Download Explorations, Encounters, and Imperialism

Explorations, Encounters, and
Imperialism
Global Studies 9
Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Bernier
The Eve of Exploration
The European countries
wanted to find a new allwater route to Asia. They
were motivated by the
goods and riches that came
from Asia. The two
countries that took the lead
were Spain and Portugal.
They had stable
governments, resources,
and the technology to
support exploration.
Spanish Reconquista
Spain became a powerful
nation with the marriage of
Queen Isabella and King
Ferdinand. Together they
were able to force the
Muslims from Spain. This
completed the
Reconquista. Isabella then
wanted to establish religious
unity, and launched a crusade
against Muslims and Jews
who refused to convert to
Christianity.
Reasons for European Exploration
The Europeans wanted to reopen global trade links
that had been interrupted by Ottoman control of
the eastern Mediterranean. But Italian and
Muslim merchants controlled key trade routes
between Asia and Europe. To by-pass the Italians
and Muslims, they needed an all-water route.
Technology that Aided Exploration
• Printing Press – gave geographer and navigators more
information more readily.
• Gunpowder – gave the Europeans the advantage of
firepower on the seas.
• Astrolabe – enabled sailors to determine latitude at sea.
• Caravel – ship with triangular sails that enabled explorers to
sail against the wind.
• Cartographers – created better, more accurate
detailed maps.
The Portuguese
Prince Henry : started a school of
navigation, after gathering experts in
map-making, ship-building, and science.
Bartholomeu Dias – rounded the Cape of
Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.
Vasco da Gama: rounded the tip of
Africa, traveled across the Indian Ocean,
and entered a port in India.
Columbus’s Voyages
King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella of Spain
wanted to gain a share of
the rich spice trade and
to spread Christianity.
They hired Christopher
Columbus to do it.
However instead of
reaching the Spice Islands
off the coast of India, he
reached islands in the
Caribbean.
Line of Demarcation
Both the Portuguese and the
Spanish claimed the lands that
were explored by Christopher
Columbus. To settle the
issue, the Pope established
the Line of Demarcation,
which divided the nonEuropean world into two
zones. Spain could explore
and trade west of the line,
while Portugal could explore
and trade east of the line.
Competition for Colonies
The European countries wanted to build overseas
empires and to develop a global trade network. To
do this, they established a policy of imperialism.
Imperialism is the domination of one country over
the political, economic, and cultural life of another
country or region.
Imperialism: Africa
Portugal: explored the
coasts of Africa, set up forts
and trading posts, but
weren’t able to explore the
interior of the continent.
Dutch: established a colony
known asthe Cape Town
settlement in the 1600s. The
farmers who settled there
were called Boers and they
enslaved many Africans
whom they saw as inferior.
Imperialism: Asia and the Spice Trade
The Portuguese took control of
the spice trade from the
Muslims. First they captured
the port of Malacca on the
Malay Peninsula, then
conquered cities on the east
coast of Africa. They were
powerful at sea, but not on
land. However by the late
1500s, their power in the Indian
Ocean was
declining.
The Dutch and the Spice Trade
The Dutch took control of the spice trade from
the Portuguese. A wealthy group of Dutch
merchants formed the Dutch East India Company,
seized Malacca, and started trading with China.
The Dutch set up close ties with local people in
areas that they conquered. Their empire would
not decline until the 1700s.
Spanish Colonization
Spain founded colonies in
Southeast Asia in the 1500s.
They paid for Ferdinand
Magellan and his crew to
circumnavigate the world.
During the trip, he claimed
the Philippines for Spain.
He was later killed there
and did not finish the
voyage. His crew however
went on to finish the
voyage.
English and French Colonization
The English and French
competed for colonies in
India. Weak rulers of the
Mughal Dynasty weakened
the kingdom. Both the
French and the British made
allies with local rulers and set
up their own Indian armies.
Eventually the British pushed
the French out and held the
real power in the area.
Spanish Conquest of the Americas
Spanish conquerors known as
conquistadors traveled to the
Americas in the years following
Columbus’s voyages. They
came in search of gold and to
spread Christianity. They eventually
conquered the Aztecs, Incas, and
Mayans, the Native American groups
who lived in the Americas at that time.
Reasons for Spanish Success
• The Spanish used armor, horses, and weapons that
the Indians had never seen before.
• They found allies among Native American groups
who hated being ruled by the Aztecs or Incas.
• Diseases brought by Europeans killed millions of
native people, causing them to believe that their
own gods had deserted them.