Age of Discovery

Historical Placement

• Heels of Inquisition

• Peak of Renaissance (1350-1550)

(Black Death 1347-50 first outbreak)

• 1492

• Religion and Trade in the Old world– 1000 of geographic containment

• Contact with Outside world– Introduces West to Eastern goods

• Limited Nature of Contact

Why Exploration?

• Cartography improved over time – Medieval Maps of little use to Sailors– Improvements in techniques and skills– Detailed Maps by end of 15th century

• Navigational Aides– Compass– Astrolabe– Knowledge of known world– Sailing techniques

Portuguese Maritime Empire

• Henry the Navigator (1394-1460)– Mixed motives– Founded school for

navigators– Exploration begins

shortly after 1419

• Probing Africa• Gold• Slaves-1441• Slavery becomes

“common”• 1471 Gold Coast• Ties with African

learers

• Rounding the Horn– Bartolomew Diaz

• 1487

– Vasco da Gama• Brings first cargo from India early 1590s

– Alfonso d’Albuqorque makes Portugal’s Empire

Voyages to the New World

• Columbus– She’s a’ Round-She’s

a Flat– Reaches Hispaniola in

October 1492– Explores Extensively– Dies ignorant of the

“New World”

• State Sponsored Explorers

– John Cabot

– Amerigo Vespucci

– Ferdinand Magellan

Spanish Empire

• New World! Or is it?

• Different

• Vulnerable

• Spanish Conquistadors

• European Superiority

• Hernando Cortez– 600 men– Conquers Aztec Empire in Three Years– Co-opt

• Francisco Pizarro – Conquers Incas

• 30 Years entire western Latin America subdued

• Administration of Spanish New World Empire– Nature of empire– Greed-Social and economic– Ecomienda

• Protection racquet allowed settlers to abuse natives

• Renders a Paternalistic system of government

• Bartolome las Casas– Champion of Indian Rights

– Legend of the Black Death

– 1524 writing influence Isabella and Ferdinand

– Tremendous impact on Africa

Columbian Exchange

• Disease-Most Significant– Hispaniola population of 500,000 to 1 Million– Reduced to 2000 to 500 in fifty years

• Other Diseases– Small pox, measles, influenza– Natives lacked immunities– American Revenge-Syphilis

• Plants and Animals– Cattle and Horses– Vegetable Crops

• Coffee, Corn, Beans, Squash, Potatoes• Massive effect on nutrition in Europe and America• Population of World doubled in three hundred

years

– Tobacco

• Silver and Gold– 35 million pounds of silver– 407,000 pounds of gold– Impact Cannot Be Overestimated!

• Psychological Impact-Immeasurable