European Colonization Teacher Resources

Columbus' arrival laid the basis for encounters between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans. This unit examines how these contacts altered the way of life of peoples around the globe.

Essay examining the cultural and environmental changes spanning 300 years in the pre-Revolutionary South as three worlds, Native American, European, and African collide. Site includes guiding questions for student discussion and scholars...

This resource features Native American activist, Bartolome de las Casas, one of the first Europeans to speak on cruelty directed towards the Native Americans. Click on "Bartolome de las Casas Activites" for related artifacts and activities.

This section of a chapter on "Early Globalization" identifies regions where the English, French, and Dutch explored and established settlements, describes the differences among the early colonies, and explains the role of the American...

A colorful map depicting the European claims established in Africa by 1914.

This site provides an in-depth historical detail on the rise of Portuguese trade and exploration. Special attention is given to the history of the Portuguese monarchy and the conditions that led to the nation's rise in power. Further...

The settlement of the colonies in America is the focus of this article. The course of events is divided into topics and time periods, making it easier to understand. Note is made of the effects to the already present Native Americans as...

Explore the origins of Canada and the United States as Jamestown, Quebec, and Santa Fe celebrate their 400th anniversary.

Newberry Library lesson using digitized primary source explores how Aphra Behn's novel, Oroonoko, compares to other representations of race, slavery, and colonialism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Questions to consider are...

A collection that uses primary sources to explore the history of Spanish missions in California.

A collection of primary sources which explores cross-cultural conflicts during the Colonial period of United States history.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Dutch colony of New Netherland.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the encounter between the Powhatan people and English at Jamestown.

In this Crash Course video, John Green teaches you about the Crusades embarked upon by European Christians in the 12th and 13th centuries. Our traditional perception of the Crusades as European Colonization thinly veiled in religion...

Map of Northwestern Africa, subtitled "French Colonization." This map shows the Barbary States of Morocco, Algeria, and a portion of Ottoman controlled Tripoli. The map is color-coded to show the progression of French occupation in...

Briefly describes Belgium's role in the Scramble for Africa and provides a little longer explanation of King Leopold's ruthless rule of the African Congo Basin.

Selected (12) reading passages (grades 6-11) to pair with "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. In this classic novel, Okonkwo, a wealthy and respected member of the Umuofia clan, resists the forces of change brought to Africa by...

Five documents representing the full range of Indian-European antagonisms, struggles for power, and outright warfare among the Spanish, Pueblo, Wampanoag, English, and French in New Spain, New France, New Mexico, and New England.

Essay on the battle between indigenous peoples and Europeans and the beginnings of Anglo-European domination of North America during final stage of conquest, 1740s.

The Europeans tried to convert Native Americans to Christianity in a variety of ways ranging from the brutal force methods of the conquistadors to acceptance of the other's spirituality and way of life.

Essay on the devastating changes the indigenous peoples of North America faced as Europeans encroached upon and colonized their land.

Essay discussion about the 15th Century debate that went on among Europeans during the time of conquest concerning the morality of conquering the indigenous American people.

Information on the fur trade and its impact on Native Americans. The demands of the Europeans for fur increased competition among the Native American groups. It changed the character of warfare among Native American populations and...

From the time Columbus first set foot in the New World, Europeans were fascinated with this new land. In this lesson, students learn about the Three Gs that drove them here- gold, God, and glory- and find out how these settlers gave...