columbus and the event?
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (LC-USZC2-1687)

This image shows Christopher Columbus and his crew making their
first landing in the Americas.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa, from Spain, explored Panama. In 1513 4. DRAWING

he was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the CONCLUSIONS For many
Americas. He claimed the ocean and land along it for Spain. years, history books claimed
that “Columbus discovered
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

America.” Why do you

think Native Americans
Sailing Around the World might disagree with the
word “discovered” in this
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor working for Spain,
statement? What might be a
reached the southern tip of South America in 1520. He sailed
better description?
through a strait, or narrow passage, into another ocean.
Because the ocean’s waters were calm, he named the ocean
the Pacific. In Spanish, pacifico means “peaceful.” Although
Magellan died during the voyage, his crew sailed on and
reached Spain in 1522. They became the first known people
to circumnavigate, or sail around, the world.

The Columbian Exchange

The voyages of European explorers led to the exchange of
plants, animals, and germs between the continents of Europe,
Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This exchange—today known
as the Columbian Exchange—had a great effect on the world’s
cultures.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 41

Name Date Class

LESSON 1 SUMMARY, continued

The Columbian Exchange

90°W 60°W 30°W 0°

60°N

N
0 1,000 miles
W E
0 1,000 km
Mercator projection S

NORTH Cassava Cocoa Corn Disease

AMERICA Beans
Peanuts EUROPE
Peppers Pineapples
ASIA, AND AFRICA
Beans
Avocados E UROPE,
O
AS T Sweet
ERIC Potatoes Tobacco Tomatoes Honeybees
AM Quinine Squash Turkeys Vanilla
Pumpkins ATL A N T I C Livestock
- Cattle
Potatoes O CEA N - Sheep
Sugarcane Pears & - Pigs Bananas
Olives S
Turnips Peaches Onions - Horses
ER IC A
30°N O AM
AS I A T Citrus
EUROPE, AFRICA, AND Fruits
Coffee
Beans
Grains Grapes Disease
- Wheat
- Rice
- Barley
AFRICA
- Oats

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

The effects were both positive and negative. Europeans were
5. ANALYZING VISUALS
introduced to new plants such as maize (corn) and potatoes.
What animal was introduced
In return, the Europeans brought plants such as rice and
to the Eastern Hemisphere
wheat to the Americas. They also introduced the horse, which
from the Americas?
dramatically changed the lives of many Native Americans,
especially in the Great Plains region. However, the Columbian
Exchange negatively affected many Native Americans.
Because they had no natural defenses to diseases introduced
6. ANALYZING Do you
by the Europeans, such as smallpox, thousands of Native
think the positive effects of
Americans died.
the Columbian Exchange
outweighed its negative
effects? Explain your answer.

42 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

LESSON 1 SUMMARY, continued

REVIEW LESSON 1

1. Use the chart below to list the new technology and developments that made
European exploration of the world possible during the 1400s.
TECHNOLOGY/
PURPOSE
DEVELOPMENT
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

2. EVALUATING After filling in the above chart, review your answers and decide
which of the new technologies discussed might have been most important to the
explorers of the 1400s. Research to find out more about your choice, how it worked,
and its importance. Then write a short essay explaining your findings and whether
they support your original choice.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 43

LESSON 2 SUMMARY
Spain in America

SS.8.A.2.1, SS.8.A.2.5

1. DETERMINING
CENTRAL IDEAS List European Explorers and

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division [LC-USZC4-741]

four things that helped the
Spanish to defeat the Aztec Conquerors
and Inca Empires. Which of
these advantages do you The early Spanish explorers were known as conquistadors.
think was most important? The rulers of Spain gave them the right to explore and create
Rank the items on your settlements in the Americas. In return, they agreed to give
list in order of importance, Spain one-fifth of any treasure they found.
with number one as “most
important.”
The Conquest of Mexico and Peru
The Aztec, who lived in what is now Mexico and Central
America, and the Inca in South America were two wealthy
empires conquered by the conquistadors. Hernán Cortés was
a conquistador who landed on the east coast of Mexico in
1519. Within two years, he conquered the Aztec Empire and
took huge amounts of Aztec gold.
Cortés’s success encouraged other conquistadors. In 1533

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Francisco Pizarro led an army into the Inca capital in Cuzco,
Peru. He killed the Inca
|ruler and took control of
the vast and wealthy Inca
Empire.

2. ANALYZING
VISUALS How does the
artist represent the wealth of
the Aztec king and empire?

In this image, Hernán Cortés

is greeted by the ruler of the
Aztec people.

44 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

LESSON 2 SUMMARY, continued

Why Spain Won 3. IDENTIFYING POINTS

How did Cortés and Pizarro conquer such mighty empires with OF VIEW Use a separate
their small forces? The Spanish had weapons and animals the sheet of paper to write a
Aztec and Inca had never seen. They had guns and cannons. journal entry that explains
They rode horses and had large, ferocious dogs. To some how someone who was
Native Americans, the Spanish seemed almost like gods. Native American might have
viewed their world before
Another advantage for the Spanish was that some people the Europeans came and
among the Aztecs did not like their rulers and were eager to how they might have viewed
overthrow them. Also, the Native Americans had no immunity, their world afterward.
or resistance, to diseases that the Spanish carried. Illness and
death weakened them in their struggle against the Spanish.

Spain in Florida
Not all conquistadors were victorious or found gold and silver.
Those who explored the southeastern and southwestern parts
of North America faced a difficult struggle.
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer who landed on
the coast of Florida in 1513. He claimed the land for Spain
calling it “La Florida” and then began looking for gold and a
legendary Fountain of Youth. Stories told that the waters of
the fountain would make “old men young again.” Ponce de
León found neither gold nor the fountain. However, the king
appointed him governor of Florida and asked him to set up a
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

colony there. The Native Americans in the area attacked the

settlers, and Ponce de León was killed.
Spain spent many years trying to conquer and settle Florida.
In 1528 Pánfilo de Narváez arrived to start a colony in the
Tampa Bay area. He was attacked by the Apalachee, a local
Native American group, and was forced to flee by boat across
the Gulf of Mexico.

France in Florida
France, too, realized that Florida was an important location. If
the French controlled Florida, they could capture the riches
from Spanish ships that stopped there on their way from
Central America to Spain.
In 1562 the French explorer Jean Ribault sailed to the
St. Johns River, near present-day Jacksonville. He claimed
Florida for France. In 1564 a group of French settlers arrived
to set up a colony. To protect their settlement, they built Fort
Caroline along the St. Johns River.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 45

Name Date Class

LESSON 2 SUMMARY, continued

Spain Defends Its Claim

The Spanish king, Felipe II, thought the French were
trespassing on Spanish land. He ordered the governor, Pedro
Menéndez, to build a colony in Florida and drive out the
French. In 1565 Menéndez established a settlement he called
St. Augustine. It became the first permanent settlement in
what would become the United States.
French ships sailed south from Fort Caroline to attack
St. Augustine. A hurricane destroyed many of their ships.
Menéndez then sent soldiers to capture Fort Caroline.
The Spanish victory stopped the French from trying to
settle in Florida.

La Florida Grows Slowly

Menéndez served as governor of La Florida for 10 years. He
established other settlements and Catholic missions. The
Spanish built missions and forts in areas that would become
Florida, the Carolinas, and Virginia.

Exploring the Southwest

Many other conquistadors searched for quick riches. Their

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

search took them to southwestern North America. One
explorer, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca had been part of the
expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez in 1528. The expedition’s
few survivors sailed from Florida across the Gulf of Mexico
and landed in what is now Texas. In 1533, de Vaca led an
expedition across the Southwest and then went to Mexico.
When he arrived in 1536, he told of seven cities of gold called
the “seven Cities of Cibola.” His story inspired other explorers.

The Search for Gold

Hernando de Soto traveled for three years through the
southeast, seizing food and supplies from Native Americans.
In 1541 de Soto crossed the Mississippi River. The following
year, de Soto died of fever somewhere in Arkansas or
Louisiana.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado traveled through northern
Mexico and present-day Arizona and New Mexico looking for
the seven cities of gold but found nothing. Members of his
expedition then went west to the Colorado River and east into
what is now Kansas. They found “windswept plains” and
strange “shaggy cows” (buffalo) but no gold.

46 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

LESSON 2 SUMMARY, continued

Spanish Settlements 4. SEQUENCING Use this

The Spanish set up three types of settlements in the lands graphic organizer to show
they explored—pueblos, missions, and presidios. the organization of the social
structure that developed
Types of Spanish Settlements in Spain’s empire in the
Americas.
pueblo town, trading center
religious community, including a small town,
surrounding farmland, and a church; the goal of the
mission
mission was to spread the Catholic religion and the
Spanish way of life among the Native Americans
presidio fort, usually built near a mission

A class system developed in Spain’s colonial empire. At the

top were people born in Spain, called peninsulares. They
owned land, ran the government, and served in the Catholic
Church. Below them were the creoles. They were born in
America to Spanish parents. Below them were the mestizos,
who had one Spanish parent and one Native American parent.
Below them were the Native Americans, who were often very
poor. At the bottom were enslaved Africans.
The conquistadors could demand taxes or labor from the Native
Americans. As a result, they became slaves to the Spanish.
A Spanish priest, Bartolomé de Las Casas, helped to convince
the Spanish government to pass the New Laws in 1542. These
laws made it illegal to enslave Native Americans.
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Some Spanish settlers had plantations, or large farms. They

made money by exporting crops such as tobacco and
sugarcane. Because the large plantations needed many
workers, the Spanish used Native Americans. Later, traders
brought millions of enslaved Africans from West Africa to the
Americas to labor on the plantations. They were sold to
plantation owners.

Settling the Southwest

By the 1600s, the Spanish controlled most of Mexico, the
Caribbean, and Central and South America. They also
controlled parts of the present-day United States. Other
European powers, such as England, France, and the
Netherlands, also wanted to start colonies in North America.
Spanish settlements appeared in what is today New Mexico
and Arizona in the 1600s. When France claimed land around
the mouth of the Mississippi River, Spain moved into Texas to
defend its territory in Mexico and the Southwest.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 47

Name Date Class

LESSON 2 SUMMARY, continued

REVIEW LESSON 2

1. Use the chart below to record information about the Spanish conquistadors who
came to the Americas.
EXPLORER YEAR GOAL

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

2. CONSTRUCTING AN ARGUMENT The Spanish were driven by the promise
of riches and power in the Americas. In their quest for gold, the Spanish conquered
a number of Native American peoples. Those peoples often suffered horrible
mistreatment from the conquistadors and other Spanish leaders. Select one
explorer from your chart and conduct more research to find out about the land and
people that person explored or conquered. Then, write a letter from the point of
view of a Spanish soldier or priest who has witnessed the mistreatment of the
Native Americans by that explorer. The audience for your letter will be the Spanish
rulers who supported the conquistadors. Explain why you believe the mistreatment
of the native peoples needs to end. You may wish to research and reference the
work of Bartolomé de Las Casas as he sought laws to protect the Native Americans.

48 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 LESSON 3 SUMMARY
Competing for Colonies

SS.8.A.2.1, SS.8.E.1.1, SS.8.G.2.1

Religious Rivalries
One reason that Europeans explored and settled in North 1. ANALYZING VISUALS
America was to spread their Christian faith. The first to arrive What was one of Luther’s
were Roman Catholics—the only Christian church in western complaints about the
Europe at that time. Catholic Church?

Luther and the Reformation

In 1517 a new form of Christianity began. It opposed some of
the beliefs of the Catholic Church and was called
©Ivy Close Images/Alamy

Protestantism. The movement against the Catholic Church

was started by Martin Luther, a German priest. He disagreed
with many Church practices, including the power held by the
pope. His actions led to the Reformation, a religious
movement that spread through many parts of Europe. It caused
widespread conflict within and between the nations of Europe.
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

This painting shows the imperial council that was held in Germany in 1521 to decide how to respond
to Martin Luther’s teachings.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 49

Name Date Class

LESSON 3 SUMMARY, continued

2. MAKING Religious Rivalry in Europe

CONNECTIONS What In 1533 King Henry VIII of England left the Catholic Church. His
role did religion play in the daughter ruled later as Queen Elizabeth I. During her rule,
exploration of the Americas? England became a Protestant nation.
King Philip of Spain was Catholic and wanted to invade
England to eliminate Protestantism. The king sent an armada,
or war fleet, to attack England in 1588. The large fleet was the
strongest naval force in the world. The English fleet was
smaller but faster and defeated the Spanish. As a result, Spain
no longer ruled the seas and the English were free to set up
colonies in North America.

Religious Rivalries in the Americas

Catholics from Spain and France spread their faith among the
Native Americans. The Spanish settled in the southwestern
and southeastern regions of North America. The French
settled in the northeast. Dutch and English Protestants set up
colonies along the Atlantic coast between the French and
Spanish settlements. Religious differences contributed to the
rivalries among these settlements.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Economic Rivalry
Religion was only one of the factors that pushed European
nations across the Atlantic Ocean. The promise of great
wealth was also a factor, especially as other Europeans
watched Spain gain riches from its colonies.
Mercantilism is the economic theory that states that a nation’s
power is based on its wealth. At this time, rulers wanted to
increase their nation’s total wealth by acquiring gold and silver
and developing trade. Mercantilist policies provided a great
opportunity for merchants to make money, but such policies
also increased the rivalry between nations.
Several European nations competed for overseas lands that
could produce wealth. They wanted colonies in the Americas
that could provide valuable resources,not onlygold and silver,
but also raw materials. The colonies would also serve as a
place to sell European goods.

50 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

LESSON 3 SUMMARY, continued

Search for a Northwest Passage 3. CONTRASTING How did

the goals of the French in
In the 1500s and early 1600s, English, French, and Dutch North America differ from
explorers mapped the coast of North America, set up the goals of other European
colonies, and traded with Native Americans. Explorers also nations?
hoped to discover a Northwest Passage to Asia—a direct
water route through the Americas. Many of the explorers
seeking such a passage discovered new places, landforms,
and bodies of water during their voyages.

Searching for a Northwest Passage

Explorer Sailed for Year Result
probably landed
on the coast of
John Cabot England 1497
present-day
Newfoundland
explored the
coast of North
Giovanni de
France 1524 America from
Verrazano
Nova Scotia to
the Carolinas
sailed up
St. Lawrence
River, named the
Jacques Cartier France 1535 mountain that is
the site of
present-day
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Montreal
discovered river
now named for
him, sailed as far
Henry Hudson Netherlands 1609 north as Albany,
on next voyage
discovered
Hudson Bay

French and Dutch Settlements

At first, the French were mainly interested in the rich natural
resources of North America. They fished, and they trapped
animals for their fur. Trappers and missionaries went far into the
interior of North America. They traded with Native Americans
and built forts and trading posts. In 1663 New France became a
royal colony. The new governor supported further exploration.

Exploring the Mississippi River

In the 1670s, a French fur trader named Louis Joliet and a
priest named Jacques Marquette traveled the Mississippi River
by canoe. They were in search of precious metals and also
looking for a Northwest Passage. When they realized that the
river flowed south rather than west, they headed back upriver.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 51

Name Date Class

LESSON 3 SUMMARY, continued

Voyages of Exploration Cause-Effect Diagram

CAUSES EFFECTS

Voyages of
exploration

4. DETERMINING CAUSE In 1682 another French explorer, Robert Cavelier de La Salle

AND EFFECT Complete followed the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of
this graphic organizer by Mexico. He claimed the region for France and called it
identifying three reasons for Louisiana to honor the French king, Louis XIV. In 1718 the
voyages of exploration and French founded New Orleans. French explorers and
three effects that resulted missionaries also traveled west to the Rocky Mountains and
from the exploration. the Rio Grande.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

New France and New Netherland
French settlement in North America grew slowly. New France
was made up of estates along the St. Lawrence River. Those
who owned estates received land in exchange for bringing
settlers. These settlers were tenant farmers. They paid rent to
the estate owner. They also worked for the owner for a set
number of days each year. Because the French colony did not
expand rapidly, the Native Americans did not view it as a threat.
Relations between the French and the natives remained good.
The Netherlands was a small country in Europe. It had few
natural resources and very little farmland. For that reason, the
Dutch were attracted by the vast lands and natural resources
of North America.
The Netherlands already had large fleet of trading ships that
sailed all over the world. In 1621 its government set up the
Dutch West India Company. Its purpose was to manage the
trade for the Netherlands between the Americas and Africa. In
1623 this company took control of the country’s North
American colony, New Netherland.

52 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

LESSON 3 SUMMARY, continued

The heart of New Netherland was New Amsterdam. It was on
the tip of Manhattan Island, where the Hudson River enters
New York Harbor. Governor Peter Minuit purchased the land
from the Native American Manhattoes in 1626 for about $24 in
trade goods.

REVIEW LESSON 3

1. Based on the descriptions in the text, show on the outline map below the areas of
North America that were claimed by Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Read the
descriptions of explorations and settlements carefully, and consult other political
and physical maps if necessary.

European Areas of Settlement, North America

N
E
W
S
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

0 800 miles

0 800 km
Lambert Azimuthal
Equal-Area projection

2. THEORIZING Imagine that you are a geographer in the early 1600s, so you do
not have any later knowledge of the history of North America. Based on the map
you just created, the location and amount of land held by each European country,
and the purposes behind each European nation’s settlement in North America,
which nation do you think would dominate the future history of the North American
continent? Explain your choice and discuss why a map of North America at this
point would not have been a good indicator of the continent’s future.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 53

Name Date Class

Benchmark Skill Activities

DIRECTIONS: Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

LAFS.68.WHST.1.2, LAFS.68.WHST.2.4

1. ANALYZING

Use your to write an essay.

Use the notes on your Foldable to explain how trade, exploration, and colonization in the
1400s shaped life in America today. Consider the places in the Americas that were
explored, settled, and fought over in this period as you write your essay.

LAFS.68.RH.2.4

2. USING DEFINITIONS ACCURATELY

Write a paragraph about Spanish exploration and settlement of the Americas using the
following terms: conquistador, immunity, mission, and presidio.

LAFS.68.RH.1.1

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

3. CONSTRUCTING AN ARGUMENT

Bartolomé de Las Casas wrote many letters to Spanish leaders to convince them to make
laws to protect Native Americans from the cruel treatment of the conquistadors. Read the
excerpt from one of his letters below. Then answer the questions that follow.
“[T]he Spaniards still do nothing save tear the natives to shreds, murder them and inflict
upon them untold misery, suffering and distress, tormenting, harrying and persecuting
them mercilessly. . . . When the Spanish first journeyed there, the . . . population of the
island of Hispaniola stood at some three million; today only two hundred survive.”
Las Casas submitted his plea in the form of an argument. What evidence does he provide
that the Native Americans are being mistreated? Which piece of evidence do you think
would be most likely to make the Spanish leaders take notice?

54 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Date Class

BENCHMARK SKILLS ACTIVITIES, continued

LAFS.68.RH.2.4

4. DETERMINING WORD MEANINGS

Read the excerpt below in which Christopher Columbus writes about his journey to the
Americas. Then write a definition for each of the underlined words. If possible, use the
words around these words, or context clues, to help you determine their meaning. Use
other sources to help you define the words if necessary.
“There I found very many islands, filled with innumerable people, and I have taken
possession of them all for their Highnesses, done by proclamation and with the
royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offered to me.”

LAFS.68.WHST.2.6

5. IDENTIFYING POINTS OF VIEW

Research on the Internet to find primary or secondary sources that describe the conquest
of the Inca by Francisco Pizarro or the conquest of the Aztec by Hernán Cortés. One of
your sources should describe the conquest through the eyes of the Spanish conquerors.
The other should be from the point of view of the Native Americans who were
conquered.
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

a. Print each account on a separate document.

b. Then create a display, either as a poster or as an online document.
c. Use different colors, underlines, circles, or some other method to note how the
details in each document differ, based on the point of view of the writer.
d. Consider how the details you have noted represent the differing points of view.
Write a short essay describing your findings, then share them with the class.

UNITED STATES HISTORY 55

Name Date Class

Benchmark Note Cards

DIRECTIONS: Use these note cards to help you prepare for the test.

SS.8.A.2.1 Compare the relationships among the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch in their struggle for colonization of North America.

SPAIN IN THE Goals of Spanish Exploration

AMERICAS
• wealth from trade
• gold and silver
• the spread of Christianity
• colonization

Areas Explored or Settled

• Central and South America
• Caribbean islands
• Southwest United States
• Florida

FRANCE IN NORTH Goals of French Exploration

AMERICA
• natural resources (fishing and trapping)
• wealth from trade

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

• the spread of Christianity
• colonization

Areas Explored or Settled

• eastern and southern Canada
• the Mississippi River
• west to the Rocky Mountains
• southwest to the Rio Grande

ENGLAND IN Goals of English Exploration

NORTH AMERICA
• colonization
• wealth from trade

Areas Explored or Settled

• eastern coast of United States
• northern Canada

56 UNITED STATES HISTORY

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BENCHMARK NOTE CARDS, continued

SS.8.A.2.1 Compare the relationships among the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch in their struggle for colonization of North America.

THE NETHERLANDS Goals of Dutch Exploration

IN NORTH
• wealth from trade
AMERICA
• colonization

Areas Explored or Settled

• New York area

SPANISH AND A new form of Christianity called Protestantism was adopted by

ENGLISH RIVALRY England in 1533. It replaced Catholicism. In an effort to destroy
this new religion, the Catholic nation of Spain invaded England
with its armada in 1588. England’s defeat of the armada meant
that Spain no longer ruled the seas. England was then free to
set up its own colonies in North America.

THE COLUMBIAN European voyages of exploration brought together continents

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

EXCHANGE that formerly had little contact. As a result, there was an

exchange of plants, animals, and germs between the Eastern
and Western Hemispheres. Today this exchange is known as the
Columbian Exchange. It brought dramatic changes—both
positive and negative—to the world’s cultures.
Positive effects Negative effects
• new plants, foods • diseases
• new animals

UNITED STATES HISTORY 57

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BENCHMARK NOTE CARDS, continued

SS.8.A.2.5 Discuss the impact of colonial settlement on Native American populations.

THE NATIVE In Mexico and Peru, the Spanish brutally conquered a number of
AMERICANS AND Native American peoples. Throughout the Americas, the
THE SPANISH Spanish created three types of settlements—pueblos, missions,
and presidios. At the missions, they sought to spread religion
and the Spanish way of life among the Native Americans. In the
Spanish Empire, a five-tier class system developed that placed
Native Americans near the bottom with enslaved Africans.
Conquistadors demanded taxes and labor from Native
Americans, turning them into slaves. As a result, many died from
malnutrition and disease. Laws passed in 1542 made it illegal to
enslave Native Americans.

THE NATIVE In general, the French got along well with Native Americans.
AMERICANS AND French trappers and missionaries lived among them, learned
THE FRENCH their languages, and respected their ways. They did not try to
change the Native Americans’ customs or threaten Native
American lands.

SS.8.E.1.1 Examine motivating economic factors that influenced the development of the United States economy over time including scarcity,

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

supply and demand, opportunity costs, incentives, profits, and entrepreneurial aspects.

MERCANTILISM The economic theory of mercantilism states that a nation’s

power is based on its wealth. As other European nations
watched Spain grow rich from its new colonies in the Americas,
they wanted to do the same. By creating colonies in the
Americas they could tap into new resources, such as gold and
silver, or raw materials. They could also sell their products to
people who lived in the colonies.

SS.8.G.2.1 Identify the physical elements and the human elements that define and differentiate regions as relevant to American history.

THE AMERICAS When Europeans landed in North and South America, they were
exposed to new resources, plants, animals, and people. The
large Native American civilizations that lived there had
developed separately from the rest of the world for thousands of
years. These civilizations were shaped by physical geography,
natural resources, and cultures that were different from those in
Europe and other parts of the world.

58 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Chapter 2

VISUAL SUMMARY
DIRECTIONS: Complete the following graphic organizer.

1492 lands in the Americas

(c) Henryk Sadura/Getty Images, (b) Library of Congress Geography and Map Division
(t) Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division [LC-USZ62-99516],

1519
★ Magellan begins circumnavigation of the world
★ Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico

1533 Pizarro conquers the

[G1816.S45 1588 .A3]

1535 Jacques Cartier sails up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal

1541 crosses the Mississippi River

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

1565 Spain establishes fort at St. Augustine, Florida

1588 British navy defeats Spanish

1609 sails the Hudson River

1626 New Netherland buys Manhattan Island from the local Native Americans

1663 New France becomes a royal colony

UNITED STATES HISTORY 59

USING PRIMARY SOURCES

[LC-DIG-pga-00710]
(l) Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, (r) Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
DIRECTIONS: Write your answers on a separate piece of paper.

ANALYZING VISUALS These two paintings were created by artists in the 1800s
and 1900s. They both show Columbus’s first landing in the Americas. Based on your
observations of the paintings, answer the following questions.

1. How did each artist portray Columbus and his crew? How did each portray the
Native Americans? What is similar about the way they presented each group?
2. How does each painting portray the importance of religion to the Europeans of this
period? In which painting is the religious theme more apparent? Explain.
3. What do the artists suggest about the geography of the place where Columbus

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

landed?
4. How do you think a Native American painter would have presented this scene in
their history?
5. As a viewer, what general feeling do you get when you look at the first painting? The
second painting?

60 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Name Date Date Class Class

Chapter Practice Test

DIRECTIONS: Circle the best answer for each question.

1 SS.8.A.1.7 (High)

The two excerpts below are from Christopher Columbus’s accounts of his arrival
in the Americas. Which two phrases from these accounts best show that
Columbus is trying to convince the king and queen of Spain that his discoveries
will be of value to them?

[A] “It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good
servants; and [B] I am of opinion that they would very readily become
Christians, as they appear to have no religion. [C] They very quickly learn
such words as are spoken to them. If it please our Lord, [D] I intend at my
return to carry home six of them to your Highnesses, that they may learn
our language.”

[E] “This is so beautiful a place, as well as the neighboring regions, that I

know not in which course to proceed first; [F] my eyes are never tired with
viewing such delightful verdure, and of a species so new and dissimilar to
that of our country, and [G] I have no doubt there are tree and herbs here
which would be of great value in Spain, as dyeing materials, medicine,
spicery . . . but [H] I am mortified that I have no acquaintance with them.”
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

A A and E
B C and F
C D and H
D A and G

2 SS.8.E.1.1 (Moderate)

What economic theory influenced the European exploration and settlement of

North America?

A supply and demand

B tenant farming

C the Reformation
D mercantilism

UNITED STATES HISTORY 61

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Chapter Practice Test, continued

European Claims in North America

60 0 1,000 miles
°N
0 1,000 km
Lambert Azimuthal
Equal-Area projection
Hudson
Unclaimed Bay
N Lands
W

.
ce R
40
E
°N S

ren
aw
.L
St

B
ATL A NTI C
PAC I F I C
OCEAN
140°W OCEAN
120°W A
Gulf of
Mexico
20 °N
Caribbean Sea
100°W 80°W 60°W

3 SS.8.A.2.1, SS.8.G.1.2 (Moderate)

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Which European nations controlled the land areas marked A and B?

A (A) England and (B) Spain

B (A) the Netherlands and (B) France
C (A) Spain and (B) France
D (A) England and (B) the Netherlands

4 SS.8.A.2.5, SS. 8.E.3.1 (Moderate)

For which of the following major world events was the spread of diseases a
negative effect?

A the technological revolution

B the mapping of the European world

C the Columbian Exchange
D the Reformation

62 UNITED STATES HISTORY

 Name Name Date Date Class Class

Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division [LC-DIG-pga-02387] Chapter Practice Test, continued

5 SS.8.A.1.7, SS.8.A.2.5 (High)

What do you think would be the best title for this this painting?

A Columbus displays treasures from the Americas for the Spanish king and
queen.
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

B Ferdinand Magellan delivers his treasures from his circumnavigation of the

world.
C Bartolomé de Las Casas pleads to the king and queen for laws to protect
Native Americans.
D Martin Luther protests the practices of the Catholic Church.

6 S.8.G.2.1 (High)

Which of the following was an outcome of the defeat of the Spanish armada?

A English colonization in the Americas

B the spread of Catholicism in the Americas
C the discovery of the Northwest Passage
D Spain’s loss of its American colonies

UNITED STATES HISTORY 63

Name Name Date Date Class Class

Chapter Practice Test, continued

7 SS.8.A.2.5 (High)

Which of the following statements completes the cause-and-effect diagram?

Cause
The Spanish had weapons that
the Aztec and Inca had never
seen, as well as horses and
large dogs.

Cause Effect
The Native Americans did not The conquistadors gained
have immunity from diseases control over the Aztec and Inca
that the Spanish carried. Empires and their wealth.

Cause

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

A The Inca and Aztec Empires had been growing weak for many years.
B Native American leaders were not familiar with war.

C Some Native Americans did not like their rulers and helped to overthrow
them.
D The Spanish soldiers greatly outnumbered the Native Americans.

64 UNITED STATES HISTORY

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Chapter Practice Test, continued

Columbian Exchange

90°W 60°W 30°W 0°

60°N

N
0 1,000 miles
W E
0 1,000 km
Mercator projection S

NORTH Cassava Cocoa Corn Disease

AMERICA Beans
Peanuts EUROPE
Peppers Pineapples
ASIA, AND AFRICA
Beans
ROPE,
Avocados O EU
AS T Sweet
ERIC Potatoes Tobacco Tomatoes Honeybees
AM Quinine Squash Turkeys Vanilla
Pumpkins ATL A N TI C Livestock
- Cattle
Potatoes O C E AN - Sheep
Sugarcane Pears & - Pigs Bananas
Turnips Olives AS
ERIC
Peaches Onions - Horses
30°N O AM
A S IA T Citrus
EUROPE, AFRICA, AND Fruits
Coffee
Beans
Grains Grapes Disease
- Wheat
- Rice
- Barley
AFRICA
- Oats

8 SS.8.E.3.1 (Moderate)

According to the map, which four items were introduced to the Americas from
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

the Eastern Hemisphere as part of the Columbian Exchange?

A pumpkins, squash, peppers, beans

B avocados, grapes, horses, corn
C sugarcane, wheat, olives, cattle

D potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, pineapples

UNITED STATES HISTORY 65

Name Name Date Date Class Class

Chapter Practice Test, continued

©McGraw-Hill Education/Dennis Lyall, Illustrator

9 SS.8.A.1.2, SS.8.G.2.1, SS.8.G.6.2 (Moderate)

This painting illustrates the exploration of a major body of water in the United
States by Robert Cavelier de La Salle. Which body of water did he explore and
for what country?

A Hudson River for the Netherlands

B St. Lawrence River for the British
C Gulf of Mexico for Spain

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

D Mississippi River for France

10 SS.8.A.2.1 (Moderate)

Which statement best describes the early French presence in North America?

A French settlement in North America advanced more rapidly than Spanish

settlement.
B The French raised tobacco and sugarcane on large farms called
plantations.

C French trappers and missionaries lived among Native Americans and

treated them with respect.
D French settlers founded the settlement of St. Augustine in Florida.

66 UNITED STATES HISTORY