Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who were the first Europeans to reach what is now Canada?
Who were the first Europeans to reach what is now Canada?
In which year did Europeans start fishing cod off the Newfoundland Grand Banks?
In which year did Europeans start fishing cod off the Newfoundland Grand Banks?
What are the reasons Europeans kept returning to Canada for fish?
What are the reasons Europeans kept returning to Canada for fish?
Why was cod particularly important to Catholic Europeans?
Why was cod particularly important to Catholic Europeans?
Signup and view all the answers
Until when did the cod industry remain huge in the Grand Banks?
Until when did the cod industry remain huge in the Grand Banks?
Signup and view all the answers
What colors on the map represent the shallowest and deepest areas of the Grand Banks?
What colors on the map represent the shallowest and deepest areas of the Grand Banks?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the caption of the map describe the Grand Banks as?
What does the caption of the map describe the Grand Banks as?
Signup and view all the answers
What is suggested by the caption being in both English and French?
What is suggested by the caption being in both English and French?
Signup and view all the answers
Which groups were involved in early fishing and whaling in what is now Canada?
Which groups were involved in early fishing and whaling in what is now Canada?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the map of the Grand Banks include besides water depth data?
What does the map of the Grand Banks include besides water depth data?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Europe in the 15th and 16th Centuries
- Europe recovered from the Black Death and Hundred Years' War, leading to the rise of cities, merchants, and trade.
- Feudalism was replaced by these new economic systems.
- The Spanish Inquisition began in 1492, leading to the expulsion of Jews, Muslims, and other "unbelievers" from Iberia.
- The Protestant Reformation began in 1517, splitting Europe into Protestant and Catholic camps, and resulting in millions of deaths in religious wars.
The Great Age of Exploration
- The fall of Constantinople in 1453 led to the discovery of new ocean routes to Asia.
- New technologies, such as improved cartography, the astrolabe, magnetic compass, and better ships, made long-distance sailing easier.
- Iberians (Spanish, Portuguese, and Basques) took the lead in exploration.
Columbus and the Conquest of the New World
- Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean in 1492, beginning a reign of genocide.
- The conquest of the New World led to mass killings of Indigenous Americans, with up to 90% of the population dying from war, disease, and mistreatment.
- The African slave trade began, and ecocide occurred as introduced plants and animals devastated native ones.
The Impact of Exploration
- The wealth generated from the conquest of the New World and the exploitation of Indigenous peoples and Africans led to the rise of the West.
- This wealth facilitated the scientific revolution, the Enlightenment, and the industrial revolution, which in turn led to humanism.
The Fur Trade (16th and 17th Centuries)
- Beaver pelts were highly valued in Europe for making hats.
- European and Russian beaver populations were declining, while Indigenous peoples had been hunting beaver for centuries.
- Europeans, especially the French, traded with Indigenous peoples for pelts, relying on centuries-old Indigenous trading networks.
New France (1608-1760)
- Jacques Cartier set up a French settlement in 1541, but it failed due to Indigenous hostility and lack of economic foundation.
- Samuel de Champlain established a fort at Quebec in 1608, and other forts were set up along rivers.
- The French established small bourgeois and aristocratic settlements, primarily focused on the fur trade and missionary activities.
Fish on Fridays (1497)
- The first Europeans in what is now Canada were Spanish, Portuguese, and Basque fishers and whalers.
- They started fishing cod off Newfoundland's Grand Banks in 1497, and fish became a major reason for European returns to Canada.
- Cod was a cheap source of protein, could be salted and preserved, and was required by Catholic doctrine for consumption on Fridays and many Holy Days.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the transformation of Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, including the decline of feudalism, the rise of cities and trade, and the impact of the Protestant Reformation and Spanish Inquisition.
