The Age of Exploration: How Europe came to Dominate the

World

Earlier ExplorationsEarlier ExplorationsEarlier ExplorationsEarlier Explorations1. Islam & the Spice Trade

Malacca

2. A New Player Europe

Nicolo, Maffeo, & Marco Polo, 1271

Expansion becomes a state enterprise monarchs had the authority & the resources.

Better seaworthy ships.

3.Chinese Admiral Zheng He & the Ming “Treasure Fleet”

Europeans were not the first to explore the oceans in search of new trade routes

Islamic merchants explored the Indian Ocean & had dominated the Asian spice trade for centuries before European exploration

Early Exploration

From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He led the Chinese treasure fleet on 7 expeditions to SE Asia, India, & Africa during the Ming Dynasty

Admiral Zheng HeAdmiral Zheng HeAdmiral Zheng HeAdmiral Zheng He

1371-1435

Each ship was 400’ long and 160’ wide!

But in the late 1400s, the European sailors did what neither Muslim nor Chinese explorers could: Begin global (not regional) exploration & create colonies to increase their wealth & power

What leads up to Age of Exploration for Western Europe

• Most of the great early civilizations were in Asia and Africa

• Not much was happening in Europe, however close to Africa and Asia was Greece & then Rome

Ancient Greece

• Ancient Greece is seen to be the birthplace of European Civilization and Democracy

Ancient Rome

• After Greece there was Rome• Rome became a huge empire. • Toward the end Christianity become

intertwined with the Roman Empire• When the Roman Empire falls Christianity

becomes the only power in Europe which brings Europe to the Dark Ages

Crusades

• The Christians in Europe attempt to slaughter the Muslims in the Middle East to try to control the Holy Land (Jerusalem).

• BUT they lose

The Black Plague

• Between 75 and 200 million people died

Effects of Crusades and Black Plague

• People started to question Christianity• Trade developed between Europe and Asia• There was less starvation and more upper

mobility in Europe• This all led to the Renaissance and

Reformation

Go West !

• European Explorers traveled west.• Why?

This Way

This Way

Why did the Age of Exploration begin?

• European countries had a more difficult time getting spices and silks from Asia since the Mongols lost control of the Silk Road.

• New Technology- Europeans adopted the astrolabe from the Arabs. This device helped find latitudes. Also the Chinese invented a compass which helped navigators find magnetic north. Finally, triangular sails allowed ships to travel in a zigzag path.

• Kings and Queens made money by taxing trade and therefore could afford expensive explorations.

The Role of Maps • By the 1400s most Europeans

knew that the world was round, however there were no maps that expanded beyond the Mediterranean Sea.

• In 1406, the Europeans discovered a book Geography that contained hand drawn maps of the World by a Greek educated Egyptian scholar named Ptolemy.

Ptolemy• This book was mass produced

during the Renaissance and was a strong influence on mapmakers during this time period.

• Ptolemy basic system of latitude and longitude are still used today.

• However, Ptolemy also believed that Earth was the center of the universe..hmmm.

Motives for European Motives for European ExplorationExploration

Motives for European Motives for European ExplorationExploration

1. Crusades by-pass intermediaries to get to Asia.

2. Renaissance curiosity about other lands and peoples.

3. Reformation refugees & missionaries.

4. Monarchs seeking new sources of revenue.

5. Technological advances.

6. Fame and fortune.

Motives

• Search for new trade routes wanted to find a quicker way to Asia

• Desire for new products Crusades and travels of Marco Polo stimulated an interest in Asian goods

• Technology improved that allowed overseas exploration; gunpowder allowed Europeans to dominate

• Religion Christian rulers wanted to spread religion

From the 1400s to the 1700s, Europe experienced an “Age of Exploration”

As a result of exploration, European nations grew powerful & spread their influence throughout the world

The Renaissance encouraged curiosity & a desire for trade

MotivationsMotivations: Why did Europeans want to explore?

Portugal was the early leader in the Age of Exploration

In Portugal, Prince Henry the Navigator started a school of navigation to train sailorsHe brought in Europe’s best map-makers, ship-builders, & sailing instructorsHe wanted to discover new territories, find a quick trade route to Asia, & expand Portugal’s power

Prince Henry, the Prince Henry, the NavigatorNavigator

Prince Henry, the Prince Henry, the NavigatorNavigator

School for Navigation, 1419

Museum of Museum of NavigationNavigationin Lisbonin Lisbon

Museum of Museum of NavigationNavigationin Lisbonin Lisbon

New Maritime New Maritime TechnologiesTechnologiesNew Maritime New Maritime TechnologiesTechnologies

Hartman Astrolabe

(1532)

Better Maps [Portulan]

Sextant

Mariner’s Compass

NavigationTrade & cultural diffusion during the Renaissance introduced new navigation techniques to Europeans

Magnetic compass made sailing more accurate

Astrolabe used stars to show direction

Maps were more accurate and used longitude & latitude

New Weapons New Weapons TechnologyTechnology

New Weapons New Weapons TechnologyTechnology

European shipbuilders built a better ship; The caravel was a strong ship that could travel in the open seas & in shallow water

Caravels had triangular lateen sails that allowed ships to sail against the wind

A moveable rudder made the caravel more maneuverable

Cannons & rifles gave ships protection

Portuguese Maritime Portuguese Maritime EmpireEmpire

Portuguese Maritime Portuguese Maritime EmpireEmpire

1. Exploring the west coast of Africa.

2. Bartolomeo Dias, 1487.

3. Vasco da Gama, 1498.

Calicut.

4. Admiral Alfonso de Albuquerque (Goa, 1510; Malacca, 1511).

Vasco da Gama

Vasco da GamaVasco da Gama was the 1st explorer to find a direct trade route to Asia by going around Africa to get to IndiaPortugal gained a sea route to Asia that brought them great wealth

Prince Henry’s navigation school & willingness to fund voyages led the Portuguese to be the 1st to explore the west coast of Africa

The da Gama Profile

• Origin: Portugal • Voyage: sailed across the Indian Ocean and

landed in India in 1498• Cargo: spices and jewels • Importance: overseas trade route from

Europe to India saved the Portuguese from having to deal with middlemen traders, goods could be carried more cheaply than by using overland routes

• Impact: Overseas trade promised wealth for merchants and sailors and goods for European markets

The Spanish government saw Portugal’s wealth & did not want to be left outMore than any other European monarch, Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain sponsored & supported overseas expeditions

Columbus reached the Bahamas in America but thought that he had reached islands off the coast of India

He made 4 trips to “India” never knowing he was in “America”

Like most educated men of the Renaissance, Columbus believed the world was round & thought he could reach Asia by sailing west

The Treaty of Tordesillas, The Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494 & 1494 &

The Pope’s Line of The Pope’s Line of DemarcationDemarcation

The Treaty of Tordesillas, The Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494 & 1494 &

The Pope’s Line of The Pope’s Line of DemarcationDemarcation

Christopher Columbus

The Columbus Profile

• Origin: Italy (sailed for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain)

• Voyage: in 1492 made the 1st of 4 voyages to what he believed were islands off the coast of India, named the 1st island San Salvador (the Bahamas).

• Cargo: gold, “Indians”• Importance: his voyage marked the beginning

of the Columbian Exchange-the exchange of products, plants, animals, diseases between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.

Colmubus Cont.’

• Impact: the gold and silver taken from south America helped make Spain a world power. The exchange of goods affected the way people in Europe and the Americas lived- potatoes, tomatoes, and corn were introduced to Europe and horses brought to the Americas changed the lifestyles of many Native Americans

Despite the fact that Columbus never found Asia, Ferdinand Magellan still thought he could reach Asia by sailing West

Magellan became the first explorer to circumnavigate the Earth (go all the way around)

During the Age of Exploration, Spain created colonies in North & South America

Spain sent explorers called conquistadors to the New World to find gold, claim land, & spread Christianity

Cortez conquered the Aztecs

Pizarro conquered the IncaThe influx of gold from

America made Spain the most powerful country in Europe during the early years of the Age of Exploration

Gold (Money)A desire for new sources of wealth was the main reason for European exploration

The Crusades & Renaissance stimulated European desires for exotic Asian luxury goods

Merchants began looking for quick, direct trade routes to Asia to avoid Muslim & Italian merchants & increase profits

GloryThe Renaissance inspired new possibilities for power & prestige

Exploration presented Europeans the opportunity to rise from poverty and gain fame, fortune, & status

Kings who sponsored voyages of exploration gained overseas colonies, new sources of wealth for their nation, & increased power

England, France, & the Netherlands became involved in overseas exploration & colonization as well

GodEuropean Christians, especially Catholics, wanted to stop the spread of Islam & convert non-Christians to the faith

Explorers were encouraged to spread Christianity or bring missionaries who would focus only on conversions

Ferdinand Magellan

The Magellan Profile

• Origin: Portugal (sailed for Spain)• Voyage: set sail from Spain in 1519, sailed west

across the ocean he would name (the Pacific). Magellan reached the Philippines in 1521 where he died in battle.

• Cargo: spices• Importance: 1st person to lead an expedition

across the pacific Ocean, his expedition was the 1st to circumnavigate the world.

• Impact: the expedition of Magellan proved that the earth was round

Hernan Cortes

The French explorer Samuel de Champlain searched Canada for a northwest passage to Asia

After failing to do so, Champlain founded the French colony of Quebec

The French would soon carve out a large colony along the Mississippi River from Canada to New Orleans

Unlike other European nations whose kings paid for colonies, the English colonies were paid for by citizens who formed joint-stock companies

English colonies formed along the Atlantic Coast of North America by colonists motivated either by religion or wealth

The English explorer James Cook was the first European to make contact with Australia, New Zealand, & Hawaii

Like England, the Netherlands (the Dutch) allowed private companies to fund exploration

The Dutch had colonies in America & Africa, but the Dutch East India Company dominated trade in Asia

The Cortes Profile

• Origin: Spain• Voyage: sailed from Spain to Hispaniola,

Cuba, and Mexico• Cargo: gold, silver• Importance: wealth from the Americas

made Spain wealthy• Impact: Cortes’ invasion of Mexico resulted

in the capture of Montezuma II and the destruction of Tenochtitlan (great Aztec city). Smallpox epidemic decimated the Aztecs

Francisco Pizarro

The Pizarro Profile

• Origin: Spain• Voyage: sailed from Spain, through the

Isthmus of Panama, to the capital of the Inca Empire in Peru

• Cargo: gold, silver• Importance: increased the wealth of the

Spanish treasury• Impact: In time Spain controlled the

West Indies, southern and west North America, Central America, and much of South America

Samuel de Champlain

The de Champlain Profile• Origin: France (known as “The Father of

New France”)• Voyage: sailed from France to North

America• Cargo: North American furs• Importance: founded the city of Quebec

and several other settlements in the St. Lawrence River Valley and the Great Lakes Region

• Impact: de Champlain was an integral part of a successful French fur trade industry in North America

James Cook

The Cook Profile

• Origin: Britain• Voyage: sailed from Britain and claimed the

eastern shore of Australia for Britain in 1770 (area now known as New South Wales)

• Importance: Australia initially used as a penal colony by British after American Revolution, Britain claimed entire continent of Australia in 1829

• Impact: Many Aborigines (original inhabitants of Australia) died from European diseases, suffered from brutal violence

Fernando CortezFernando CortezFernando CortezFernando Cortez

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:The AztecsThe Aztecs

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:The AztecsThe Aztecs

Montezuma IIMontezuma IIMontezuma IIMontezuma II

vsvs..

vsvs..

The Death of The Death of Montezuma IIMontezuma IIThe Death of The Death of Montezuma IIMontezuma II

Mexico Surrenders to Mexico Surrenders to CortezCortez

Mexico Surrenders to Mexico Surrenders to CortezCortez

Francisco Francisco PizarroPizarro

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:

The The IncasIncas

The First Spanish The First Spanish Conquests:Conquests:

The The IncasIncas

AtahualpaAtahualpa

vsvs..

Slaves Working in a Slaves Working in a Brazilian Sugar MillBrazilian Sugar MillSlaves Working in a Slaves Working in a Brazilian Sugar MillBrazilian Sugar Mill

The “Columbian The “Columbian Exchange”Exchange”

The “Columbian The “Columbian Exchange”Exchange” Squash Avocado Peppers Sweet

Potatoes

Turkey Pumpkin Tobacco Quinine

Cocoa Pineapple

Cassava POTATO

Peanut TOMATO Vanilla MAIZE

Syphilis

Olive COFFEE BEAN Banana Rice

Onion Turnip Honeybee Barley

Grape Peach SUGAR CANE

Oats

Citrus Fruits Pear Wheat HORSE

Cattle Sheep Pigs Smallpox

Flu Typhus Measles Malaria

Diptheria Whooping Cough

Trinkets

Liquor

GUNS

Cycle of Conquest & Cycle of Conquest & ColonizationColonization

Cycle of Conquest & Cycle of Conquest & ColonizationColonization

Explorers Conquistadores

Mission

arie

s

PermanentSettlers

OfficialEuropeanColony!

TreasuresTreasuresfrom the Americas!from the Americas!

TreasuresTreasuresfrom the Americas!from the Americas!

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trans-Atlantic Slave TradeTrade

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trans-Atlantic Slave TradeTrade

The Slave TradeThe Slave TradeThe Slave TradeThe Slave Trade1. Existed in Africa before the

coming of the Europeans.

2. Portuguese replaced European slaves with Africans.

Sugar cane & sugar plantations.

First boatload of African slaves brought by the Spanish in 1518.

275,000 enslaved Africans exportedto other countries.

3. Between 16c & 19c, about 10 million Africans shipped to the Americas.

Slave ShipSlave ShipSlave ShipSlave Ship

““Middle Passage”Middle Passage”

““Coffin” Position Coffin” Position Below DeckBelow Deck

““Coffin” Position Coffin” Position Below DeckBelow Deck

African CaptivesAfrican CaptivesThrown OverboardThrown OverboardAfrican CaptivesAfrican Captives

Thrown OverboardThrown Overboard

Sharks followed the slave Sharks followed the slave ships!ships!

European Empires in the European Empires in the AmericasAmericas

European Empires in the European Empires in the AmericasAmericas

The Colonial Class The Colonial Class SystemSystem

The Colonial Class The Colonial Class SystemSystem

PeninsularPeninsulareses CreolesCreoles

MestizoMestizoss

MulattMulattosos

Native IndiansNative Indians Black SlavesBlack Slaves

Administration of the Administration of the Spanish Empire in the Spanish Empire in the

New WorldNew World

Administration of the Administration of the Spanish Empire in the Spanish Empire in the

New WorldNew World1. Encomienda

or forced labor.

2. Council of the Indies.

Viceroy.

New Spain and Peru.

3. Papal agreement.

The Influence of the The Influence of the Colonial Catholic Colonial Catholic

ChurchChurch

The Influence of the The Influence of the Colonial Catholic Colonial Catholic

ChurchChurch

Guadalajara Guadalajara CathedralCathedral

Our Lady of Our Lady of GuadalupeGuadalupe

Spanish Spanish MissionMission

Father Bartolome de Father Bartolome de Las CasasLas Casas

Father Bartolome de Father Bartolome de Las CasasLas Casas

New Laws New Laws 1542 1542

New Colonial RivalsNew Colonial RivalsNew Colonial RivalsNew Colonial Rivals

1. Portugal lacked the numbers and wealth to dominate trade in the Indian Ocean.

2. Spain in Asia consolidated its holdings in the Philippines.

3. First English expedition to the Indies in 1591.

Surat in NW India in 1608.

4. Dutch arrive in India in 1595.

New Colonial RivalsNew Colonial RivalsNew Colonial RivalsNew Colonial Rivals

Impact of European Impact of European ExpansionExpansion

Impact of European Impact of European ExpansionExpansion1. Native populations ravaged

by disease.

2. Influx of gold, and especially silver, into Europe created an inflationary economic climate.[“Price Revolution”]

3. New products introduced across the continents [“Columbian Exchange”].

4. Deepened colonial rivalries.

Effects

• Native American civilizations destroyed• European diseases killed millions of Native

Americans• European powers built extensive overseas

empires• Large numbers of Europeans moved to Americas• Native American crops (corn, potato, tomato)

brought to Europe [Colombian Exchange]

• Demand for African slaves increased• Capitalism expanded with growth of trade• Cultural exchanges occurred [cultural diffusion]

5. New Patterns of 5. New Patterns of World TradeWorld Trade

5. New Patterns of 5. New Patterns of World TradeWorld Trade