Ancient American Explorers The Ice Age to Early English Attempts
Christopher Wren Association Lecture 3 Outline Lecture 3
More legendary voyages to America Spanish and French Explorations England begins to expand into the New World Failed attempts to settle northern lands Irish Monks St. Brendan, Irish Mariner
Brendan may have sailed as far as America in the 6th century Brendan’s Voyage
Brendan took 17 monks with him Sailed for 7 years Made landfall at many islands Searched for the Land of Promise of the Saints Arrived at a fabulous new land Then returned to Ireland
Brendan’s Voyage Possible
Tim Severin sailed a skin boat from Dingle peninsula in Ireland to Newfoundland (St. Brendan’s Isle) in 1976, proving that the voyage was possible Ocean Winds & Currents Severin’s Voyage in Brendan Brendan Was On the Map
St. Brendan’s Isle
Map by Abraham Ortelius ca. 1570 Medieval Warm Period
From 800 to 1300 CE Northern Hemisphere experienced a more temperate climate Glaciers retreated in Europe, Greenland, etc. Corresponds with the colonization of northern areas by Vikings Faroes settled by Norse ca. 800 Shetlands and Orkney Islands came under Norse control ca. 875 Iceland colonized 874-930 Erik the Red Fled Norway with his father Thorvald due to some “manslaughters” and settled in Iceland Erik continued the family tradition of murder Erik slew Eyjolf the Foul; he slew also Hrafn the kinsman of Eyholf … Erik Had to leave Iceland Sailed west following a course taken by Gunnbjorn Who had been blown there in a storm and returned with a story of a new, fertile land west of Iceland
Norse Voyages to America
Vikings sailed to America in 1000 A. D. Norse Vinland Voyages
The Greenlanders’ Saga Leiv Eiriksson
Stone Lamp
L’Anse aux Meadows, Bronze Pin Newfoundland Viking Settlement
Artifacts The Saga of Erik the Red Subsequent Norse Voyages The sagas tell tales of additional voyages after Leif, and Gudrid and Thorfinn Karlsefne. Legend of White Man’s Land or Great Ireland Refer to White monks living on a continent to the west Kidnapped Indians told the story Probably the same area as Vinland Generally accepted in medieval times that Irish monks had settled territory in the area we now know as North America
Known Viking Voyages to America Kensington Rune Stone 1362 AD
Discovered in 1898 by Olof Ohman, a Swedish farmer living near Kensington, Minnesota Kensington Rune Stone is a dressed sandstone 31 inches high, 16 inches wide, six inches thick & weighs 202 pounds. Root Scars
Olof Ohman
Front: 8 : göter : ok : 22 : norrmen : po : Translation: ...o : opdagelsefärd : fro : “Eight Götalanders and 22 Northmen on vinland : of : vest : vi : hade : läger : ved : 2 : skjär : en : (this?) acquisition journey from Vinland dags : rise : norr : fro : deno : sten : far to the west. We had a camp by two vi : var : ok : fiske : en : dagh : äptir : (shelters?) one day’s journey north from vi : kom : hem : fan : 10 : man : röde : this stone. We were fishing one day. After af : blod : og : ded : AVM : we came home, found 10 men red from frälse : äf : illü. Side: blood and dead. Ave Maria save from evil. här : (10) : mans : ve : havet : at : se : There are 10 men by the inland sea to look äptir : vore : skip : 14 : dagh : rise : after our ships fourteen days journey from from : deno : öh : ahr : 1362 : this peninsula (or island). Year 1362 Welsh Settle North America Prince Madoc ap Gwynedd Illegitimate son of Welsh Prince Owain Gwynedd and Brenda, daughter of a Viking lord in Ireland Traveled extensively during his youth Led naval forces against English King Henry II Sailed to America with his brother, Riryd Ships called Gwenan Gorn and Pedr Sant Ships reported sailing from Welsh waters in 1170 And reported missing in 1171 Welsh Settlers in America Ships probably similar to Viking design Madoc had Viking, Irish and Welsh ancestry Probably accompanied with settlers from Wales, Ireland and perhaps some Vikings Final landfall was Mobile Bay His story was contained in Welsh and English documents published during the centuries after his disappearance The Spanish believed in this story and looked for traces of Madoc’s settlers in the 1500s Madoc’s Route Welsh Settlers Migration Up Alabama River To the Coosa River To the Tennessee River To the Ohio River To the Mississippi River To the Missouri River To Heart River near Bismarck ND The Fate of the Welsh Settlers Cherokee lore tells of a battle between the Indians and white settlers on the Ohio River In times long before the coming of the English settlers in the 17th and 18th Fort Mountain, Georgia centuries. The white settlers retreated to the Mississippi River and then north. Memorial in Wales The white settlers built stone forts. Plaque at Fort Mountain, Georgia "The legends about a prehistoric white race are the most popular of all. They are based on tales handed down by word of mouth, among the Cherokee Indians. Ancient tribal chiefs said their early forebears passed along to posterity, these stories that people with fair skin, blond hair and blue eyes occupied the mountain areas until Cherokee Invaders finally dispersed them with great slaughter… Some historians give a measure of credence to a very old legend that a man named Prince Madoc and 200 adventurous Welshmen from Wales in 11 ships in the year 1170 landed on what is now the Alabama coast near Mobile… Repeated attacks by the Indians drove the Welshmen far into the North, until they found refuge in what is now the north Georgia Mountain area. There they lived in peace for many years, so the story goes, until the Cherokee killed many of them and intermarried with the survivors." Mandan Village by George Catlin Mandan Woman
George Catlin lived among the Mandan 1832-1833. He found them unlike any other Plains Indians in appearance, customs, and language. Similarity in Watercraft
Coracles on River Teifi Mandan bull boats Catlin described the unusual hooked end on Mandan paddles
The Mandan Today Soon after Catlin left the Mandan, traders brought small pox to the tribe. In 1836 there were 1,800 Mandan & In 1838 there were 125 The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes combined and have lived together since the Civil War at their reservation In 1971 there were perhaps 30 Mandan Today there is reportedly one elder who speaks the Mandan language, although that language probably is an amalgam of the Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara languages—no trace of Welsh words can be found Back to Fu Sang The Third Chinese exploration of America
Ming Emperor Zhu Di Chinese Admiral Zheng He
Zheng He (aka Cheng Ho) led a huge fleet of ships from China to India and the east coast of Africa during 1405-1433. The fleet may also have rounded Africa and continued on to America, Antarctica, and Australia. Chinese artifacts have reportedly been found in America dating to the 15th century, 70 years before Columbus arrived there. Clip From History International Channel –Zheng He Chinese Admiral Zheng He Chinese Map ca. 1418 Chinese Admiral Zheng He
Brass Medal with Ming Dynasty Message found in North Carolina. Also story of “China” Box reported in 1621. Fra Mauro Map 1459 South
Africa
Map asserts that a Chinese Ship sailed below Africa in 1420. That was the time of Zheng He. North Re-Discoveries of Newfoundland
Bristol Fishermen Portuguese Bristol Fishermen Discover America
Bristol Fishermen had discovered Newfoundland about 1480 Richard ap Merrick Richard Ap Merrick born in 1445 in Wales Became Richard Amerike when he moved to Bristol He was a wealthy merchant. He founded Bristol's Society of Merchant Adventurers. A letter ca. 1481 indicates that Amerike shipped salt (for salting fish) to Bristol fishermen in Newfoundland. Chief sponsor for John Cabot's expedition to Newfoundland in 1497 ...on St John the Baptist's Day [24 June], the land of America was found by the merchants of Bristowe, in a ship of Bristowe called the Mathew. America may have been named after Amerike Waldseemueller Map
Named America in 1507 Map Corte-Real Explorations 1472 Joao Corte-Real and his sons discover island of Bacalhau (cod fish) Believed to be Newfoundland Joao Corte-Real Sons return in 1501 & 1502 Both lost at sea Gaspar Corte-Real Statue St. John’s, Newfoundland Map of the World by Abraham Ortelius, 1570 Christopher Columbus
Born 1451 Died 5/20/1506 Columbus’ Voyages Cabot’s Voyage to Newfoundland 1497
Born ca. 1455 at Gaeta Died in England in 1499 Matthew Replica at Bristol 78’ LOA, 85 Tons Giovanni da Verrazano Born ca. 1485 near Florence Sailed La Dauphine across the Atlantic in 1524 Sailing for King of France Departed Madeira 1/17/1524 Arrived Cape Fear, NC 3/1/1524 Met with Indians there Found OBX and thought that the sound beyond was the Pacific Ocean Giovanni da Verrazano Kidnapped an Indian child near Kitty Hawk Missed the Chesapeake Sailed into New York harbor Then Narragansett Bay Anchored off Maine Bypassed Newfoundland & returned to France Erroneous “Verrazano Sea” perpetuated Sailed later to Brazil Killed “and eaten” by Carib the search for the Northwest passage Indians at Guadeloupe in 1528 Back to Newfoundland
1527 Capt. John Rut, English Navy sent letter to King Henry VIII from St. John’s King commands west-country merchant named Bute To establish a colony there 1528 Bute builds permanent residence at St. John’s
St. John’s from Signal Hill Jacques Cartier Cartier born St. Malo 1491, died there 1577 Made 3 voyages to America Named territory Canada Looking for NW passage to Asia Explored St. Lawrence in 1534 Reached Montreal in 1535 Huron told Cartier of “Saguenay” Last voyage looked for Saguenay and its riches unsuccessfully in 1541 Jacques Cartier Spanish Claim North America
Juan Ponce de Leon, on Easter, March 27, 1513, landed in North America and claimed the land for Spain, naming it La Florida.
Born 1460, Valladolid, Spain Died from poisoned arrow wound, July, 1521, Havana, Cuba. Buried Old San Juan Cathedral Spanish Exploration of OBX Detail from Guiterrez map of 1562 Spanish occupied bases in Florida and South Carolina Had explored the Chesapeake Bay Annexed the Outer Banks in 1566
French Explorations Jean Ribault & Rene Laudonniere made settlements in Florida & South Carolina Ft. Caroline near Jacksonville Charlesfort near Parris Island 1562-1565, landed hundreds of men, women and children Spanish Captain General Pedro Menendez de Ft. Caroline Aviles eradicated them in September 1565 Spanish Occupation
Founded in 1565 immediately after the eradication of the French settlers. St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States. Oldest City in USA?
Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico Occupied since ca. 1100 A. D.
English Colonization of America
Sir Martin Frobisher Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Map or World by Abraham Ortelius 1570 Possible Northwest Passage Shown in Yellow Sir Martin Frobisher Born Yorkshire 1535 Began life at sea as slave trader Launched search for NW passage in northern Canada in 1576 Ship Gabriel Reached Baffin Island Abandoned 5 of his men Returned with “black earth” reputed to be gold ore and three Inuit (Eskimo) hostages Frobisher’s Route Frobisher’s Next Voyages Now they abandoned the search for a passage Gold was their quest 1577 Three ships with royal backing (£1,000) 200 tons of “gold ore” proved worthless 1578 Fifteen Ships sent with royal backing Attempted to establish a settlement in Frobisher Bay Dissension put an end to the settlement Returned with more useless dirt. Frobisher later distinguished himself in battle against Spain Successful privateer Died of wounds received in battle in 1594 in France Buried at St. Giles-without-Cripplegate, London Frobisher’s Hostages
Captaine Frobisher in a ship of our queenes of the burden of 200 tonnes came into [Bristol] from Cattai, who brought certaine oare from thence, which was esteemed to be very ritch and full of gowld....They brought likewise a man called Callicho and a woman named Ignorth. They were sauage people and fed only uppon raw flesh. The Painted by John 9th. of October [the man] rode in a little bote White made of skinne in the water at the backe, where he killed 2 duckes with a dart, and when he had done carried his bote through the marsh upon his back. The like he did at the weare and other places, where many beheld him. He would hit a ducke a good distance of and not misse. They died here within a month.
Sir Humphrey Gilbert Soldier and Mariner Interested in finding the “Northwest Passage” Elected to Parliament as member from Plymouth Half-Brother of Sir Walter Ralegh Founded colony in St. John’s Newfoundland 1583 Born ca. Greenway, England 1539 Died at sea on the return voyage later that Died at sea September 9, 1583 year.
Gilbert’s Second Voyage
The same Monday night, about twelve, the frigate Squirrel being ahead of us in The Golden Hind, suddenly her lights were out…in that moment the frigate was devoured and swallowed by the sea.
Captain Edward Hayes, Master of The Golden Hind Questions and Answers