The History of America – Act I [1491 to 1607]

On a North American continent controlled by American Indians, contact among the peoples of Europe,

the Americas, and West Africa created a new world

1.1  From Pangaea to Paradise 

Pre-Columbian indigenous populations were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness rather, a vastly more populous and sophisticated civilizations that actively shaped and influenced the land around them .

1.2 European Exploration and Discovery

Overseas exploration emerges as a powerful factor in European culture as the world’s regions, peoples, and economies became increasingly interconnected.

1.3 The Consequences of 1492

An ecological collision of organisms across the Atlantic between the Old World and the New, changed the history of our planet creating the Modern World 

1.4 Devils in the Desert: Spanish Exploration and Conquest

Rich in resources and natural beauty, the Americas became irresistible to gold-hungry Spanish Conquistadors seeking to harvest souls and extract gold.

1.5 The Spanish Mission System – A Wealth of Souls to Harvest

The Spanish Empire ruthlessly bound Indigenous people and imported Africans into a coerced labor system, initiating debates that challenged the idea of colonial exploitation based on race.

1.6 French and Dutch Exploration and Possession, 1524 to 1608

European explorers, traders, settlers, soldiers and missionaries explore beyond the Southwest and help establish an economic base for North American trade. 

1.7 English Settlement in the New World

European explorers, traders, settlers, soldiers and missionaries explore beyond the Southwest and help establish an economic base for North American trade.

Time Period #1 1491-1607 Chronological Review 

A hard copy of this handout will be provided in class the first week of school. Each Time Period we study will have a chronological review to provode a quick summary of the topic/time period.

Time Period 1 Images