Download Age of Exploration - Rouse World History

THE AGE OF
EXPLORATION
Essential Question:
What factors motivated the
European Age of Exploration?
From the 1400s to the 1700s, Europe
experienced an “Age of Exploration”
The Renaissance encouraged
curiosity about the world
Motivations:
Why did Europeans want to explore?
As a result of exploration, European
nations grew powerful and spread
their influence throughout the world
GOLD (MONEY)
Merchants
beganfor
looking
for seawas
trade
routes
The
main reason
exploration
a desire
to Asia to avoid dealing
with Muslim and Italian
for wealth
merchants who controlled the land routes
The Crusades and the Renaissance
increased European demand for
Asian spices and silks
GLORY
KingsThe
whoRenaissance
sponsored exploration
gained
inspired people
to colonies:
seek
lands that brought
and increased the
powerwealth
and prestige
power of the home nation
Exploration gave Europeans
the opportunity to rise from poverty
and gain fame and fortune
GOD
European Christians wanted to stop the
spread of Islam and
convert non-Christians to Christianity
THE MEANS:
The
Age
of
Exploration
HOW were explorers able to sail
so far and make it back again?
Before the Renaissance, sailors did not have the
technology to sail very far from Europe and return
NAVIGATION and MAPS
Trade during the Renaissance introduced new
navigational technology to Europeans
Maps
were
Astrolabe
used
starsmore accurate and
Magnetic compass
made
latitude and longitude
showused
direction
sailing more to
accurate
European shipbuilders built better ships;
the caravel could travel open seas and
shallow water
Triangular sails
allowed it to sail
against the wind
Cannons and rifles
gave protection
EUROPEAN
EXPLORATION
PART A:
PORTUGAL
Portugal was the
early leader in
the Age of
Exploration
In Portugal, Prince
Henry the Navigator
started a navigation
school to train and
fund sailors; Portugal
will be the first to
explore the west coast
of Africa
Bartholomeu Diaz was the first European to
sail around the southern tip of Africa; in 1488, a
storm blew Diaz’s ship off course
During the storm, Diaz’s ships was pulled by
ocean currents to the other side
Vasco da Gama was the first explorer to
find a direct trade route to Asia by going
around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to
get to India
Portugal gained a sea route to Asia
that brought them great wealth
Portugal had colonies along
the African coast, in Brazil,
and the Spice Islands in Asia
EUROPEAN
EXPLORATION
PART B:
SPAIN
The Spanish
wanted
Portugal’s
wealth
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain sponsored
many overseas expeditions
An Italian named
Christopher
Columbus
convinced the
Spanish that he
could reach Asia
by sailing west
In 1492, Columbus thought he had reached
the islands off the coast of India, but he had
really reached the Bahamas
Tension increased
between Spain and
Portugal.
The Treaty of Tordesillas eased tension by dividing
the world; Everything west of the Atlantic Ocean
went to Spain, everything east (and Brazil) went to
Portugal
Despite
Columbus’s
failure,
Ferdinand
Magellan still
thought he
could reach Asia
by sailing West
Magellan’s crew was the first to circumnavigate
the Earth, proving that the world was round
Magellan ran into problems in the Philippines.
He was stabbed by a bamboo spear in a local
war. Of the 250 men who set sail, only 18 made
it back to Spain
Spain created colonies in
North and South America
Spain sent explorers called conquistadors to the New
World to find gold, claim land, and spread Christianity
Cortez was welcomed by the Aztec
emperor Montezuma II who was
convinced that Cortez was a god;
superior weapons and disease helped
Cortez conquer the Aztecs
Hernan
Cortez
conquered
the Aztecs
Francisco
Pizarro
conquered
the Incas
When Pizarro captured the
Incan’s ruler, they offered 1 room
of gold and 2 rooms of silver for
his release. Pizarro took the
riches and strangled the Incan
king
EUROPEAN
EXPLORATION
PART C:
FRANCE, ENGLAND, and
THE NETHERLANDS
The French
explorer
Samuel de
Champlain
searched
Canada for a
northwest
passage to
Asia
Champlain failed, but the
French claimed the land
along the Mississippi
River from Canada to
New Orleans
Unlike other
countries, the
English colonies
were paid for
by citizens who
formed jointstock
companies
English colonies
formed along
the Atlantic
Coast for
religious
freedom or
wealth
Like England, the Netherlands
(the Dutch) allowed private
companies to fund
exploration
The Dutch had colonies in
America and Africa, but the
Dutch East India Company
dominated trade in Asia
IN CONCLUSION…
As a result of the Age of Exploration, European knowledge of
and influence over the world increased