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Transatlantic Voyages and Navigation
The Age of Exploration
European sailors and ships -> left the Old World
(Portuguese, Spanish, British, French, Dutch)
-> set out to discover – the Other World
-> later called “Mundus Novus” or New World
-> exploration turned into exploitation
(befriend, exploit, kill)
e.g. 1495 – armed conflict in Hispaniola
Out of 250.000 in 1492, 500 remained in 1538!!!
The Waldseeműller Map of 1507
A German cartographer credited for the first use of the word America on the 1507 map
Universalis Cosmographia in honor of the Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
Vespucci explored parts of South America.
Fabled land in the East
• Europeans didn’t know the faraway lands
in the East
• their conception of these lands were
inaccurate
• new information – Marco Polo
• Arabian merchants – brought new
products
What made the civilization of the
Renaissance turn to discovery?
1. Willingness to learn and understand other
cultures (curiosity)
2. Religious desire to save souls (and the myth
of Prester John)
3. Economic reasons – attacked by the infidels
– Muslims, needed new resources of precious
metals (gold and silver)
4. Imperialism – colonization of foreign lands
Marco Polo and his travels
• Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice,
Italy. He accompanied his father and uncle
on their way to the East. Three years later
they got to Beijing and stayed there for
17 years. Marco was soon working for the
Emperor. Upon his return to Italy Marco
was put in prison where he dictated his
memoirs to his friend Rusticelli. This work
became known as „Million“
Marco Polo’s Travels
Marco Polo at Khubilai Khan
trade – caravans – Silk route
• mainly luxurious items – chinaware, silk,
gold, pearls, precious stones, jewels, rare
spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,
clove, etc.)
• Silk route – across Asia to the Black and
Meditteranean seas
silk route
1453 – Fall of Constantinople
• they took control over the sea and land
routes
• They collected high fees for using the
Bosporus strait
• Europeans began their search for new
routes to India and China
Navigation around Africa
• Portuguese – at first they sailed to North
Africa
– imported ivory, gold and black slaves
• Prince Henry, called the Navigator
• Bartholomew Diaz – endeavoured to sail
around Africa, but his sailors were worried
and forced him to return
• Cape of Storms – (later) Cape of Good Hope
Many obstacles to success
• Geographical knowledge of the world was not
what it is today – e.g. It was believed that
Malaysia and Africa were believed to be
connected, no maps
• Danger of ocean travel itself – e.g. Oceans
were inhabited by dragons and sea monsters
and there were great holes in which the ships
would simply disappear
• The explorers did not know where they were
going.
Technological necessities
1)
2)
3)
chronometer
astrolabe
magnetic needle or compass
a)
b)
c)
measures latitude
showed north
measured longitude
I.
II.
Not available until the 18th century
Known to the ancient Greeks, improved in 15th
century
Came to Europe from the Arab world in 12th
century
III.
Answers
1) chronometer
c) longitude (E-W) I) not until 18th c.
2) astrolabe
a) latitude (N-S)
II) known to Greeks
3) compass
b) showed north
III) from the Arabs
Vasco da Gama
• 1498 – he arrived in India after having sailed
around the south tip of Africa and thus started
the era of vivid trade with spices in the first
place, but also other goods
• 1500 – the Portuguese reached Brazil and it has
made it the only country in South America where
not Spanish, but Portuguese is spoken
Christopher Columbus and the
New World
• He was born in ________, v Itálii
• He believed that the Earth is ________kulatá
• He tried to persuade the king of Portugal to
organize a voyage across the Atlantic – but
didn’t succeed
• In the end he left for Spain and entered the
services at the royal court
• queen Isabela and king Ferdinand
• He set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships:
Santa Maria – small carrack
What is a carrack?
• A carrack is a 30-40 metres long and
approximately 10 metres wide ship. It was
a large and heavy vessel with high sides and
great loading capacity, which was about
1000 tons. It had four decks. The prow and
stern pass into a high and square extension.
• A carrack was a three-mast vessel
Pinta – a Spanish caravel
Nina – a Spanish caravel
Where did Columbus get to?
• The island of San Salvador in the Carribean
• today’s group of islands of the Bahamas
• later founded the first permanent European colony in
the New World on the island of Hispaniola (today’s
Haiti and Dominican Republic]
• He named its inhabitants Indians (India)
• Until his death he believed he had reached India
• He undertook a total of 4 voyages
Hispaniola
San Salvador
Voyage around the World
• Fernao Magalhaes [Magaljenš]
• Began with 5 vessels
• They sailed around South America and
then through a strait into an ocean which
they named Pacific (quiet, peaceful)
• In the Philippines they met the natives and
a great majority of them perished
• Only one ship returned, without Magalhaes
1519 - 1521
Other „explorers“ - conquistador
•
•
•
•
Hernando Cortéz– Aztec civilization, Mexico
army of 550 troops, 250 Indians
depended on the help of Aztec enemies
brought Central and parts of South America
under Spanish control – territory larger than
Spain itself
• victory due to advanced technology
• especially artillery
• Aztec population was reduced from 25 to 2
million !!! Especially due to communicable
diseases such as smallpox!!!
Hernando Cortéz
Francisco Pizarro
• he conquerred the Incan Empire of Peru
• gold and silver flooded to Europe,
especially after the huge silver deposit was
found at Potosi
• aim of the Spanish – convert the natives to
Christianity, extend Spain's power over its
lands and gain some profit
Pizarro seizing the last Incan
Emperor of Peru
The results of overseas explorations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
gold and silver flooded to Europe
improving economy
population growth
awareness of new parts of the globe
restoration of European self-confidence
Europe rediscovered itself
the rise of colonial empires
transfer of slaves, animals, plants and
diseases
• explotation of native civilizations etc.