Download The European Age of Exploration

The European Age of
Exploration
“Old Imperialism” and The Birth of
the Global Economy
Causes for Exploration:
Christian Crusaders in 11th to 13th centuries
created European interest in Asia and Middle East
Desire to spread Christian religion; Francis
Xavier Catholic missionary in 16th c.
Rise of nation states (“New Monarchs”) resulted
in competition for empires and trade.
Portugal and Spain sought to break the Italian
(Venetian) monopoly on trade with Asia.
Ottoman Turks restricted trade to Asia after
conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
Causes for Exploration:
Technology facilitated sea travel: astrolabe, better
maps
· Commercial revolution resulted in capitalist
investments in overseas exploration
· Mongol domination of central Asia disrupted flow
of goods over the Silk Road routes.
· Impact of Renaissance: search for knowledge,
adventurism, monopoly of Italian trade with East
Portugal: Explorers
Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460):
financed exploration, established schools
Bartholomew Diaz (1450-1500): rounded
southern tip of Africa
Vasco da Gama (1469-1525): route to India
Portugal: Explorers
Alphonso d’Albuquerque (1453-1515):
established empire in Spice Islands after
1510
Pedro Cabral (1467-1520): sighted Brazil,
defeated Arabs in Indian Ocean
Amerigo Vespucci: “America” named after
him
Spain: Explorers
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) – pursuing
western route to Asia
Bartholomew de las Casas (1474-1566) –
writings helped spread “black legend”
(mistreatment of natives) The Destruction of the
India 1542
· Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1517): cross the
Isthmus of Panama, first European to see the
Pacific Ocean
· Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521):
circumnavigation of the globe
Spain: Conquistadores: began creating empires by
conquering Indians
Hernando Cortès (1485-1547): Aztecs
Francisco Pizzaro (1478-1541): Incas
Mestizos: mixed white and Indian descent
Creoles: American-born Spaniards
Audencias: Board of 12 to 15 judges served as
advisor to viceroy and highest judicial body.
Encomienda: Indians worked for owner certain #
days per week; retained other parcels to
work for themselves.
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
Line of Demarcation
established by Pope
Alexander VI (Spaniard) in
1493 between Portuguese and
Spanish territories.
Renegotiated by King John II
of Portugal and Ferdinand
and Isabella of Spain to be
moved 270 leagues further
west.
Establish Spanish domination
in the New World and
Portuguese domination in
Asia for the next century
Cartography
Martin Behaim (1459-1507) and Schoner
Martin Waldseemuller – created map in 1507 based
on Amerigo Vespuci’s voyages – gave name
“America”
The Netherlands
Establishment of Dutch East India Co.
Expansion in Asia (specifically Indonesia
and South Africa… replaced Portuguese)
Henry Hudson explores North America
Establishment of New Amsterdam on
Manhattan Island.
France
Giovanni da Verrazano (1480-1527):
explored northern Atlantic coast of
modern-day U.S.
Jacques Cartier (1491-1557): search for
Northwest Passage (explored Canada)
Samuel de Champlain: “Father of New
France”
England
John (1425-1500) and Sebastian (1474-1557)
Cabot: explored northeast coat of N. America
Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596): led English “sea
dogs” against Spanish shipping
Sir Martin Frobisher (1535-1594): northeastern
Canadian coast
Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), Roanoke
Settlement