Download 15.3 Cornell Notes

15.3 – The Age of Exploration (p.511-517) – 3/15/16
I. Portugal leads the way:
A. Henry the Navigator:
1. Europeans wanted luxury goods from Asia, but Italian and Muslim merchants controlled trade
between Europe and Asia.
2. Portuguese establish trade with Asia first due to strong government backing.
3. Prince Henry sets up schools for mapmakers, navigators and shipbuilders and sponsored
many voyages of exploration.
B. Technology and Exploration:
1. Shipbuilders perfected the caravel, the ship designed for long voyages, with square sails for
power and triangular sails for quick turns.
2. The use of the Chinese invention, compasses allowed sailors to track their direction.
3. Astrolabes were invented by the ancient Greeks and were used to measure the angle of stars
above the horizon which helped sailors monitor longitude and latitude.
C. Reaching India:
1. The Portuguese set up a trading route along Africa’s west coast with many ports where they
traded for gold, ivory and slaves.
2. Bartolomeu Dias rounded the tip of Africa in 1488 and sailed up Africa’s East coast.
3. Vasco de Gama sailed all the way east to India in 1498, setting the stage for trading posts in
India a few years later.
4. The Portuguese efforts at trade with Asia proved successful and they eventually dominated
trade with Asia.
II. Columbus reaches America:
A. Columbus’ first voyage:
1. Columbus believed he could reach Asia sooner if he sailed West around Africa instead of East.
2. After 6 years of petitioning, the Spanish Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to sponsor
Columbus’ voyage which departed in August 1492 with 3 caravels and 90 men.
3. On October 12, 1492 Columbus crew found land after more than 10 weeks at sea.
B. Columbus’ mistake:
1. Columbus believed he had found India, and named the natives who greeted them as Indios
(or Indians).
2. Columbus had actually landed on an island on the Caribbean Sea, most likely Watling Island in
the Bahamas.
3. He set up a settlement on the island of Hispaniola and then sailed back to Spain, with no
traded goods.
C. Treaty of Tordesillas:
1. In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas that drew an imaginary line
around the world from North to South.
2. This treaty allowed Spain to claim land West of the line (the Americas) and Portugal to claim
land East of the line (Africa, Asia and a portion of South America that includes modern day
Brazil). (See text book pg.515 for a visual representation)
D. Additional Voyages:
1. Ferdinand and Isabella funded 3 more voyages for Columbus, with the goal of finding
mainland Asia.
2. Columbus never found Asia, but he did land on several islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
15.3 – The Age of Exploration (p.511-517) – 3/15/16
3. Columbus insisted that he had reached India up until his death in 1506.
III. Exploration after Columbus:
A. Circling the Globe:
1. Several European nations sponsored voyages of exploration. In searching for Asia, many of
them found the Americas.
2. Spain sponsored Ferdinand Magellan in 1519 with 5 ships and approx. 250 men, his goal was
to travel completely around the world.
3. Magellan became the first person to cross the Pacific Ocean, landing in the Philippine Islands,
where he was later killed in a local war.
4. His crew under Juan Sebastian del Cano continued on to find the Spice Islands and then
returned home. (only 1 ship and 18 original crew members returned home to Spain)
5. The expedition was successful in spite of the great losses, because they had sailed around the
world.
B. Spanish Conquerors:
1. Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521, a Spanish funded mission.
2. Spain gained control of modern day Mexico and Central America within 10 years.
3. Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Incan Empire acquiring more land for Spain, and
creating slave laborers out of remaining Incans.
C. Further Explorations in the North:
1. Spanish Explorers wanted gold and wealth, so they pursued territories in the present day
United States.
2.