Download Age of Exploration Notes

NAME: ___________________________
6th Grade World History- Age of Exploration Notes
1) Began in the
_______________________________________________________________________________.
a) Sometimes referred to as the “_____________________”.
b) The period is characterized as a time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea in
search of trading partners, new goods, and new trade routes.
2) Reasons for Exploration
a) For centuries, Europeans had depended on traditional trade routes (such as the Silk Road) with
the Far East.
b) But the trade was
___________________________________________________________________.
c) As a result, many turned to their respective governments, which had their own desires for the
exploration of new areas.
d) Many nations were looking for goods such as _______and _______ but one of the biggest
reasons for exploration was the desire to find a new route for the spice and silk trades.
e) As European nations such as: ______________________ ________________ became more
centralized states, their rulers became more powerful.
f) Monarchs and wealthy merchants could then pay for voyages of exploration in search of new
sea trade routes to the East.
g) When the Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinople in 1453, it
____________________________________________________________________.
h) As a result, finding new trade routes became increasingly important to the European nations.
i) _______________________________________________________________.
j) In the years before and during the Age of Exploration, a new way of thinking developed that
encourage individuals to explore and understand the world.
k) ____________________________________________________________________________
_________________.
l) In the years before the Age of Exploration, knowledge and necessary sailing skills were
developed by the merchants and sailors who sailed the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
m) Advances in navigation and shipbuilding meant that ships could
_____________________________________.
n) The carrack and the caravel were two new ships used in the Age of Exploration.
i. The carrack offered
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________.
o) ____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________.
3) Did you know?
a) Columbus had a carrack and two caravels with him on his first voyage to the New World in
1492.
4) The first of the journeys associated with the Age of Discovery were conducted by the
___________________ ____________________________________________________.
a) These voyages were different than those previously conducted by the Portuguese because they
covered a much larger area.
5) Henry the Navigator set up a school of navigation in 1419 in Portugal.
a) Under his direction scholars
____________________________________________________________________________
_____________.
6) Henry the Navigator is credited with establishing many practices used by explorers:
a) He was the first to require his captains to keep logs of their journeys. This process continues to
this day.
7) As Portugal, France, Spain and England became more powerful countries, many factors set them up as
the leading countries during the Age of Exploration.
8) Portugal, France, Spain and England came to lead the Age of Exploration because:
a) ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________.
b) The monarchs of these countries
____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________.
9) Portugal:
a) __________________________________________________________________________.
b) In the early 1400s, Portuguese sailors headed along the western coast of Africa in hopes of
finding a new route to India and China.
c) They were so successful that _________ became the new trade capitol of Europe.
10) Spain:
a) Spain was envious of Portugal’s wealth and power and decided to send its own expeditions to
the Far East.
b) ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________.
i. Christopher Columbus
11) Spain:
a) The most famous explorations undertaken by Spain was the four voyages of Christopher
Columbus, beginning with his first in 1492.
b) Columbus is credited with being the first European to explore the New World (besides the
Vikings 500 years earlier) and beginning the wave of European exploration and settlement that
would follow.
12) England:
a) Despite financing the voyage of John Cabot to Newfoundland in 1497,
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________.
b) Portugal and Spain had become so powerful that it had decided it was time to begin its own
explorations.
13) England:
a) England established many colonies in the New World including throughout the modern day
eastern seaboards of Canada and United States.
14) France:
a) France was also inspired to begin explorations in the 1500s after seeing the wealth is brought
to Spain and Portugal.
b) ____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________.
15) The Age of Exploration ended in the early 17th century after technological advancements and increased
knowledge of the world allowed Europeans to travel easily across the globe by sea.
a) In addition, the creation of settlements along the coasts of the newly found areas created a
network of communication and trade, therefore ending the need to search for trade routes.
16) Though the Age of Exploration officially ended in the 17th century, it is important to note however that
the exploration did not cease entirely at this time.
a) Eastern Australia was not discovered until 1770 and the Arctic and Antarctic areas were not
heavily explored until the 19th century.
b) Much of Africa also was also unexplored until the 19th and even early 20th centuries.
Major Takeaways
a) The period is characterized as a time when Europeans began exploring the
world by sea in search of new trading partners and products.
b) The Age of Exploration happened at the same time as the Renaissance time
period.
c) The carrack and the caravel were two new ships used in the Age of
Exploration.
d) As Portugal, France, Spain and England became more powerful countries,
many factors set them up as the leading countries during the Age of
Exploration.
e) Christopher Columbus of Spain (credited with being the first European to
explore the New World) and Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (set up
a navigation school in Portugal) were two of the most influential explorers
during this time.