Download Chapter 13 Section 1 - Exploration _ Expansion

Exploration &
Expansion
CHAPTER 13 SECTION 1
1500-1800
Motives & Motivations
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Trade & Commerce
Access to tradable goods that had been so readily available to Europeans by the
land trade routes in the past were now harder to come by due to numerous factors
such as the Black death & the fact that Ottoman Turks now controlled the area
where these tradable goods passed by. Europeans consider Precious metals &
spices to be the most valuable commodities.

Spreading Religion
After Hernan Cortes made land fall in Mexico, he considered it his duty as a
Catholic to bring the religion to as many people as possible. He said that natives
should be ” introduced into the Catholic faith”.
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Fame & Glory
Many explorers were viewed as heroes back in Europe, these explorers were
viewed as the celebrities of their day. Along with this fame came great wealth
which was very appealing to these explorers, especially the ones who came from
poorer back grounds.
A Race for Riches - Portugal
* The most influential European country at the beginning of the Age of
Exploration was Portugal. Located on the Atlantic Coast of the Iberian
Peninsula, they enjoyed direct access to the seas. Vascco de Gamma,
was the first person to sail around the Southern coast of Africa, thus
bringing a European presence into the Indian Ocean.
•
Upon De Gammas return from India with large quantities of spices,
he was able to make a profit of a thousand percent off of these
sought after goods.
•
Other Portuguese sailors such as Afonso de Albuquerque extended
Portugal's influence in the Indian Ocean by expanding into the
Malay Peninsula (Melaka), Moluccas (aka. The Spice Islands), and
into China. By doing this they diminished Arab dominance over this
area and brought back great wealth to the Kingdom of Portugal.
A Race for Riches - Spain

By this time period it was abundantly clear that the earth was round,
however the circumference of the Globe was still unknown.
Christopher Columbus believed that he could fin a shorter route to
Asian spices by sailing west, instead of East as the Portuguese were
doing.
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After being financed by the newly established Spanish kingdom,
Columbus eventually made landfall in what today is referred to as
the Americas. He explored the Caribbean basin making landfall in
Cuba & Hispaniola (Modern day Haiti & Dominican Republic). Upon
arriving at these islands Columbus believed that he had reached
some unknown Asian islands, it had not donned on him that he had
“discovered” a new continent.
European Explorers
Columbus
Magellan
De Gamma
A Race for Riches - Spain

After it was clear that a new territory had been discovered by
Europeans, the Spanish continued their efforts to look for alternate
trade routes to Asia. In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan, sailed around South
America, then west across the Pacific. His fleet would arrive in the
Philippines where he would be killed. Despite being killed by natives,
Magellan is still recognized as the first person to circumnavigate the
globe even though he did not make the return to Spain.

With the Portuguese now also having a presence in the Western
hemisphere, they negotiated the treaty of Tordesilla which was
overseen by the Catholic Church. This treaty drew a line from North to
South across the Americas dividing the territory between these 2
European powers only. Portugal gained everything east of the line,
including Africa, and Spain everything west including most of the
Americas.
Treaty of Tordesillas
Europe's Thirst for Land
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As news spread of the new territory acquired by the 2 kingdoms of
the Iberian peninsula (Spain & Portugal), other European counties
entered into the Fray.

England entered into the mix by commissioning John Cabot, an
Italian from Venice. He explored the coastline of New England
claiming territory for the English.

Another famous individual from this era was the map maker,
Amerigo Vespucci. He accompanied the Portuguese captain Pedro
Cabral on his voyages to the New World. The Americas would be
named after Vespucci.
The Spanish Empire
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Spanish conquerors, known as Conquistadors were Spanish individuals
who moved to the Americas to establish Spanish rule in the new
territories. These conquistadors were ruthless individuals to the natives of
these lands, killing thousands who opposed Spanish rule.
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The Aztec empire had been established in parts of Mesoamerica and
controlled this territory politically for over a century. Upon the arrival of
the Hernan Cortes, himself a conquistador, their empire quickly
collapsed as the more technologically advanced Europeans were able
to defeat them rather easily (the new diseases brought over by
Europeans also had an impact).

Upon Cortes’ arrival at Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, he meet the
Aztec monarch Montezuma. The Aztecs initially welcomed the Spanish
but tensions soon rose, and battle between these 2 parties began.
The Spanish Empire
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As the Spanish continued to explore their new territorial acquisitions,
they cam in contact with another native civilization in South
America, The Incas.

Francisco Pizarro arrived off the Pacific coast of South America and
marched inward with his men. They brought with them steel
weapons, gunpowder, and horses with them. The Incas also had
never seen these things before.
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Similar to the effects on the Aztecs, the Incas died in large numbers
after being exposed to European diseases. The King of the Incas
died after being exposed, which led to a civil war amongst his 2
eldest sons. Pizarro took advantage of the situation, took control of
the territory and established a Spanish capital in modern day Lima,
Peru.
The Columbian Exchange
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By 1550, much of the territory had been explored and large
numbers of Spaniards moved into the Americas. Queen Isabella
gave these settlers the right to use natives as laborers, this right was
known as encomienda. By this point, natives were referred to as
Indios, named for being the inhabitants of the Indies.
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Many of these natives worked in gold & Silver mines & sugar
plantations. Many died under poor working conditions. This along
with disease wiped out huge number of the population. Mexico had
a population of 25 Million in 1500, by 1630 only 1 million remained.
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Along with this decline in population, Native culture also
disappeared as European missionaries brought their language,
religion, culture and government replacing wha had been their
previously.
The Columbian Exchange

With Europeans establishing plantations and ranches centered
around agricultural crops not available in Europe previously, a new
sector of the economy was being created. Potatoes, cocoa, corn,
tomatoes and tobacco were being shipped to Europe. The
Europeans also brought cattle and horses to the Americas, animals
not native to the Western Hemisphere. The exchange of goods
between the Americas and Europe became known as the
Columbian exchange.

By the 17th century rivalries between European Kingdoms began.
The Dutch and English were now also major players, with England &
The Netherlands encroaching Portuguese claims in the Indian
Ocean and Spanish and Portuguese claims in the Atlantic Ocean.
European Rivals
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The Dutch established settlements in North America, originally
settling the land where New York City sits today.
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The French also jumped into colonizing as they established colonies
in the Caribbean, Canada, and Louisiana. Samuel de Champagne,
founded Quebec, the first permanent French settlement in the
Americas.

The English claimed land around Massachusetts Bay, and
established a colony in Virginia.

The French & English dominated trade in North America eventually
bringing an end to a Dutch presence. England came to control
most of the North American Atlantic seaboard.
European Claims in The Americas
circa 1700