Download Chapter Two- Section One

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American History I: Chapter Two- Section One
Chapter Two: New Empires in the Americas
Europeans Set Sail

Europeans were interested in the goods of _________ and __________; In order to find
new __________ to these goods and to find new __________ to settle, many European
nations sent ______________ on voyages.
I.
Vikings Sailors Reach North America
A. First Explorers- The _____________ were the first Europeans to make contact
with North America; they came from __________________, a peninsula that
includes the present-day countries of ____________, ____________, and
____________.
1. Skilled Sailors- developed a new style of ship, called the ______________,
that curved up at both ends.
2. Iceland- Eventually, the Vikings sailed west into the North ______________;
there they founded a settlement on the island of ____________ in about 874;
more than 100 years later, Viking ______________ left Iceland and settled
_______________.
a. Leif Eriksson- the son of _______________; In the year 1000, winds blew his
ship off course and carried his ship all the way to the _________________
coast; sailed farther south to the island of _________________, and perhaps
to what is now __________________.
b. Reason for leaving North America- Left after only a few years; Attacks by
__________ Americans posed a constant threat and the area may have been
too ________ from other Viking settlements to be supported.
II.
Prince Henry the Navigator- In the early 1400s _____________ became a leader in
world exploration; Prince Henry built an ________________ and founded a school of
_____________ to teach better methods of sailing; also financed _____________ by
mapmakers and shipbuilders.
A. Riches in Asia- During the 1400s, Europeans had several reasons to explore the world.
1. Asian spices- If a sea route to Asia could be found, countries could buy spices
and other items _____________. (bypass trade merchants)
2. Religion- ____________ in Europe wanted to convert more people to their faith.
3. Asian culture- Explorer _______________’s book about his travels throughout Asia
remained popular in Europe long after his death in 1324.
B. Technological Advances- New technology played a major role in advancing world
explorations.
1. astrolabe- a device that enabled navigators to learn their ship’s location by
charting the position of the _________.
2. caravels- new Portuguese ships; used ________________ sails that, unlike
traditional square sails, allowed ships to sail against the wind.
III.
A Sea Route to Asia
A. Rounding Africa- In 1488 Portuguese navigator ___________________ led an
expedition from Portugal southward along the African coast; storm blew his
ships around the ______________ tip of Africa; this point became known as the
Cape of _____________.
1. Vasco de Gama- sent on an expedition ____________ Cape of Good Hope;
left Portugal in 1497 and arrived in southwestern __________ the next year;
____________ won the European race for a sea route to Asia.
B. Results of Exploration- Portugal’s explorations would have major results,
including the start of the Atlantic __________ trade.
1. Slave trade- As Portuguese sailors explored the west coast of Africa, they
negotiated for _________, __________, and __________; The Portuguese
sent many ____________ Africans to Europe and to islands in the Atlantic.
2. European Exploration- The other nations of Europe watched as new
__________ routes brought increased wealth and power to Portugal; soon
launched voyages of exploration to find their own water routes to
_________.