Download age of exploration - Rowan County Schools

What is it we’ve been covering for
about a month now??

The Age of Exploration refers to
that time from the 1400s-1600s
when many explorers took great
risks to sail the seas and explore
unknown lands. What things
would have motivated them to
do this? Try to list 3-5 ideas.
 In
a well-composed
paragraph, explain the
reasons for the Age of
Exploration, using the 3 G’s
in your answer.
A new age of European exploration,
discovery, expansion, and settlement
began in the 1400s.
What was going on at that time??
 Renaissance
 Population Increase
 Centralization of Power (State-building)
 New technology (navigation, printing
press)
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GOD
 Desire to spread Christianity to the
“uncivilized.”
GOLD
 Find gold, spices, and other riches.
GLORY
 To become famous; associated with
Renaissance spirit of curiosity
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First explorers – looking for a new trade route
to Asia.
Land – too long and too dangerous
Arabs and Italians were the middlemen
between Europe and East Asia.
Merchants wanted to bypass them and find a
direct route.
How?
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Extremely valuable
Were used to preserve and flavor food, in
medicine, and in perfume.
Where? Moluccas – island chain in present-day
Indonesia. “Spice Islands”
How? New technology and improved
knowledge (prior to 1400s, ships could not sail
against wind)

Caravel, astrolabe, magnetic compass, better maps,
better knowledge of wind patterns.
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Portugal led the way in the Age of Exploration.
Location – already traded along coast of Africa
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Traded gold, ivory, slaves
Prince Henry – founded a school for navigators
in 1419.
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Bartolomeu Dias – 1488 – first person to round the
southern tip of Africa – Cape of Good Hope
Vasco da Gama – 1498 – first person to reach India
by this route
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Portugal’s success in Asia made other countries
jealous, especially Spain.
Christopher Columbus
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Rejected by Portugal, sponsored by Ferdinand and
Isabella
His idea: sail west across the Atlantic to reach Asia
Thought it would only take a few weeks
Underestimated the circumference of the Earth
Didn’t know the Americas existed
Left Spain in August 1492; reached land on Oct 12.
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Believed he had reached the East Indies.
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“Indians”
Was really in the Bahamas.
Made 3 return visits; claimed land for Spain;
exploitation of natives; empire building
Why America? Amerigo Vespucci (Italian
explorer’s journal used to publish a map of the
new continents)
Columbus died in 1506, still believing he had
reached Asia.
Line of Demarcation/Treaty of Tordesillas

The pope divided the non-European world into
2 zones:
SPAIN—trading and exploration rights west of the
line
 PORTUGAL—rights east of the line
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Geography still imprecise.
But other nations convinced they needed to build
their own empires quickly.
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Was Portuguese but sailed for Spain
Left Spain on Sept 20, 1519
5 ships; 277 men
 1 ship was lost along the coast of S America
 Strait of Magellan – Pacific Ocean (peaceful)
 Continued on: 4 months
 Ate rats, maggots, and sawdust to survive
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 Scurvy was common (rotted gums, gangrene)
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3 ships made it to the Philippines.
 3 G’s accomplished.
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Spread Christianity to natives after performing
a faith healing on the king’s brother
Set up trade with the king
Trade route west to Asia
Magellan was killed in battle here.
Only 1 ship (Victoria) makes it back to Spain in
1522 with 18 men.
1st to circumnavigate the globe!
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Conquistadors
(1) Cortés=Aztecs
 Emperor Moctezuma thought he
might be an Aztec god-king;
convinced to sign over land and
treasure; a brutal struggle, emperor
dies
 Tenochtitlán=Mexico City
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(2) Pizarro: Peru’s Incan empire
 Ruler Atahualpa refuses to
convert, killed, Incas decimated by
disease
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Land/tribute demanded from
Native Americans by the Spanish
(mining, farming, ranching)
More laborers needed=importing
Africans
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A blending of Native American,
European and African cultures
Pyramid of social classes:
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TOP: Peninsulares (born in Spain)
MIDDLE: Creoles (American born descendants of
Spanish settlers)
BOTTOM:
 Mestizos (Native American and European descent)
 Mulattoes: (African and European descent)
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The Triangular Trade
The Middle Passage
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--readings/discussion
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Read article

Crash Course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQPA5oNpfM
4
4
categories:
 Disease
 Animals
 Plants
 People

Do the 5 W’s and H of the
Columbian Exchange