EP - European Exploration and the Impact on Native American Cultures (Lesson)

European Exploration and the Impact on Native American Cultures

Introduction

Spain, France and England became the most powerful nations in the world thanks to their achievements in exploration in North and South America.In Southeast North America, specifically Georgia, all three nations competed for the region. The Spanish explorers had established numerous settlements in Florida by the 1500s and were moving north towards Georgia. By the 1600s both the British and the French had begun to explore the Southeast as well.

 

European Exploration

Exploration to the Americas began with the “discovery” of the New World by Christopher Columbus and his voyage in 1492. (In fact, Columbus was the first European to “discover” the “New World” since the indigenous people had “discovered” the Americas 11,000 to 15,000 years before Christopher Columbus.)

By the end of the late 1500s many Europeans traveled to the Americas as people became increasingly interested in opportunities in the New World.

 

Many explorers died from disease and starvation during this journey west across the Atlantic to the New World. Upon arrival Europeans carried with them tools, diseases and food that changed the indigenous people’s way of life. The introduction of guns and horses had a huge impact on Native Americans’ lives and revolutionized their cultures over the next few centuries. The introduction of guns and horses changed their hunting techniques. Using horses for transportation allowed for faster hunting strategies and provided them with protection. Horses also allowed indigenous tribes to travel longer distances much faster than on foot or by canoe.

Explorers, and later colonists, brought new foods, crops, livestock, and plants to the New World. Arguably the most profound change came from numerous diseases Europeans unknowingly carried, specifically smallpox, which turned deadly for the Native American population who had no immunity to European diseases since they had been isolated in the Americas for many thousands of years without contact with Asians or Europeans. This exchange of goods, food and diseases (and cultural elements) is known as the Columbian Exchange.

See description of diagram Links to an external site.

Review

Review what you've learned by completing the activity below. When completing the activity you should note that the top, light blue box is for the New World (Americas) and the bottom, dark blue box is for the Old World (Europe.)

 

 

 

 

As you see, the connection between the Native American populations and the European explorers had a positive and negative effect on both cultures. The lasting impact will be seen as we begin to explore the impact of settlements next.

  COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE MAP COURTESY OF GPB EDUCATION, GEORGIA STUDIES DIGITAL TEXTBOOK

ALL OTHER IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN