Page 2 - Student Edition Week 21

Advances in Agriculture Piracy and Privateers Week 21 of 32 • Page 3
Piracy and Privateers

Kings and queens in Europe weren’t just excited
There is evidence of people living in the peanuts, quinoa, and cotton. Some raised have probably heard the story of the first about explorers heading out to the Americas.
Americas as early as 12,000 to 15,000 years llamas, alpacas, guinea pigs, and ducks. Thanksgiving. In November 1621, the
ago. These early Americans found many food In addition to growing food, many Native Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest. They were excited about explorers coming back.
sources in their natural environment. They Peoples hunted wild animals and caught fish They were joined by the Wampanoag. The Their return meant new foods, goods, and gold.
also developed new food sources over time. and shellfish. They also gathered wild plants feast lasted for three days, and there was The more land their country claimed, the more
Later, Europeans arrived in the Americas. They for both food and medicine. They had different plenty of food to go around. The Pilgrims were resources could be brought to market. European
learned to grow new foods from American methods of farming. Native Peoples in North thankful they had learned to survive in New countries wanted goods from the Americas.
Indians. They also shared their knowledge America often planted fields of corn. They grew England. They would not have done so Spain sent explorers first. Once the Spanish
with native tribes. beans, squash, sunflowers, and pumpkins in without the help of the Wampanoag and started to conquer land and peoples, they set
There were many different agricultural smaller gardens beside rivers and streams. The their knowledge of agriculture. up regular trade routes for their ships. The
systems in the Americas, and each was Maya and the Aztec had large empires with The diets of the Native Peoples of the ships followed known routes. It didn’t take long
suited to its environment. Southern Canada lots of people to feed, so they used irrigation Americas did benefit in some ways from the for others to identify the ships and steal their
is very different from the tropical forests of systems to help them grow a lot of food. In arrival of European colonists. Native farmers cargo. Other Europeans began arming ships
South America. There are the towering Andes the Andes, the Inca planted crops in a series of traded with the Europeans for peach and with cannons and their crews with weapons.
Mountains in South America that are very terraces that climbed up steep slopes. watermelon seeds. They were introduced to Pirates threatened Spanish ships full of goods
different from the river valleys of what is today When colonists arrived in the Americas, apples. They also learned how to use horses on their way back to Spain and stole their cargo.
the eastern United States. they brought their own farming knowledge to plow fields for planting. Native Peoples also Someone who attacks and robs a ship at
Native Peoples had a variety of food options. with them. Not all of it was helpful. For traded with Europeans for steel tools. sea is called a pirate. Pirates became a threat
They grew corn — lots of corn. They often example, the Puritans came from the south of Food from the Americas quickly spread to merchant ships traveling between Europe
grew beans and squash along with corn. They England, where the soil is deep, soft, and full of around the world. Coffee became very popular and the Americas. The small islands in the
called these plants "The Three Sisters.” They nutrients. The soil in New England, where the in Europe. Pineapples, chili peppers, potatoes, Caribbean became the ideal place to hide stolen
also grew many other plants, Pilgrims settled, is very different. It is shallow, and avocados made it into kitchens in goods. Pirates became skilled at stealing cargo.
depending on where
depending on where sandy, and stony. Crops like wheat and barley far-off places, and people everywhere fell The pirates of the Caribbean were ruthless in the pursuit of treasure and goods. Pirates
The pirates of the Caribbean were ruthless in the pursuit of treasure and goods. Pirates
they lived. Crops that grew well in England did not thrive along in love with chocolate. were pursued by government authorities. When caught, they were punished with death.
they lived. Crops
were pursued by government authorities. When caught, they were punished with death.
included pumpkins, the coast of Massachusetts. Over time, Native Peoples lost most of There was rivalry and competition between the governments in Europe over the
included pumpkins,
There was rivalry and competition between the governments in Europe over the
peppers, Native Peoples were sometimes willing to their lands to European settlers. Farms got resources in the Americas. Due to this competition, monarchs saw an opportunity
peppers,
resources in the Americas. Due to this competition, monarchs saw an opportunity
tomatoes, and
tomatoes, and share their knowledge. This was fortunate for bigger, and more areas began producing food. to use pirates. Pirates already had ships out on the sea and were fighting with their
to use pirates. Pirates already had ships out on the sea and were fighting with their
potatoes. They European settlers. Tisquantum, also called Farmers replaced animal labor with machines,
potatoes. They
rival countries. The monarchs of England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain began
also grew
also grew Squanto, was very helpful. He taught the and they grew more food. More food allowed rival countries. The monarchs of England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain began
granting special licenses to certain sea captains and their crews. Their job was to
cacao, coffee, Pilgrims how to plant native crops like corn, Europeans to support larger settlements, so granting special licenses to certain sea captains and their crews. Their job was to
cacao, coffee,
attack ships that belonged to enemy countries. That special license was called a letter
sunflowers, how to catch fish in Massachusetts Bay, and their population grew. However, while farming attack ships that belonged to enemy countries. That special license was called a letter
sunflowers,
of marque. A letter of marque made a pirate a privateer. Unlike pirates, privateers
avocados, how to find shellfish along the shore. You changed, many of the foods stayed the same. of marque. A letter of marque made a pirate a privateer. Unlike pirates, privateers
avocados,
were protected from punishment. They could legally sell captured goods.
Foods from the Americas are still enjoyed were protected from punishment. They could legally sell captured goods.
Foods from the Americas are still enjoyed
Privateers would raid ships in the name of their country, then split the profits
by people all over the world. Privateers would raid ships in the name of their country, then split the profits
by people all over the world.
Think about your favorite with the monarch. Privateering also helped spread each
Think about your favorite
foods. Do you know where government’s influence.
foods. Do you know where
they come from?
they come from?

Religious Conflict
In the 16th century, there was conflict in Europe over religion. The The Catholic Church had rituals and rules of worship for people to
conflict was about who was the authority for Christianity and the follow. Many people began to think some of these were unnecessary
leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was the only and even wrong. They wanted the Catholic Church to be reformed. Some
Christian denomination in Europe at this time. The Catholic Church was people began to turn to new beliefs and practices. They protested the
organized with a central leader: the pope. The pope was the religious Catholic Church. These people became known as Protestants.
leader for all Christians. All Christian governments obeyed the directions felt the same way. The Catholic monarchs made laws to force their
The pope wanted everyone to be Catholic. Many Catholic monarchs
of the pope. This gave the pope more authority than the monarchs.
Demand in Europe greater authority in England than the king. If the pope could tell the people to be Catholic. Those who disobeyed were persecuted.
The king of England, Henry VIII, did not think anyone should have
Like the Catholic monarchs, Protestant monarchs also made laws to
king what to do, then who was really the authority in England? This line force people to be Protestant. Those who disobeyed were persecuted.
Spain sent explorers across the Atlantic to open trade people or in certain places. Wealthy Europeans did not of thinking led others to question who was the leader of the Christian The persecution between Catholics and Protestants increased the
with India and earn money. Finding the Americas instead had like potatoes at first. However, potatoes were a good food church: the pope, the king, or the people? religious competition and rivalry between the countries of Europe.
an even bigger effect on Europe’s economy. As new goods because they had a lot of calories and grew underground.
came back from the Americas, people rushed to buy them. This kept them from being destroyed by bad weather. Slowly,
At first, most things brought back from the Americas potatoes spread to many countries. Potatoes never had high
were luxury goods for the rich. Europeans brought back gold prices, like sugar did. As people learned how to prepare and
and silver. Wealthy buyers in Europe also liked furs from cook them for meals, they increased in production.
American animals. American crops like tobacco also became Europeans did not make corn a popular purchase. Many
popular. Many people wanted to try the new goods, and as a Europeans used corn as an ingredient in other dishes and
result, prices grew high. Sugarcane, originally from Asia, was used it to feed animals. Corn was accepted in Asia and Africa
introduced in the hot climate of the Caribbean, where it grew as an import from Europe.
very well. People in Europe were willing to pay high prices The demand for different American goods in Europe had an
for sugar. High demand made sugarcane producers in the impact on life in the Americas. The way land was divided, the
Americas want to increase their supply. way people worked, and even ideas about who had rights were
Some American crops were only popular with certain all influenced by economic demand in European countries.

A field of sugar cane

Saint Peter’s Square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican
city. Vatican city, Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman
Catholic Church