It made it possible for Europe to receive silks, spices, and pottery. Then in the s, new leaders took over much of Asia and Europe. Traveling by land became difficult. It was easier to travel by sea. This encouraged European exploration.
It led to Europe exploring and colonizing other lands. Colonization happens when one country invades and controls another country and its people. Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer. He was hired by Spain's king and queen to find a fast sailing route to Asia.
In , he landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea. He thought it was India, but he was wrong. He called this land the "New World.
These countries included Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England. Each country wanted wealth and power. However, each had different reasons for colonization. The country conquered many lands and empires. Most were in Central America and South America. While they were not as successful in the rest of North America, there are still signs of their rule. A fort built in present-day Florida by the Spanish in is the oldest surviving European post in the United States.
The Spanish also wanted to spread the Christian faith to Native Americans. Missions were created to teach the native people European ways. The first mission was led by Don Juan in New Mexico in It was followed by many others as they became more established. Expanding from villages to cities, the missions became home to explorers and other settlers.
France traded animal furs with the Native Americans. However, the French influence in North America was always relatively small. Even though it is a small country, the Netherlands prospered in North America because of its navy. The Dutch controlled trade with islands in Indonesia, which gave them great power.
Henry Hudson, an English explorer was hired to find a faster route to the Indonesian islands. He did not find a passage, but he did find a river, which was named the Hudson River. This flows between what is now New Jersey and New York. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, , p. Great Britain, A collection of all the statutes now in force: relating to the revenue and officers of the customs in Great Britain and the plantations London: C.
Eyre and W. Strahan, , Howe quoted in Van Buskirk, Generous Enemies, David R. Chopra, Ruma. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, Van Buskirk, Judith L. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, Podcast Mount Vernon Everywhere! Van Buskirk, Generous Enemies, In , New York transferred the Island to the U. Between and , the U. Castle Williams, the second of three historical forts, was built on a rocky outcropping facing the harbor. In , the South Battery, the third fort on the Island, was constructed.
During the War of , artillery and infantry troops were concentrated on Governors Island. The recently built fortifications deterred a British invasion, sparing New York the fiery fate that befell Washington, D. Governors Island continued to serve an important military function during the American Civil War, though it was no longer used primarily for physical defense of the Harbor. In the early years of the war, the Island was called into service as a recruitment depot and as a barracks for newly recruited soldiers.
As the Civil War wore on, Fort Jay and Castle Williams were transformed into prisoner-of-war holding facilities for Confederate prisoners. Officers were imprisoned at Fort Jay, where lodgings were snug but comfortable, and they were allowed to stroll most of the Island at their leisure. Enlisted prisoners did not fare as well; the number of imprisoned rose to nearly 1, men, creating cramped, filthy conditions.
By , Governors Island had evolved from a small military outpost to an army headquarters and garrison. The Island offered a quiet neighborhood not far from the hustle and bustle of the City for officers, enlisted men and their families. Physically, the Island changed greatly during the early 20th century. Using rocks and dirt from the excavation of the Lexington Avenue Subway and dredge from New York Harbor, the Army Corps of Engineers supervised the deposit of 4,, cubic yards of fill on the south side of Governors Island.
This fill was used to add acres of flat, treeless land, increasing the size of the Island to acres by In the first act of the war by U. Within weeks, the ships would be used to transport most of the two million American soldiers to France to fight in the war. The 22nd Infantry stayed on the Island for the duration of the war, protecting the supply depot and vital infrastructure between New York City and Washington, D.
Army and the citizens of New York City. The regimental band marched in the city parades and had an Army camp at the World's Fair, while the public was invited to watch polo matches and mock battles staged on the Island. Between the two world wars, the Island served as an important headquarters for Army ground and air forces.
First Army used it as its headquarters. In the s, U. Army continued to construct barracks and apartment buildings on the southern portion of the Island.
The Island remained an army post and quiet neighborhood for military families until November In response to changing military technology and budget constraints, the U.
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