Download The Age of Exploration

■EssentialQuestion:
–Whatfactorsencouragedthe
EuropeanAgeofExploration?
Fromthe1400stothe1700s,Europeexperienced
an“AgeofExploration”
TheRenaissanceencouraged
curiosity&adesirefortrade
Motivations:
WhydidEuropeanswanttoexplore?
Asaresultofexploration,European
nationsgrewpowerful&spreadtheir
influencethroughouttheworld
Gold(Money)
Merchantsbeganlookingforquick,direct
Adesirefornewsourcesofwealthwasthe
traderoutestoAsiatoavoidMuslim&
mainreasonforEuropeanexploration
Italianmerchants&increaseprofits
TheCrusades&Renaissance
stimulatedEuropeandesires
forexoticAsianluxurygoods
Gold(Money)
Adesirefornewsourcesofwealthwasthe
mainreasonforEuropeanexploration
TheCrusades&Renaissance
stimulatedEuropeandesires
forexoticAsianluxurygoods
Glory
Kingswhosponsoredvoyagesofexploration
TheRenaissanceinspirednewpossibilities
gainedoverseascolonies,newsourcesof
forpower&prestige
wealthfortheirnation,&increasedpower
ExplorationpresentedEuropeans
theopportunitytorisefrompoverty
andgainfame,fortune,&status
God
European Christians,especiallyCatholics,
wantedtostopthespreadofIslam&
convertnon-Christianstothefaith
Explorerswereencouragedto
spreadChristianityorbring
missionarieswhowouldfocus
onlyonconversions
Means:
TheAgeofExploration
Howwereexplorersabletosail
sofar&makeitbackagain?
BeforetheRenaissance,sailorsdidnothavethe
technologytosailveryfarfromEurope&return
Navigation
Trade&culturaldiffusionduringtheRenaissance
introducednewnavigationtechniquestoEuropeans
Mapsweremoreaccurate
andusedlongitude&latitude
Magneticcompassmade
sailingmoreaccurate
Navigation
Trade&culturaldiffusionduringtheRenaissance
introducednewnavigationtechniquestoEuropeans
Astrolabeusedstars
toshowdirection
Europeanshipbuildersbuiltabettership;
Thecaravelwasastrongshipthatcouldtravel
intheopenseas&inshallowwater
Caravelshad
triangularlateen
sailsthatallowed
shipstosail
againstthewind
Amoveable
ruddermade
Cannons&rifles
thecaravelmore
gaveshipsprotection maneuverable
Whoweretheexplorers,wheredidtheygo,
TheAgeofExploration
&howdidtheychangeworldhistory?
Europeanswerenotthefirsttoexplore
theoceansinsearchofnewtraderoutes
IslamicmerchantsexploredtheIndianOcean
&haddominatedtheAsianspicetradefor
centuriesbeforeEuropeanexploration
EarlyExploration
From1405to1433,ZhengHeled
theChinesetreasurefleeton
7expeditionstoSEAsia,India,&
AfricaduringtheMingDynasty
Butinthelate1400s,theEuropeansailorsdid
whatneitherMuslimnorChineseexplorerscould:
Beginglobal(notregional)exploration&
createcoloniestoincreasetheirwealth&power
InPortugal,PrinceHenrythe
Navigatorstartedaschoolof
navigationtotrainsailors
HebroughtinEurope’sbest
map-makers,ship-builders,
&sailinginstructors
Hewantedto
discovernew
territories,
findaquick
traderouteto
Asia,&expand
Portugal’s
power
Portugalwasthe
earlyleaderinthe
AgeofExploration
PrinceHenry’snavigationschool&willingness
tofundvoyagesledthePortuguesetobethe
1st toexplorethewestcoastofAfrica
Vascoda Gama was
the1st explorerto
findadirecttrade
routetoAsiaby
goingaroundAfrica
togettoIndia
Portugalgaineda
searoutetoAsia
thatbroughtthem
greatwealth
DuringtheAgeof
Exploration,Portugal
createdcoloniesalongthe
Africancoast,inBrazil,&
theSpiceIslandsinAsia
TheSpanishgovernment
sawPortugal’swealth&
didnotwanttobeleftout
Morethananyother
Europeanmonarch,
Ferdinand&Isabella
ofSpainsponsored&
supportedoverseas
expeditions
Likemosteducatedmenof Columbusreachedthe
theRenaissance,Columbus BahamasinAmerica
believedtheworldwas
butthoughtthathe
round&thoughthecould hadreachedislandsoff
reachAsiabysailingwest
thecoastofIndia
Hemade4tripsto
“India”neverknowing
hewasin“America”
Despitethefactthat
Magellanbecamethe
Columbusneverfound
firstexplorerto
Asia,FerdinandMagellan circumnavigatetheEarth
stillthoughthecould
(goallthewayaround)
reachAsiabysailingWest
Duringthe
AgeofExploration,
Spaincreatedcoloniesin
North&SouthAmerica
Spainsentexplorerscalledconquistadors
totheNewWorldtofindgold,claimland,
&spreadChristianity
Cortes
conquered
theAztecs
Pizarro
conquered
theInca
Spainsentexplorerscalledconquistadors
totheNewWorldtofindgold,claimland,
&spreadChristianity
Theinfluxofgoldfrom
AmericamadeSpainthe
mostpowerfulcountry
inEuropeduringthe
earlyyearsofthe
AgeofExploration
England,France,&theNetherlandsbecameinvolved
inoverseasexploration&colonizationaswell
Afterfailingtodoso,
Champlainfoundedthe
FrenchcolonyofQuebec
TheFrenchexplorerSamueldeChamplain
searchedCanadaforanorthwestpassagetoAsia
TheFrenchwouldsooncarveoutalargecolonyalong
theMississippiRiverfromCanadatoNewOrleans
Unlikeother
Europeannations
whosekingspaid
forcolonies,the
Englishcolonies
werepaidfor
bycitizenswho
formedjointstockcompanies
Englishcolonies
formedalongthe
AtlanticCoastof
NorthAmericaby
colonistsmotivated
eitherbyreligion
orwealth
TheEnglishexplorerJamesCookwas
thefirstEuropeantomakecontactwith
Australia,NewZealand,&Hawaii
LikeEngland,the
TheDutchhadcoloniesin
Netherlands(theDutch) America&Africa,butthe
allowedprivatecompanies DutchEastIndiaCompany
tofundexploration
dominatedtradeinAsia
Conclusions
AsaresultoftheAgeofExploration,European
knowledge&influenceoftheworldincreasedgreatly