Lesson 5: Columbian Exchange I: Europeans Settle in the New World

Topic: Today we look at the first step in the Europeans gaining a foothold in the
world’s trade system, examining their adventures in the “New World.”

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● Europeans in the New World

Intro (this one is a bit long)

Thus far we have seen how the existing trade networks worked, and learned that
the Europeans did not fare well in the system
● They did not have goods that the rest of the world wanted to trade for
● To Trade they were required to have precious metal, which were in short
supply
However several factors were working in their favor
● New ideas were developing in Europe (which we will look at in more detail
later) that stressed individualism, nationhood, and discovery (the
Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution).
● The result of these ideas were “The Age of Exploration”
○ Voyages to the “New World” gave them new products to trade
○ Voyages to the “New World” gave them large supplies of gold and
silver, the only trade items China would accept
In addition to helping Europeans get into the world trade network, there was
another world-changing consequence: Convergence
● The Western Hemisphere--literally the other half of the world--is now linked
to the previous trade networks and we finally have an entirely global trade
network
● This exchanges of foods and ideas is the foundation of our life today

This linking of the Eastern and Western Hemisphere--this global convergence and
the subsequent spread of materials and ideas is called the Columbian Exchange
(after Christopher Columbus)
● It was responsible for bringing about a shift in trade, foods, and,
unfortunately, also led to an increase in the slave trade
Today we want to learn a little background of the European Voyages to the
Western Hemisphere (North and South America, also known as the “New World”

Of course, we all know about Christopher Columbus and his accidental discovery
of the Americas, as he thought he was sailing to the Indian Ocean. However many
European nations participated in developing settlements in the New World. A look
at this map reveals this:
Activity #1: Europeans in the “New World”
Distribute copies of Europeans in the New World
In groups of 2-3, research one of the following groups
● Spain
● Portugal
● France
● England
● Holland
Your goal is to explain
● What their interest was in the “New World”--what drove them there?
● Where and what type of settlements they formed

I would suggest that you start by researching topics such as “______________(The

Name of Your Group) in the New World: Or ‘(_______ Colonization in the New
World?

When finished we will present our findings. Time permitting, we will compare the
motives, locations and results of these groups.