Chapter 2: A Continent On The Move, 1400-1725

After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

1. Describe some of the economic constraints that pushed European rulers to promote exploration and colonization in North America and understand the political and religious rivalries that influenced European choices regarding New World colonization.
   
   
2. Explain the similarities and differences that characterized the choices made by Spanish, French, and Dutch officials in starting their empires in North America and analyze how the choices made by colonists themselves placed constraints on administrative policies.
   
   
3. Analyze the constraints environmental changes and the arrival of Europeans placed on Indians as well as the opportunities that the Europeans brought with them and evaluate the social and political choices the Indians made in response to these changes.
   
   
4. Understand what constraints most affected the lives of the settlers in New Mexico, Louisiana, and New Netherland and analyze how the choices made by settlers and American Indians helped them deal with these constraints.