European Exploration in the

Americas
Unit 1
Topic 1.3

AP U.S. History
 Think About It
► Evaluate the relative important causes of
European exploration and colonization in the
Americas.
► Compare and contrast the developments
and lifestyle of the Spanish, French, and
English colonies in the North America.
 Europe Before Exploration
► Renaissance
 Technological
innovations
► Growth of Nation-States
 England, France, Spain,
Portugal, Holland
► Protestant Reformation
and Religious Wars
 Lutheranism
 Calvinism
► Predestination
 Church of England aka
Anglican Church
 Catholic Counter-
Reformation
 European Colonization
► Spain
 Christopher Columbus (1492)
► France
 Jacques Cartier (1534)
► Dutch
 Henry Hudson (1609)
► England
 Charter Colonies, Proprietary
Colonies, Royal Colonies
 European Colonization
God
► Spread the faith
of Christianity
► Missionaries
► Conversion
 European Colonization
Glory
► Nation-States
► Mercantilism
 Favorable
balance of trade
► Personal
recognition
► Personal wealth
 European Colonization
Gold
► Mercantilism
 Favorable balance
of trade
 Mother country and
her colonies
 Tariffs
► Gold and Silver
 Finance expeditions
and colonization
 Finance military
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)