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Reformation & Exploration
Review
Events leading to Exploration
1. Protestant Reformation & Counter Reformation
The Protestant Reformation and the Catholic church’s
response in the Counter-Reformation marked the end of
several centuries of gradual erosion of the power of the
Catholic church as well as the climax to internal attempts to
reform the church. Protestantism emphasized a personal
relationship between each individual and God without the
need for intercession by the institutional church.
Thus, the rise of Protestantism and the Counter-Reformation,
along with the Renaissance, helped foster individualism
and create a climate favorable to exploration.
Events leading to Exploration
2. The Renaissance
In the Renaissance, artists and writers such as
Galileo, Machiavelli, and Michelangelo
adopted a view of life that stressed humans’
ability to change and control the world. Thus,
the rise of Protestantism and the CounterReformation, along with the Renaissance,
helped foster individualism and create a
climate favorable to exploration.
Events leading to Exploration
3. Unification of Smaller states into larger ones
With the decline of the political power and wealth
of the Catholic church, a few rulers gradually
solidified their power. Portugal, Spain, France,
and England were transformed from small
territories into nation-states with centralized
authority in the hands of monarchs who were
able to direct and finance overseas exploration.
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Events leading to Exploration
4. New technology
As these religious and political changes were
occurring, technological innovations in
navigation set the stage for exploration.
Bigger, faster ships and the invention of
navigational devices such as the astrolabe
and sextant made extended voyages
possible.
Events leading to Exploration
5. Establishment & necessity of new trade routes
The Orient became a magnet to traders, and exotic products and
wealth flowed into Europe. Those who benefited most were
merchants who sat astride the great overland trade routes,
especially the merchants of the Italian city-states of Genoa, Venice,
and Florence.
The newly unified states of the Atlantic–France, Spain, England, and
Portugal–and their ambitious monarchs were envious of the
merchants and princes who dominated the land routes to the
East. Moreover, in the latter half of the fifteenth century, war
between European states and the Ottoman Empire greatly
hampered Europe’s trade with the Orient. The desire to supplant
the trade moguls, especially the Italians, and fear of the Ottoman
Empire forced the Atlantic nations to search for a new route to the
East.
Exploration
Exploration
God, Glory, Gold
“They connected the Christianization of the world with the
second coming of Christ. Such ideas led many Europeans
(including Columbus) to believe it was God’s plan for
Christians to convert pagans wherever they were found.”
“The impulse for exploration was further fueled by the
European imagination. The idea of “America” antedated
America’s discovery and even Viking exploration. “
“Cortés took control of the Aztecs’ fabulous gold and silver
mines. Ten years later, an expedition under Francisco
Pizzaro overwhelmed the Inca Empire of Peru, securing for
the Spaniards the great Inca silver mines of Potosí.”
Terms you need to know!
• Mercantilism- Economic principle that in order to make a profit, a
nation must EXPORT more than it IMPORTS (profitable trading)
Columbian Exchangewidespread transfer of
animals, plants, culture,
human populations,
communicable diseases
technology and ideas
between the American and
Afro-Eurasian hemispheres
in the 15th and 16th centuries
Triangular Trade:
Effects of the Age of Exploration
• Within a few decades, a few hundred Europeans had
conquered millions of Native Americans.
• This success would change the pattern of exploration to
exploitation for years to come.
• Good for Conquistadors/Europeans 
– Sent treasure fleets to Spain from “New World”
– Tons of slaves
– Spain became the richest and greatest European power
• Bad for Native Americans 
– Thousands of Native Americans were killed and enslaved.
– Many were converted to Christianity by Missionaries.
– Many assimilated to European culture (language and
customs)
Founding Settlements Activity