1. A series of events and conditions existed in the Old World at the dawn of the fifteenth century that made New World exploration not only possible but desirable. Identify these events and conditions, and explain how each helped set the stage for exploration.
a. Isabella avoids an arranged marriage by King Henry, her step brother, that would limit her power. She marries King Ferdinand, ruler of land in Northern Spain, in 1469.
b. Isabella becomes queen after King Henry, a ruler that not made many enemies among the nobility and clergy, dies 1474.
c. Isabella and Ferdinand start a new campaign known as the Reconquest to eliminate Muslim strong holds and to purify Christianity in the region.
d. During that time, Christopher Columbus was …show more content…

Native Americans were introduced to iron technology, sailing ships, fire arms, wheeled vehicles, horses as well as other domesticated animals. Europeans discovered tobacco, cotton as well as corn and potatoes which became staples in the diets on many poor Europeans. A generation after Columbus’ discovery, Spain had still not reaped the rewards of the new land as they once hoped to find a land full of spices and gold.
g. It wasn’t until 1519 when Cortez explored land from Mexico all the way down to Chile. By 1545, that new land belonged to Spain and finally brought them the gold and silver they were seeking. The Spanish forced the natives into slavery, mining gold and growing crops. Spain was now a world power but soon needed a new labor force since diseases were wiping out the native population.

3. The labor system of slavery transformed the South during the eighteenth century. Discuss the impact on southern society and politics.
a. Different slave owners from the South preferred African slaves from certain regions, this became known as seasoning.
b. The Stono rebellion in South Carolina in 1739 prompted new laws designed to guarantee that the whites always had an upper hand.
c. Slaves also had their own customs that they brought from Africa. They valued family ties. Kinships identified a person’s place among living relatives and linked the persons to ancestors in the past and to descendants in the future.
d. Slaves also gave