Age of Exploration:Chapter 1, Section 1

Exploration and trade spread ideas and goods. In the 1400s, Europeans began to

explore other areas of the world. Trade increased and goods, technology, and ideas

were exchanged around the world.

Europe Gets Ready to Explore

● Main idea: New knowledge and ideas led Europeans to explore overseas.○ Marco Polo wrote Travels about Chinese culture that

encouraged people like Christopher Columbus to explore world

Growth of Trade/Centers of Trade

● Crusades/wars opened up trade across new nations

● Merchants saw the potential profit in trading Asian goods

● Italy became wealthy as trade center○ Prime location

The Rise of Strong Nations

● European countries wanted to trade without dealing with Italy or Middle East

● European countries wanted to strengthen their nation, and did so by establishing laws, taxes, armies, etc.

New Technology/Better Tools & Ships● Maps (cartography) were improved as more

people explored/traded● Astrolabe - instrument showing latitude● Compass - points north/helps show location● Caravel - new rudder and sails=faster ship

that holds more

1. Why were Marco Polo’s travels to China important?

Exploring the New World

● Main idea: In search of trade routes, Portuguese explorers began an era of overseas exploration.○ Italy faced competition from Spain and Portugal, who

looked for a route to Asia=Age of Exploration

Portugal Leads the Way● Prince Henry of Portugal laid groundwork for era

of exploration, as he set up a center for exploration ○ Brought astronomers, geographers, mathematicians shared

knowledge with sailors/shipbuilders● Bartholomeu Dias - explorer who reached

southern tip of Africa and discovered “Cape of Storms”/Cape of Good Hope.

● Vasco de Gama - took 4 ships around coast of Africa, reaching port in Asia○ Pedro Alvarez Cabral to discover/claim Brazil for Portugal

Columbus Sets Sail

● Italian navigator, sponsored by Spain, had plan to sail west across Atlantic, but…○ Spain (Ferdinand and Isabella) had money to spare, after

driving Muslims from country● Took three ships (Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria), finally

landing on an island in the Bahamas○ Went ashore/claimed land for Spain (thinking it was Asia)○ Eventually, they realized error

Magellan’s Voyage

● Spanish wanted route to Asia around South America, so they employed Ferdinand Magellan○ Sailed along coast and found narrow Strait of Mag. which

led to Pacific Ocean○ Most of crew starved, he was killed in Philippines, the

survivors sailed back around Africa to Spain and became the first to circumnavigate the globe

1. How did the success of Portugal’s voyages of exploration influence Spain?

2. On what islands of the Americas did Columbus first land?

Building Empires

● Main idea: Rivalries between countries led to increased exploration of North America.○ Before arrival of Europeans, Native American

civilizations and developed societies existed in the Americas■ Inca/Aztec consisted of hundreds of miles,

millions of people, and extensive trade routes

Spanish Conquistadors● Stories of wealth in Americas greeted Spanish

conquistadors○ They received grants from Spanish rulers in exchange to

give crown part of treasure● Hernan Cortes - landed in Mexico and conquered

Montezuma’s Aztecs in Tenochtitlan, destroying capital and gaining control

● Francisco Pizarro - captured Incan ruler, destroyed army, and controlled most of empire

Why Were the Empires Conquered?

● Victories quick/lasting○ Spanish arrived with weapons/animals, appearing to

be like gods○ Native Americans hated Aztecs○ Disease

Searching for Gold● Mexico/Peru had gold/silver

○ Conquistadors went north to find more wealth● Juan Ponce de Leon made first

Spanish landing in North America (Florida)○ Failed to find gold/fountain of youth, but

began first settlement in US

De Vaca / De Soto and Coronado● Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca - shipwrecked near

Texas, looking for riches○ Survived by adopting Native American ways, later trekked

to Mexico and told tales of gold/emerald● Hernando de Soto - search for gold led to FL, NC,

TN, AL, AK, TX and finding Mississippi River, but no gold

● Francisco Vasquez de Coronado also failed to find gold in the US

Spain’s American Empire

● Spanish developed pueblos and missions with a presidio near by○ Each conquistador was granted an encomienda

which turned the Native Americans into slaves● Priest Bartolome de Las Casas condemned

the cruel treatment/practices ○ New Laws passed to forbid slavery

French, Dutch, and English Exploration

● All wanted to profit from trade/colonization as well as find a faster/more efficient Northwest Passage to Asia○ England = John Cabot (Italian), landed in Newfoundland○ France = Giovanni da Verrazano (Italian) mapped North

Carolina to Newfoundland, and Jacques Cartier failed too○ Netherlands = Henry Hudson (English) found Hudson

River/Bay in NY

A Trade Rivalry

● England vs Spain, led to attacks on ports/ships○ Ended with defeat of Spanish Armada and England/other

nations were free to start colonizing

1. How were the Spanish able to defeat the mighty Aztec and Inca empires?

2. What was the goal of Christopher Columbus’s voyage in 1492?

3. What was the purpose of John Cabot’s voyage?4. Were the French or Spanish explorations more

successful? Why?

For next time...

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