Download Early Exploration

Early Exploration
Mr. Gutierrez
Seeking New Trade Routes
► The
maps that Columbus and other
European Explorers used did not include
America.
 Only showed Europe, Asia, and Africa.
 Thought the Atlantic and Pacific combined to
become what they called the Ocean Sea.
► They
had no clue the Ocean was as large as
it is let alone that another huge landmass
was missing.
Seeking New Trade Routes
► Portugal
would take the lead in exploring
the boundaries of the known world.
 No Mediterranean Port made it hard to trade
with Asia.
 It also sought to find a more direct way to
access West African Gold
Early Portuguese Voyages
► Prince
Henry of Portugal laid the
groundwork for a new era of exploration.
 Known as Henry the Navigator.
 Brought astronomers, geographers, and
mathematicians to share their knowledge with
Portuguese sailors and shipbuilders.
► Portuguese
ships sailed along the west
African coast and set up trade posts.
 Traded for gold, giving it the nickname the
“Gold Coast”.
Early Portuguese Voyages
► King
John II of Portugal wanted to
Portuguese ships to sail around Africa.
 Hoped to create a direct trade route with Asia.
Henry the
Navigator
King John
II
Bartholomeu Dias
► Sent
to explore the southern part of Africa
 Ran into a terrible storm and named the area
“Cape of Storms”
 King John II renamed the southern tip, the
“Cape of Good Hope” hoping it would lead to a
new route to India.
Vasco de Gama
► 10
years after Dias (1497) made it passed
the cape, Vasco de Gama begins going to
India.
 Left with 4 ships.
 Made stops at eastern African cities.
► With
the help of an Arab pilot, he makes it
across the Indian Ocean and into India. A
year later (1498)
Pedro Alvares Cabral
► Followed
de Gama’s route.
 Swung so far to the west that he found Brazil
and claimed it Portugal giving it a claim in the
new world.
► Meanwhile,
annual voyages were made to
India making Lisbon (Capital of Portugal)
the marketplace of Europe.
Christopher Columbus
► Born
in Genoa, Italy in 1451.
► Inspired by Polo’s Travels.
► Sailed as far north as the Arctic Circle and
as far south as the Gold Coast.
► Based the size of the Earth Ptolemy’s work.
 Ptolemy (Ancient Greek astronomer) had
underestimated the size of the Earth.
► Believed
west.
he could get to Asia by sailing
The Viking Voyages
► Several
centuries before Columbus,
northern Europeans named Vikings had
sailed west and reached North America.
 Norse Sagas (Traditional Stories) say Leif
Erikson explored a land west of Greenland
known as Vinland around the year 1000.
 Other sagas say they failed to set up in Vinland.
► Their
voyages were not well known.
 This is why we say it wasn’t “discovered” until
Columbus.
Spain Backs Columbus
► During
the 1400’s, Spanish monarchs were
more concerned with driving the Muslims
out.
 With the fall of the last Muslim kingdom in
southern Spain 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella focused on other goals.
Spain Backs Columbus
► After
many failed attempts in courts
throughout Europe he finally found
sponsorship in Spain.
► Two Reasons:
 Promised Isabella (a devout Christian) to bring
Christianity to any new lands discovered.
 If a route to Asia was found, it would make
Spain very wealthy.
Columbus’ First Voyage
► August
3, 1492 Columbus sets out with
three ships and a total of 90 sailors.
 The Niña, La Pinta, and the Santa María
(Largest Ship)
► Stop
at the Canary Islands for repairs and to
restock, then sailed westward into the
unknown.
 After a month at sea the sailors began to worry,
even threatening to throw Columbus overboard!
 Convinced the crew that they had not traveled
far (LIED!!) to the sailors about the distance
traveled by altering his ship’s logs.
“Tierra! Tierra!”
► On
October 12, 1492, at 2:00 A.M. a look
out shouted “Tierra! Tierra!”
 Spotted a small island in what we now know is
the Bahamas.
 Columbus came ashore, claimed it for Spain,
and named it San Salvador.
 Had no clue he reached the Americas.
► Convinced
“Tierra! Tierra!”
he found the island off the coast
of Asia he explored it for the next few
months.
 Because of this we sometimes refer to the
Caribbean Islands as the West Indies.
 He called the locals Indians.
 The “Indians” would touch the Europeans to
see if they too were made out of flesh and
bone.”
 Received with great honor in Spain and received
the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea.
Columbus’ Later Voyages
► Three
1502.
more voyages in 1493, 1498, and
 Explored Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and
Dominican Republic), Cuba, and Jamaica.
 Sailed along the coast of Central and South
America claiming all these new lands for Spain
and established settlements.
► Later
exploration revealed it was not Asia.
 New area unknown to Europeans, Asians, and
Africans.
 These voyages lead to the establishment
Spanish Empire.
Dividing the World
► Spain
and Portugal wanted to protect their
claims and asked for Pop Alexander VI for
help.
 The Pope drew an imaginary line from the
North Pole to the South Pole.
 Spain would control all the lands to the west
and Portugal, the east.
 Portugal argued the line favored Spain.
►
Treaty of Tordesillas – 1494 agreement to
move the line farther west.
 Split the entire undiscovered world between
Spain and Portugal.
Amerigo Vespucci
► Vespucci
mapped out the coast of South
America in 1499.
 Concluded that it was not part of Asia.
 By the early 1500’s, European Geographers
began to call it America, in honor of Vespucci.
Vasco Nuñez de Balboa
► Governor
of a Spanish town in
present-day Panama.
 Heard stories of Great waters beyond the
mountains.
 Formed an exploring party in 1513 and hiked
through the jungle.
 After many days, he reached the calm waters
and claimed it for Spain along with the
adjoining land.
 He was the first to see the Pacific Ocean from
the Americas.
► Hired
ships.
Ferdinand Magellan
in 1519 to lead an expedition of 5
 On November 1520, he traveled through the
straits that still have his name to this day
(Straits of Magellan)
 Named the Pacific Ocean (Pacifico, or Peaceful)
 Thought he would reach Asia in a few weeks,
but it took 4 MONTHS!!
 The crew ran out of food and ate sawdust, rats,
and leather to stay alive.
 Magellan was killed in a skirmish in the
Philippines but the crew continued.
Ferdinand Magellan
 Took three years to complete
 Only one of the ships and 18 out of 200 crew
members made it.
 These were the first men to circumnavigate the
world.