Download Discovery of Overseas Empires p

Discovery of Overseas Empires p.300
I.
Portugal
A. 1400s Portugal had limited land for farming and trade was a
lifeline for food.
B. King John I began to look for a trade route to the Indies, or
Asia, around Africa
C. Prince Henry, John’s third son, sent a series of ships to explore
along the northwest coast of Africa
1. started a navigation school
a. made maps
b. invented new ships called caravels which were lighter
and faster than other ships
c. often called “the navigator”
D. Explorers believed there were 3 routes to Asia
1. by sea through Constantinople but controlled by Venice
2. sail west across Atlantic
3. Sail around west coast of Africa
E. 1488 Bartolomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa
F. 1497-1498 Vasco Da Gama became the first European to sail
around Africa to India
II.
Discovery of the Americas
A. Christopher Columbus was born in Italy in 1451
B. Spent time in Portugal where he began to form a plan to sail
west to Asia
1. proposed his plan to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
2. Accepted in 1492, sailed in August with 3 ships
3. October 12 1492 Columbus was the last person to
discover America, but he believed he reached Asia
C. Explorations by both Spain and Portugal continued as both
countries wanted the “New World” for themselves
To avoid war they went to the Pope for a decision on claims
1. 1493 the pope issued the Bull of Domain
a. established the Line of Demarcation at approximately
60 degrees west longitude
 all lands west of line go to Spain
 all lands east of line go to Portugal
 both nations sign Treaty of Tordesillas p.306 (map)
 Spain: most N&S America; Por: Africa/Brazil
D. Explorers and Conquistadors
1. Vasco de Balboa; Spanish; last person to discover
Panama, and 1st European to see Pacific Ocean
2. Juan Ponce de Leon; last person to discover Florida
3. Hernando Cortes; Spanish; discovered Aztecs
a. Aztecs believed Cortez was a god from their legends
b. Took him to Tenochtitlan to meet Montezuma
c. Took Montezuma Prisoner and with the help of local
Indian groups conquered the Aztecs
4. Francisco Pizarro; Spanish; discovered Incas in Peru
a. When the leader failed to convert to Christianity
Pizarro attacked and took him prisoner
b. Demanded gold & silver as a ransom but killed the
leader instead of releasing him
c. Made the Incas slaves in Gold and silver mines
5. Ferdinand Magellan; 1519; Portuguese but sailed for
Spain
a. sailed west; rounded South America and across
Pacific to find the Philippines
b. Killed on Philippines in a local war
c. Juan del Cano finished journey; first person to
circumnavigate, or circle, the world
E. Gold and silver were shipped back to Spain along with crops,
lumber, furs, etc. as Spain became a large empire
F. Settlement colonies were soon established
III.
Other European Nations & Settlement Colonies
A. France, England, & Netherlands (Dutch) saw Spain getting rich
and soon started to explore and settle colonies in the new world
1. France: claimed northern part of North America
2. England & Netherlands each claimed East coast
B. Sir Francis Drake; England; 1570 sailed for Elizabeth I
1. raided ships & colonies in West Indies & Panama along
with many other pirates, privateers, and buccaneers
who contracted with their nation’s monarchs to bring
them wealth, bring down the Spanish Armada, and gain
personal wealth & power.
2. raided Spanish settlements on west coast of N. America
3. 1580; 2nd European to circumnavigate the world
IV.
C. New colonies established
1. sent crops, lumber & goods back to Europe
2. became centers of transportation and trade
3. many escaped religious persecution
4. many came as indentured servants and/or to begin a
better life than they had in Europe
Age of Exploration brings World-wide Changes
A. Gold & Silver brought great wealth to Europeans
1. Gave Europeans trading power with Asians
2. European Trading companies founded
3. Corporations founded where people could invest in
stocks of a company
B. Mercantilism (the mercantile system) – Gold & silver, crops,
raw materials sent from colonies of the New World to Europe;
Manufactured goods such as cloth, glass, etc. sold back to the
colonies
1. Colonies exist for the benefit of the Imperialist nation
2. Industrialization in Europe increased while the colonies
remain underdeveloped in industry
C. Colombian Exchange- plants, animals, and resources of the
New World go to Europe, while Disease from Europe travels to
the New World.
1. The global transfer of foods, plants, animals, and
disease during the colonization of the Americas.
2. The Native American population on the Islands of the
West Indies became decimated by the mid-1500s from
disease and harsh labor conditions
D. African Slave Trade- African slaves were brought from Africa
to the Americas to work in the harsh tropical conditions of the
plantations and the mines of North and South America
1. As many as 50 million Africans were taken from Africa
2. As many as 30 million became slaves in America
3. Many died as a result of the long voyage across the
Atlantic from Africa to the Americas; this voyage is
called the “Middle Passage”
4. Africa- very underdeveloped (roads not needed)
E. The Atlantic System (Triangle Trade, The Black Triangle)
1. Slaves from Africa to the New World
2. Resources, cash crops from the New World to Europe
3. Guns & manufactured products to Africa & New World
Discussion Questions
1. How did European explorers find their way to North and South America?
2. Why did Europe found colonies in the Americas?
3. What were the world-wide affects of European exploration?