Changes in Europe Emerging from the Dark Ages The Crusades

Began as early as 1095 with the 1st Crusades to JerusalemTried to regain the holy sites for the Catholic ChurchPut Europe in contact with Arab merchants & goods from the Far East

Marco Polo (1271-1288)

Traveled 17,000 miles to China1296 Wrote Travels totell Europeans about what he saw

Why did Europeans begin exploring?

1. Growth of Trade European merchants could make greater profits selling eastern goods

Perfumes, spices, silks, gems, etc. Arab merchants charged huge fees to ship goods through them

Needed their own route to Asia 2. Growth of Ideas

1300 – In Italy and eventually all Europe an interest in classical society emerged (Greek/Roman works/ideas) Began to use science and reason to explain things instead of religion Art became more realistic, writing about man/universe

3. The Renaissance (Rebirth)A period of artistic and intellectual creativity Encouraged new ideas, and set new goals across Europe

Who Explored and why? Prior to this time power was divided among several small lords across Europe

Europe was now divided into a handful of large nation-statesSpain, Portugal, France, and England Strong monarchs - national laws, courts, taxes and armies These ambitious leaders wanted to make their countries the strongest and wealthiest

How did Technology affect exploration? Technology is the use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes

1. Printing Press (1450s)–more access to knowledge awaken the imagination

2. Map Improvements – more accurate accounts, added ocean currents, latitude lines3. Navigation – astrolabe (measured star positions), magnetic compass (direction)4. Ships – stern rudder & triangular sail (sail into wind) caravel (Portuguese) – this three-masted ship was faster and larger, able to float in shallow waters

African Kingdoms Had always been a center of trade along the Mediterranean Sea

Expanded to south of the Sahara along the West Coast of AfricaPortuguese used Africa because Spain wouldn’t allow access to the Mediterranean Sea Traded with the nations like the Ghana, Mali and Songhai in W. Africa

Traded for gold, salt and slavesGreat leaders like Mansa Musa turned cities like Timbuktu into

Islamic centers of art and learning

Portuguese tradersEnjoyed the access to W. African gold but wanted a route to Asia Prince Henry “the Navigator” set up a center for exploration

Hired the best astronomers, geographers & mathematicians to help them find a route to Asia around AfricaMade it as far west as the Canary and Azores islands

King John II encouraged exploration down Gold Coast of Africa Bartholomeu Dias – 1488 – made it to Cape of Good Hope

Vasco da Gama – 1497/8 – made it around Africa to India

Christopher Columbus Born in Italy became an explorer for the Portuguese

Traveled from the Gold Coast to the Arctic Circle Heard stories of Vikings traveling west and reaching land Thought he could reach Asia by sailing west instead of around Africa The Portuguese weren’t interest so he went to Spain

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were jealous of Portugal and agreed to sponsor Columbus’s expedition

Christopher Columbus His Voyages

Aug. 3, 1492 – Columbus left Palos, Spain with 3 ships Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria He altered the ships log to keep the crew from turning backOctober 12, 1492 – reached San Salvador (thought it was the East Indies

March 1493 returned to Spain He was given the title: Admiral of the Ocean SeaMade 3 more trips and claimed Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, Central and South America for Spain

Treaty of Tordesillas

The rivalry between Spain and Portugal only grew after Columbus’ discoveries

1493 – Pope Alexander VI est. the Line of Demarcation 1. Gave Spain control of all land west of the line 2. Gave Portugal all land east of the line

Spain gained control of most of N. and S. America

Portugal claimed Brazil for themselves

The Columbian Exchange The exchange of plants, animals, and diseases that changed both American and European society

Changes from disease: Europe – smallpox, influenza, measles Caused the American pop. in Hispaniola to drop from 3 mil. to 500

Changes in diet:

Spanish Exploration Beyond the Americas

Vasco Nunez de Balboa – 1513Explored across Central America and claimed the Pacific Ocean for Spain Spain still wanted a sea route to Asia

Ferdinand Magellan – 1519He found a passage around South America in 1520 (Straits of Magellan)

He thought his crew would reach Asia in a few weeks based upon calculations of the size of the earth

Four months later they reached the Philippines where he was killed

Only 18 crew members made it to Spain 1st to circumnavigate the globe

Spanish Empire in the Americas Spanish conquistadors received grants from Spain for 1/5 of all treasures found

Spain in South and Central America Had better weapons and war tactics Took advantage of the Native American Empires cruelty Brought diseases that killed off the native population

Cortes (1519-1521) Landed in Mexico and learned of the

Aztecs Formed alliances with their neighbors Captured and killed Montezuma and

destroyed Tenochtitlan Pizarro (1530-1532)

Sailed for Peru to find the wealthy Incan Empire Captured and eventually killed their leader Controlled the Incan Empire by 1535

Spain in North America Came looking for gold and silver like they found in the South

PonceDe Leon – explored Florida, found Fountain of YouthCabeza de Vaca & others searched for Cibola (7 Cities of Gold) – they didn’t existHernando de Soto searched southeast – found Miss. RiverDe Coronado & Onate explored the southwest

“ . . . After nine days' march I reached some plains, so vast that I did not find their limit anywhere that I went, although I traveled over them for more than 300 leagues. And I found such a quantity of cows in these, of the kind that I wrote Your Majesty about, which they have in this country, that it is impossible to number them, for while I was journeying through these plains, until I returned to where I first found them, there was not a day that I lost sight of them. And after seventeen days' march I came to a settlement of Indians who are called Querechos, who travel around with these cows, who do not plant, and who eat the raw flesh and drink the blood of the cows they kill, and they tan the skins of the cows, with which all the people of this country dress themselves here. . . .”

“. . . [The province of Quivira] is the best I have ever seen for producing all the products of Spain. . . the land itself being very fat and black and being very well watered by the rivulets and springs and rivers, . . . I have treated the natives of this province, and all the others whom I found wherever I went, as well as was possible, agreeably to what Your Majesty had commanded, . . . [T]here is not any gold nor any other metal in all that country, and the other things of which they had told me are nothing but little villages, . . .”

–Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, Letter to Charles I of Spain

Spanish society in America Spain controlled their colonies through the viceroy (governor)

Had 3 types of settlements Pueblos – towns, trade centers Missions – religious communities for conversion Presidios – forts, protected missions and pueblos

Had a detailed social class structure Peninsulares – born in Spain, control land & govt. Creoles – born in America to Spanish parents Mestizos – mix of Spanish and American parents Native Americans – lived in poverty Africans – brought as slaves

Spanish society in America (continued) Economic effect on Native people

Encomienda – taxation of natives – forced many into slavery

Bartolome de las Casas – Spanish priestWrote Spain and demanded change 1542 made illegal to enslave natives

Spain had no way to enforce the law

Plantation system – farming crops for cash not use Sugar and Tobacco were the exported crops Switched from native to African slaves after 1542

caused fewer problems and worked better in climate

Other Reasons for Exploration in North America

1. Protestant ReformationThe religious and historical movement when people began to break with the Catholic church in Europe Began in Germany (Luther), spread to France (Calvin) and England (Henry VIII)These rivalries between religions carried into America Spanish and French – Catholics Dutch and English – Protestants

2. MercantilismThe power of a nation is based upon its wealth Spain was becoming more powerful because of the gold & silver from AmericaColonies in America were great resources and also great

markets

Other Reasons for Exploration in North America (continued)

3. Northwest PassageA water route through the Americas to Asia Mostly French & English explorers

Cabot (Eng.) – claimed present day NewfoundlandDa Verrazano (fr.) – eastern coast looking for a routeCartier (Fr.) – explored St. Lawrence River & MontrealHudson (Dutch) – explored Hudson River & Hudson Bay

4. TradersFrench had many conflicts at home and didn’t build

colonies Instead concentrated on the fishing & fur resources

De Champlain – set up a trading post in QuebecTrade spread throughout Canada & down the Mississippi River Valley