European Exploration

European Exploration brought many new discoveries and riches to Europe, but many forget to look at the story from the perspectives of various Native groups. In this unit we will look through articles and primary sources which detail European Exploration from the perspectives of Native Americans, Indigenous South Americans, and African Tribes. 

Educational Resources:

Native American's first interactions with European explorers

Impact of Colonization

Europeans invade the Aztec Empire

European Colonization of Africa

Forgotten Failures of African Exploration

Asian Responses to European Exploration

Massacre of the Aztecs in the Great Temple

Columbus Reports on his First Voyage

Native American Side of Thanksgiving

First Hand Accounts of Native American Interactions with Europeans

Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938

First hand Accounts of Slavery

First Hand Accounts of Native American Interactions with Europeans

India During British Rule

Aztec Accounts of the Conquest

Native American Primary Source Library

First Hand Accounts and Documents of Exploration Library

Review Questions:

1.  How does the stereotypical story of Thanksgiving compare to the Native American side of the story?

2.  Briefly explain the relationship between the Aztecs and Spanish conquistadors and what this led to.

3.  How did the Europeans view slaves on the Transatlantic Slave Trade?

4.  Explain Social Darwinism.

5.  Explain the series of events leading up to and after the Indian massacre at Ajacàn.

6.  How did the explorers treat Native American tribes during the exploration of Roanoke Island?