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Discovering Search for gold and other forms of wealth was the primary goal of European explorers. The conversion of native peoples Convert the natives to Christianity was often given as a reason to explore . Conquer the Americas, but this was distant second to natives. Obtain freedom. Why do your parents homeschool? For some of the search for wealthsame reasons. What is likely to happen if Go there for the same reason people climb a bunch of Europeans go this land? Conflicts with Native Americans are almost inevitable, as mountain: because it is there! Escape where you are conflicts with other European powers over their claims to these . Set up a special religious community. Meet new landspeople and make new friends. Trade goods with the people. Learn from the people. Have adventures and then write about them.

Europeans began to expand their horizons – literally. They fought theHoly [[Crusades]] from 1095 to 1291 to protect Christian pilgrimage to [[Jerusalem]] against Moslem attacks. Europeans wanted to expand the world of Christianity, and spread the [[Gospel]]. Meanwhile, European science and geography, borrowing heavily from Islamic scholars, continued to advance, and realized such that it was theoretically possible to they knew they could reach the Orient by sailing West around the world.

About 1000 A.D., the Scandinavian [[Leif Ericson ]] discovered [[Vinland]], which is probably present [[New FoundlandEngland]], and established founded a small colony that failed. Because the Norse discoveries were unknown to the rest of Europe, nothing Nothing further came of that effort. Because this exploration amounted to nothing, it is not particularly significant.

In 1453, Constantinople, the eastern capitol of the old Roman Empire fell to the Ottoman Turks. This severed the overland routes to the east, and Europeans began looking for other ways to reach Asia. Under the direction of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese embarked on a long term project of reaching Asia by sailing east, around the horn of Africa. By 1482, a determined Italian explorer named [[Christopher Columbus]] sought financing to sail west in order to reach India. He tried Portugal, and was committed to but it had its eastward route to Asiaown successful explorers. Why would Portugal need Columbus? Finally, in 1492, after the completion of the Reconquista, Spain funded Columbus’ his effortin 1492.

Columbus set sail in three ships. First sighted land in late 1492. On Christmas eve, and on October 12thDecember 24, 1492, one of Columbus's shipsship, the [[Santa Maria]], sighted an reached the island they named San Salvadorof [[Haiti]]. Columbus named the settlement “La Navidad,” meaning “The Nativity,” and dropped off 40 men with a promise to return to them the next year. Columbus then wrote to the King and Queen of Spain of the Tiano people he encounteredfollowing in his Journal: “In all the world there can be no better or gentler people. Your Highnesses should feel great joy, because presently they will be Christians, and instructed in the good manners of your realms.” Columbus reported that native peoples could easily be converted to Christianity, “since they have no religion.” He also thought they would make good slaves.

Columbus made sailed on three subsequent voyages, but never achieved his goal and died discredited. What was his motivation? Primarily to spread Christianity, but also to find gold to reward his sponsors and fund further expeditions. Ultimately, his purpose focused on a dream to liberate Jerusalem, as the Crusades attempted.<br><br>What influence did Columbus have? He gave Spain [[Haiti]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Jamaica]] and [[Cuba]] by 1515. Spain then settled Florida (St. Augustine), and later Santa Fe, New Mexico. Spanish conquistador [[Hernando Cortes ]] conquered the Aztec Empire of Aztecs in central Mexico (1521), and [[Francisco Pizarro ]] conquered the Incas of Peru (1531). They seized much gold in the process.  

Some Englishmen invested money in what were was called “joint a “[[joint stock companiescompany]],” which were was similar to a modern-day corporationscorporation, for the purpose of finding gold or other treasures. One of the most important of the joint stock companies was Called the “[[Virginia Company of London. It ]],” it established the first English permanent settlement for England in North America at Jamestown , Virginia, in 1607. Financially, Jamestown It was a disaster and the investors realized little in the way of profitsnever received a profit. The early settlers lacked a common purpose and wasted their time searching for treasure, or simply doing nothing at all. They almost starved to death.<br><br>1607 is one of the few dates you should memorize. This was after the Spanish had settled in Florida, but before the French had settled in Quebec. So remember the sequence: Spanish, English, and then French.<br><br>After From 1607-1611, the initial “starving timeJamestown settlement lived under socialism,” leadership of whereby the colony passed group shared its food with everyone no matter how much or little he worked. This economic system was a complete failure as no one had any incentive to a former solider named do any work. [[John Smith. Smith was ]] arrived from England and he installed a strict disciplinarian, who decreed that “he that doth not conservative economic system: “don’t work, shall not don’t eat.!” However Magically, food shortages continued. Smith and his successors augmented existing food supplies by sometimes trading with the local Powhatan peoples, but at other times, he exhorted maize form them with threats of violence1614 there was suddenly plenty to eat. 

But most of Jamestown’s first Jamestown settlers sought fortuneswere there to find fortune, but and there was no not any gold or silver in Virginia. Native Americans planted and developed Indians had discovered tobacco and Europeans were beginning to become addicted on it. Some Many Europeans recognized that tobacco was harmfulbad for them, and some wanted to ban prohibit it, including the King of England, James I. James went so far as to write a pamphlet called “A Counterblaste to Tobacco” in which he argued that tobacco was offensive to the nose and eye and harmful to the lungs. Some physicians however, actually claimed that tobacco had healthful benefits. In 1613, Englishman [[John Rolfe]], who married Powhatan’s favorite daughter, the Indian [[Pocahontas]] in Virginia, began growing tobacco for to export to Europe. The King banned the growing of tobacco in England, so Rolfe had no competition. Cash began pouring in for the tobacco, and this so-called “cash crop” became highly profitable for the Jamestown settlers. As for James I, he enjoyed the revenues that his government collected on the import taxes for tobacco.