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Age of Discovery
SOL WHII.4
The expanding economies of European
states stimulated increased trade with
markets in Asia. With the loss of
Constantinople in 1453, European
nations fronting the Atlantic sought new
maritime routes for trade.
Nations in Western
Europe began looking
for another route for
getting to Asia.
Constantinople fell to
the Ottoman Empire.
Factors Contributing to the
European Discovery of Lands in
the Western Hemisphere
In Europe, there was a huge
demand for gold, spices, and
natural resources. The pressure
was on to find other supply sources
for these items.
One motive for exploration was to
spread the Christian religion.
Catholics and Protestants carried
their faith, language, and culture to
the new lands.
As they migrated to the new lands,
one of the goals of the immigrants
was to convert the indigenous
people (natives) to their Christian
faith.
As European countries competed
with each other to discover a
maritime route to Asia, political and
economic competition between
European empires increased. Each
country wanted to be the BIG
WINNER and find the route first.
Innovations in navigational arts
and the invention of improved
navigational tools such as the
compass, better ships, and
more accurate maps made
exploration possible.
New innovations in the navigational
arts were of European and Islamic
(Muslim) origin.
Prince Henry of Portugal brought
people together to study navigation.
He became known as Prince Henry
the Navigator. He also sponsored
ships to travel and study the coast
of Africa.
Let’s review the factors that led to
exploration!
Demand for gold, spices, and natural
resources in Europe
 Spread Christianity
 Competition between countries
 Better navigational equipment
 Prince Henry the Navigator spurred
interest in exploring

It has been said that the reason
explorers were prompted to set
forth on their adventures were:
Get Rich!
Become
famous and
make your
country proud!
Spread
Christianity
Establishment of Overseas
Empires
England
Francis Drake
France
Jacques Cartier
Portugal
Vasco da Gama
Spain
Christopher Columbus
Hernando Cortez
Ferdinand Magellan
Francisco Pizarro
The Spanish Conquistadors conquered
the native people.
Hernando Cortez
Francisco Pizarro
Conquered the
Conquered the
Aztec Empire
Inca Empire
The Europeans migrated to new
colonies in North and South
America creating new cultural and
social patterns. Expansion of
overseas territorial claims resulted.
Spanish conquistadors conquered
and destroyed the Aztec, Maya and
Inca Empires. The conquistadors
had superior weapons and help
from rival tribes. The invaders also
brought diseases that devastated
the natives.
A rigid class system and dictatorial
rule was established by Spain in
Latin America. The top class in this
rigid class system were called
Peninsulares.
Native Americans were
sometimes forced into slavery.
There were such large numbers
of the native people that died with
the Spanish invasion, however,
that a new labor force had to be
found.
The death of Native Americans
led to the forced migration of
Africans into slavery. Most slaves
were taken to the Caribbean
Islands.
Colonies imitated the culture
and social patterns of their
parent country.
European trading posts were
established along the African
Coast. Trading at these posts was
for slaves, gold, and other
products.
In Asia, trading companies
gained much influence. These
companies were Portuguese,
Dutch, and British.
Portuguese
Dutch
British
The Chinese did not want foreign
companies gaining influence in their
country. They imposed policies to
control foreign influence and trade.
The discovery of the Americas by
Europeans resulted in an exchange
of products and resources between
the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres. This exchange is
known as the Columbian
Exchange.
Horses
Tobacco
Western Hemisphere
agricultural products such as
corn, potatoes, and tobacco
changed European lifestyles.
European horses and cattle
changed the lifestyles of
American Indians.
European diseases like smallpox
killed many American Indians.
European plantation systems in
the Caribbean and the Americas
destroyed indigenous economies
and damaged the environment.
The shortage of labor to grow
cash crops led to the use of
African slaves.
Slavery was based on race! The
Europeans turned to African slave
labor to replace Native Americans
because the Africans had
immunity to European diseases!
The Spanish economy
experienced a crushing period of
inflation as the influx of gold and
silver from the Americas greatly
increased its money supply in the
1600s. Remember! Precious metal
were coming from the Americas.
The European nations established
a trade pattern known as the
triangular trade pattern and
exported precious metals from the
Americas.
The triangular trade linked Europe,
Africa, and the Americas.
Europe
Americas
Middle
Passage
Africa
1. Why were Europeans
interested in discovering new
lands and markets?
There was a demand for gold, spices,
and natural resources in Europe.
2. What was a goal of Christians
and Catholics for exploration?
They wanted to spread Christianity.
3. Which explorer conquered
the Aztecs?
Hernando Cortez
4. Match the explorer with the
country that sponsored them.
Portugal
Christopher Columbus
English
Jacques Cartier
Spain
Vasco da Gama
France
Francis Drake
5. Who was the Portuguese
pioneer that sponsored ships to
travel the coasts of Africa?
Prince Henry the Navigator
HE WAS FROM PORTUGAL!
6. What was the top class of the
Spanish American class based
society called?
Peninsulares
7. What did the traders pick up
in Africa?
Slaves and gold
Where were these taken?
The Caribbean and the Americas
8. Name the three countries
that established trading
companies in Asia.
Portuguese
British
Dutch
9. What was a result of the
European plantation system in the
Caribbean and the Americas?
Indigenous economies were destroyed
and the environment was damaged.
10. What changed the lifestyle
of the Native Americans?
Horses and cattle
11. Who sponsored Vasco da
Gama?
Portugal
Who sponsored Jacques Cartier?
France
Who sponsored Francis Drake?
England
12. What was the origin for the
new navigational tools used
during the age of exploration?
They were of Islamic (Muslim) and
European origin.
13. The loss of what city
contributed to the desire to find
an alternate route to Asia?
Constantinople
14. What was China’s reaction to
the increase in demand for Chinese
goods?
They imposed controls on foreign
traders to limit their influence.
15. What did the death of large
numbers of Native Americans due to
disease lead to?
The use of Africans for slave labor