Introduction to Chapter 2
2
EUROPEANS ENCOUNTER THE NEW WORLD
1492–1600 [[LP PHOTO: P02.01 DETAIL CORTÉS ARRIVES IN TENOCHTITLÁN /
> What were the most significant effects of European exploration in the sixteenth century? Chapter 2 examines the causes, course, and impact of European exploration of parts of the world previously unknown to them. It follows early Portuguese efforts to chart the coast of Africa and the Spanish establishment of a colonial empire in the New World. It then explores the many changes in both the New and Old Worlds that were a result of Europeans’ encounters with Native Americans during the sixteenth century.
> What factors led to European exploration in the fifteenth century?
> What did Spanish explorers discover in the western Atlantic?
> How did Spaniards explore, conquer, and colonize New Spain?
> What impact did Spain’s New World endeavors have in Europe?
> Conclusion: What promise did the New World offer Europeans?
Understanding the American Promise 3ePrinted Page 26