European Expansion:European Expansion:Search for New Trade RoutesSearch for New Trade Routes

Historical Context:Historical Context:

Looking BackwardLooking Backward

The Crusadesgreatly

increasedEuropeaninterest in

goods fromthe East.

The Silk Road was an important tradingroute that connected China to the

Middle East and ultimately, Europe. Itwas primarily an overland trading route.

During the 1300s and 1400s, Arabmerchants carried goods from Asia

to the eastern end of the MediterraneanSea.

The Italian city-states greatly benefitedfrom the Silk Road because

the Italian peninsula dominatedtrade in the Mediterranean Sea

where the Silk Road ended.

And the only Europeankingdoms to prosperfrom the Silk Road

trade were the Italiancity-states. After

purchasing the Chinesegoods, Italian merchants

sold the goods ateven higher prices

to the otherEuropean kingdoms.

But other European countries andkingdoms wanted to benefit from tradewith Asia. They were tired of the Italian

city-states’ monopoly of the trade.

In addition to other European kingdomswanting to participate in trade with Asia,

the Ottoman Empire briefly cut offtrade between Europe and Asia.

So, during the1400s, Portugalbegan to lookfor alternatives

to the Silk Road.Portugal began

to look foran all-water

route to Asia.

The Portugueseprince, Prince Henry

the Navigator, ledthe Portuguese

in their search. In1416, he established

a school wheregeographers,

cartographers, andastronomers couldhelp sea captains

in their search.

With their location near the AtlanticOcean and new navigational technologies

like the compass and movable rudder,Portugal and Spain funded numerous

voyages of exploration.

Catholic countries like Portugal andSpain would seek new trade routes

for “God, Glory, and Gold.” The worldwould never be the same again.

As technologyimproved,

Portuguesesea captains

could sail farthersouth to explore

the westerncoast of Africa.

Setting up trading posts in westernAfrica and traveling carefully south, thePortuguese eventually circumnavigatedAfrica. Bartholomeu Dias sailed around

the southern tip of Africa in 1487.

The Portugueseexplorer, Vasco

da Gama, discoveredan all-water route to

India in 1498.

Once an all-water route to Asia wasdiscovered, the fastest growing part of the

European economy was the trade in goods.

While searchingfor an all-waterroute to Asia,

in 1492, Columbusaccidentally landed

in the Americas.Columbus sailed

for Spain.

Ferdinand Magellan’s crew was thefirst crew to circumnavigate the world.

European Expansion: European Expansion: Search for New Trade RoutesSearch for New Trade Routes

Historical Context:Historical Context:

Looking Ahead Looking Ahead

New trade routes shifted trade fromthe Silk Road to the oceans and seas.

The Commercial Revolution markedan important step in the transition

of the local economies of the MiddleAges to Europe’s leadership in

a global economy.

Silk Road

All-Water Routes

Prince Henrythe Navigator

Explorers

Commercial Revolution

Columbus opened the Americas toEurope.

A great exchange of people, ideas, andproducts occurred as trade developed

between the Americas, Europe, andAfrica. This great exchange is called

the Columbian Exchange.

While the Age of Exploration greatlybenefited the Europeans, it greatly

harmed the Native American Indianswho lost their land, freedom, and culture.

It also greatly harmed the African slaveswho were enslaved to replace a dying

Indian population in the Americas.