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The Age of
Exploration
FOR GOLD, GOD, and GLORY!

GOLD! (WEALTH! )
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New spices in Europe
(introduced during the
Crusades) = demand
for the spices.
Europeans wanted to cut
out the middle man !
Europeans try to find
new trade routes
because they want new
sources of wealth.
Muslims sold
Spices to Italians
for lots of $
Italians
sell it
to Europe
for
MORE $$$
Europe buys
it for a
higher price
GOD (Spread of Christianity)

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The Crusades pushed Christians to feel it
was their duty to spread their religion and
convert people to Christianity ( and not to be
Muslim)
Bartolomeu Dias – “ To serve God and His
Majesty, to give light to those who were in
darkness, and to grow rich as all men desire
to do.”:
GLORY !
• BEING “The FIRST!”
• First to: Find an spice?
Find a area?
Create a trading port?
Control a COUNTRY!?
TECHNOLOGY HELPS !
 The
introduction of the Caravel made
travel easier !
– 65 feet long = more space for food/ppl.
– Able to explore
close to shore.
- Larger sails for
easier movement
and power!
New Maritime Technologies
Better Maps
[Portulan]
Hartman Astrolabe
(1532)
Mariner’s Compass
Sextant
New Weapons Technology
Explorers from Portugal and Spain
As a result of their location facing the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal and
Spain were well suited to kicking off the Age of Exploration.
The Portuguese
• Portugal was first country to
launch large-scale voyages of
exploration
• Begun largely due to efforts of
Prince Henry, son of King John I
of Portugal
• Often called Henry the
Navigator, not himself explorer
• Patron, supporter of those who
wished to explore
Navigation Court
• Early 1400s, Henry established
court to which he brought
sailors, mapmakers,
astronomers, others
• Expeditions sent west to islands
in Atlantic, south to explore
western coast of Africa
• Portuguese settled Azores,
Madeira Islands, learned more
about Africa’s coast
Exploration Attempts
Water Route to India
• Prince Henry’s ultimate goal—find water route around Africa to India
• Died before goal accomplished; attempts to find such a route not abandoned
• 1488, Bartolomeu Dias became first to sail around southern tip of Africa
da Gama
• 1497, Vasco da Gama set out for India, stopped at several African ports
• Learned Muslim merchants actively involved in trade
• Journey took more than 10 months, eventually reached Calicut in India
Lucrative Trade
• da Gama’s trip inspired another expedition to India, led by Pedro Cabral
• Sailed west; sighted, claimed land that became known as Brazil
• Portugal established trading centers; became rich, powerful European nation
Christopher Columbus [1451-1506]
Columbus
• Sailed west to Indies
• Landed on the
Bahamas
• Sailed for Spain (King
Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella
Columbus’ Four Voyages
Other Voyages of Exploration
Ferdinand Magellan
• Sailed for Spain
• Searched for passage
to Pacific Ocean west
through the Americas
• Sailed through “straits
of Magellan”
– Cuts through the
southern tip of South
America
Magellan
• Died in Philippines
• His crew was the
first to
circumnavigate
(sail all of the way
around) the world
Ferdinand Magellan & the First
Circumnavigation of the World:
Early 16c
Explorers from the Rest of Europe
• Spanish and Portuguese did not remain alone in their efforts.
• By early 1500s the English and French were exploring northern parts
of the Americas.
• Dutch later joined in explorations.
The English
Sir Francis Drake
• 1497, first major English voyage of
discovery launched
• English soon realized they had
reached an unknown land, not Asia
• John Cabot sailed to Atlantic coast
of what is now Canada
• Queen sent Sir Francis Drake out
• Tried to repeat voyage; fleet
vanished, presumably sunk
• After stop in what is now California,
Drake sailed north to seek route
around North America
The weather was too cold, and he ended up heading west around the world to
get back to England. He became the second man to circumnavigate the globe.
Henry Hudson
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England wanted to find shorter route to Asia than Magellan found
Sent Dutch-born sailor Henry Hudson
1607, Hudson set out to north
Hoped to find Northeast Passage around Europe
Found nothing but ice, returned to England
Later made two more voyages for English, one for Dutch
The French
• Also wanted to find passage to Asia
• Sent explorers to look for
Northwest Passage
• 1534, Jacques Cartier sailed past
Newfoundland into St. Lawrence
River, claimed land as province of
New France, now Canada
The Dutch
• By 1600s Netherlands powerful
trading nation, hoped to find new
products, trading partners
• 1609, Henry Hudson set out to find
Northwest Passage
• Did not find passage, but did
explore river now named for him