European Quest for New Land

1400’s – New trade routes to Orient

Oriental silk, perfumes, drugs, gold, jewelry, dyes, teas, spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)

Shorter route to Far East (eventually landed on South and North American continents)

Small Pox

Horses

Plants

Indians not accustomed to epidemic disease (no resistance/immune system)

Biggest destroyer of Native population (9 million out of 10 million)

Burned your insides (organs), high fever (106 & up), puss filled sores

Highly contagious, 8-10 days before you even knew you had it)

Transported to other tribes by horses given to the Natives

Immediate and significant impact (positive and negative)

Allowed for more permanent villages

Extended the range of life and adventure

“magic dogs” or “wonder dogs”

Tobacco

Sacred for thousands of years, now becomes a major export

SPANISH

3 G’s!!!! – GOD, GOLD AND GLORY!!!!!

FRENCH

FURS, FISH AND GOD

Did not try and conquer the Indians, bartered

Treated with respect and dignity

Seeking fabled Northwest Passage through continent

Evidence of influence in names or rivers/communities and Oklahoma families

Beginning of Oklahoma’s documented past

Brought sheep, horses, cattle, dogs

Extremely cruel to Indians

Raped wives, burned husbands, hunted them with dogs

Contrast to Columbus where he just wanted to convert the “friendly people”

Came looking for Seven Cities of Cibola, Quivira

Looking for gold and wealth

Left destruction and disease

Actually in Oklahoma

Looking for gold/spread Catholicism

Settled New Mexico

Down the Mississippi River

Set up trading posts on the Mississippi River

Claimed all land drained by the Mississippi River for King Louis XIV

1st French colony, eventual Oklahoma exploration

Murdered by colonists

Trading post along the Red River

Explored eastern Oklahoma

Impressed with land and Indians/lifestyle