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Explorers Review
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Portugal – Prince Henry (the
Navigator)
O Portugal was the first European country that
sent explorers to search for the sea route to
Asia. Prince Henry the Navigator started a
school of navigation and financed the first
voyages to the west coast of Africa. In the
1400's, however, sailors were afraid of sea
monsters and boiling hot water at the
Equator, so progress was slow.
Silk Road
O Polo detailed his experiences and findings in China
by writing a book. Polo described materials and
inventions never before seen in Europe. Paper
money, a printing press, porcelain, gunpowder and
coal were among the products he wrote about. He
also described the vast wealth of Kublai Khan, as
well as the geography of northern and southern
China. European rulers were very interested in the
products Polo described and his account inspired a
generation of explorers. However, trading for them
along the Silk Road was dangerous, expensive and
impractical. European rulers began to wonder if there
was a sea route to the east to get the products they
wanted at a reasonable price.
Spices and the Spice Islands
O European rulers wanted to find a sea route to the
Indies (primarily the archipelago known as the Spice
Islands) so they could acquire spices, silks, and other
products common in the East Indies at a low price.
Spices were most important and very expensive in
Europe, particularly after the terrestrial trading routes
in eastern Europe and Asia were eliminated. Spices
were used to preserve meat, mask the bad taste of
spoiled food, and to make themselves smell better.
Ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and pepper were among
the spices most coveted.
O Getting to the Spice Islands, now known as
Indonesia, would inspire the greatest explorers in
world history to embark on treacherous sea voyages
that would take years to complete.
Portugal – Vasco da Gama
O After Bartholomew Dias and his crew made
it to Africa's Cape of Good Hope, Vasco da
Gama and his crew became the first to sail
around Africa and through the Indian Ocean
to India.
Spain - Magellan
O Was looking for a western route to Asia.
O He and his crew became the first to sail
through the Straits of Magellan (at the
southern tip of South America), and into the
Pacific Ocean to Asia.
O The Magellan journey was the first
circumnavigation of the world (although he
was killed before he made it).
O Named the Pacific Ocean because he
thought it was calm.
Spain - Columbus
O Spain, however, would soon take over the lead in
exploration.
O When Portugal refused to finance Christopher
Columbus' idea to sail west to find the shortcut to the
Indies, he convinced Spain's King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella to finance it. On October 12, 1492,
Christopher Columbus and his crew reached the
island of Hispaniola after three months in the Atlantic
Ocean. Although Columbus believed he had reached
Asia, he had actually discovered the entire continent
of North America and claimed it for Spain.
Spain – de Leon
O Spain quickly colonized North America. In
1513, Ponce de Leon discovered Florida
while searching for the mythical Fountain of
Youth. The first permanent European
settlement in the New World was later
established at St. Augustine in 1565.
Fountain of Youth
O After the west Indies were discovered by
Columbus, some Spanish explorers began
searching for legendary places and things. As
governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de Leon
heard stories of a magical fountain. According to
the stories, anyone who drank from this fountain
would remain young forever. De Leon spent five
years trying to find the island of Bimini, where
the fountain was said to be. Although he never
found Bimini, his travels resulted in the
discovery of Florida and the first European
settlement in the new world – St. Augustine.
Spain - continued
O Meanwhile, Hernando Cortes crushed the Aztec
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empire in Mexico and claimed all of Mexico for Spain.
Francisco Pizarro did the same to the Incan Empire in
South America.
Other explorers such as Francisco Coronado and
Hernando de Soto claimed other portions of North
America for Spain.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa even claimed the entire
Pacific Ocean for Spain.
As the Spanish empire grew, explorers forced native
populations into slavery and to convert to Christianity.
Converting Natives
O One of the goals of most explorers in the New World was to
spread the Christian faith and to eradicate the “pagans” and
“idols” worshipped by indigenous peoples of the Pacific
islands. Kings, queens, and explorers alike believed it was their
divine duty to convert indigenous people to Christianity in order
to save their souls. In deed some explorers, such as Ferdinand
Magellan, believed they were an instrument of God in this
endeavor. Many native peoples, in awe of the magnitude and
power of Spanish fleets, or, told that conversion would make
their armies undefeatable, more willingly converted and
watched as large crosses were erected on the highest point of
the their island. Men, women, and children were baptized and
swore allegiance to Jesus Christ and the monarch currently in
power. Others were forcibly converted to Christianity, and those
who resisted were killed or had their villages burned down.
Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines by Mactan
warriors in 1521 after burning a village to the ground when
they refused to convert.
Seven Cities of Cibola
O Shortly after Spain invaded and conquered Mexico,
stories began to surface of seven cities in northern
Mexico. According to legend, the beautiful cities were
filled with unimaginable riches. The people of the
cities were said to use silver and gold to fashion
regular objects. The Spanish government sent several
expeditions to investigate.
O When Francisco Vazquez de Coronado brought an
army of 300 to find the cities, all he saw were some
poor Zuni pueblos. Coronado sent search parties to
Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico but still never
found the cities of Cibola. Nevertheless, his searches
resulted in the discovery of the Grand Canyon as well
as the acquisition of all lands he explored for Spain.
Northwest Passage
O As Europeans became aware of the “New World” to
the west, many still remained determined to find a
shortcut to Asia. This led to the fabled search for the
Northwest Passage – a potential shortcut through the
newly found continent of North America to Asia.
O With new ship technology that enabled better
navigation, searches for the Northwest Passage
dominated exploration in the 1500′s and 1600′s.
Voyages led by French explorers Jacques Cartier and
Giovanni da Verrazano proved that there was not a
water passage through the new continent. English
explorers such as Henry Hudson and William Baffin
searched for the Northwest Passage by trying to sail
north of North America, but were met by forbidding
arctic climate, snowstorms and icebergs
France
O Meanwhile, France began to explore North
America.
O Explorations by Giovanni Verrazano and Jacques
Cartier resulted in French claims of much of
Canada and the north Atlantic coast.
O Giovanni Verrazano was the first European to
explore much of America’s east coast claiming
much of it for France.
O Cartier’s explorations set the stage for
Champlain’s settlement of New France at Quebec.
France – Samuel de Champlain
O Explored the coasts of eastern Canada and
the United States.
O Sailed into the St. Lawrence River to
mainland Quebec.
O Started the first permanent French colony at
Quebec in 1608.
England - Cabot
O Also looking for the Northwest Passage
O Crossed the Atlantic Ocean and explored
parts of eastern Canada such as
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
O His explorations resulted in England’s first
claims in Canada.
England – Drake
O England would soon attempt to make its presence
known by financing pirates such as Francis Drake to
plunder Spanish settlements and steal gold from
Spanish sea vessels. England also established its
first settlement in the New World at Roanoke Island,
North Carolina.
O Territorial disputes and constant pirating resulted in a
series of major wars between the competing nations
(1585-88). In 1588, the British Army defeated the
vaunted Spanish Armada. The British victory proved a
serious blow to Spanish influence in the New World.
O Drake became the first explorer to successfully
circumnavigate the world.