Introduction to

The Age of Exploration

Mahtomedi Middle School

7th Grade American History

Use this slide show to complete the packet that will provide an introduction into the

Explorers’ Lesson.

The Desire to Explore

The desire to explore the unknown has been a driving force in human history since the dawn of time. From the earliest documented accounts, ancient civilizations have explored the earth by sea. Early adventurers were motivated by religious beliefs, the desire for conquest, the need to establish trade routes, and hunger for gold. Modern history books begin the age of exploration with the fourteenth century, but there is evidence that exploration between Europe and Asia began much earlier. Travel between Greece and India, for instance, was common in Alexander the Great's time because his vast empire included territories of both countries. The Han Dynasty of China and the Roman Empire, likewise, had regular trade relations and even exchanged a few diplomats. Early explorers did not sail into the unknown without some idea of their final destination. Although they were searching for a specific land or route, they oftentimes were surprised at what they discovered. Sometimes the country they were seeking was only known in legend or rumor.

The First Power of the Seas!

Vikings or Norsemen originated from what are now Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The geographical location of these three Norse countries determined the routes their inhabitants took to raid, explore, and trade. The Norwegians traveled to and raided south toward the isles of Scotland, then toward England, Ireland, France, and even the innermost end of the Mediterranean. One route they had to themselves was across the North Atlantic because the Norwegian coastline afforded them easy access. The Swedes' routes led them to the Baltic and south to Russia along river ways. The Danes explored and raided west to England, south to France, and locations beyond. Wherever Vikings went, they adopted the language of the area.They eventually became French, Russian, Scottish, and Irish themselves. They found, used, and traded timber, weapons, jewels, pottery, falcons, Arab furs, feathers, wheat, glass, spices, slaves, walrus ivory, soap stone, tin, gold, sword blades, hides, cloth, honey, amber, wine, silk, and fish.

Portugal led the European world in sea exploration during the fifteenth century. The golden age of discovery for Portugal lasted almost a century until the Dutch eventually seized trade routes from them. During the height of their years of exploration, the Portuguese were attempting to find a route around Africa into the Indian Ocean and eventually trade with India and the Far East.

Various Parts of a ShipDECK - Floors on a ship. Each level is called a deck.

HULL - The outer body or shell of a vessel, floating partially immersed in water and supporting the remainder of the vessel.

KEEL - The backbone of a ship. The lowest and principle timber of a wooden ship and to which the stempost, sternpost, and ribs are attached.

MAST - A vertical pole usually made of wood or metal that supports the sails.

POOP - A partial deck above the main deck located aft

RIB - The frames or timbers of a ship that rise from the keel to form the shape of the

hull.

RUDDER- A device mounted near the stern of a vessel to control direction.

SAIL - An assemblage of cloth cut to various sizes and shapes (i.e., square and triangular), and designed to catch the wind and use its force to propel a vessel.

Sailors Language (Parts of the Ship)

STERN - The back of a vessel.

BOW - The front of a vessel.

STARBOARD - The right side of a vessel.

PORT - The left side of a vessel. This side of the ship traditionally pulled up to the dock.

AFT - Toward the rear of the ship.

When a sailor departs port and loses sight of land, he must have some method of determining his direction. Early captains relied on nature to provide the answers. We all know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. A rising sun on the left-hand side of the ship, for example, meant it was sailing south. At night, the pilot could view the Pole or North Star. This star does not change its position by the hour and it remains constant in the north. The farther north the sailor traveled, the higher the Pole Star appeared in the sky. The farther south he sailed, the lower the star appeared in the sky. When mariners reached the equator, the star disappeared. Navigators in the southern hemisphere were accustomed to using different stars to determine direction.

Where are we going?

Why Are We Exploring?Gold and Treasures -

1.) Gold and Diamonds found in Africa.

2.) Pearls, Emeralds and Rubies found in India and Asia.

Human Labor- Slaves (Africa)

1.) Tribes captured in for enslavement in Europe (later in America).

Spices (Asia)

1.) pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cloves (Made food taste/last longer).

Silk and Indigo - (Asia) Fabric and Blue Dye.

Lumber- (Africa)

1.) Huge trees used for construction (Ships and Building Materials).

2.) Firewood (Over-population in Europe)

Land - New land to spread Monarchy (Government) and Christianity (Religion).

Spice Up Your Life!The search for a sea route to the East led to what is called the Age

of Discovery, a time wherein the greatest sea adventures and explorations in history were undertaken. Europeans were eager to try new and faster routes to the spice markets of the Indies. Spices were highly valued because they made the otherwise bland and spoiled food taste better. Spices such as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cloves were like treasures to Europeans. All these products were produced in India, Ceylon, and the Moluccas (known as the Spice Islands).

Because the spice trade could make them wealthy, explorers were motivated to find a faster and cheaper sea route. The rulers of Portugal and Spain sought different routes to the Indies. While the Portuguese concentrated their efforts to the south and east, the Spanish sought alternative routes to the west.

Can I Borrow a Few Dollars?

The captain of the ship needed funding and manpower and could not get underway without support from a rich benefactor. Most voyages during the fourteenth century were made in the name of the royal ruler of a particular government. The crewmen who signed on to these long and dangerous voyages were not the most experienced seamen, but large numbers of them were needed to help man the sails and to allow for attrition due to illness and death. The ships that the royal leaders provided were not always new, but the captain took what he was given.

The captain himself was not always an experienced seaman. Desire for wealth or political favor were often his only motivations for undertaking dangerous voyages. He could be a merchant, adventurer, soldier, or gentleman of the court. Under his command were the pilot or first mate (who was in charge of navigation), and the crew (who worked the sails and rigging and made repairs to the ship while in uncharted waters).

Did I take a Wrong Turn?Perhaps the most famous explorer was Christopher Columbus. He

theorized that since the earth was a sphere, a ship could eventually reach the Far East from the opposite direction. He thought to establish trade routes to Asia in this manner. The fifteenth-century Europeans were not aware of the South and North American continents during this timeframe. Mapmakers did not show an accurate picture and no one knew there was a Pacific Ocean. For a decade, Columbus approached the Portuguese king and the Spanish monarchs to obtain a grant to explore possible trade routes to the west. After initially turning him down, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella reconsidered once the Moors had been successfully expelled from Spain in 1492. Columbus promised to bring back gold, spices, and silks from the Far East, to spread Christianity, and to lead an expedition to China. In return, Columbus asked for and got the hereditary title "admiral of the ocean seas" and became governor of all discovered lands.

How do we steer this thing? (Navigation)

ASTROLABE - An astronomical instrument The Seaman's astrolabe was a simple device used for measuring the altitude of the sun or a star for fixing one's

approximate latitude. CARTOGRAPHER - Person who makes maps. Cartography is the science and practice of projecting by various methods an area of the Earth's surface on a flat

plane, as a sheet of paper. CHART - A map displaying various graphic representations. Often these are

maps of waterways. COMPASS - An instrument whose magnetized metal needle aligns itself with

the magnetic fields of the earth. This causes one end of the needle to point north. LATITUDE - Imaginary lines running east to west on the surface of the earth. The latitude determines location north or south on the globe. LONGITUDE - Imaginary lines that run north to south on the surface of the earth. The prime meridian is 0 degrees. Each 15 degrees of longitude equals one

hour of time. NORTH STAR - A second magnitude star found at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper and almost at the north celestial pole. Also called the Pole Star or Polaris

You Think the School Lunch is Bad?

Little cooking was done at sea. Food stores often consisted of pickled or dried meat and ship's biscuits (made from flour with a little water to make them hard). By the end of the voyage, these biscuits would be full of black insects called weevils. Other foods included cheese, onions, dried beans, and salted fish or recently caught fresh fish. Without fresh fruit and vegetables, which contain vitamin C, sailors suffered from a fatal condition called scurvy.

Water supply was another serious problem. Fresh water did not always keep in barrels and wine turned sour. Fresh water was the first thing the crew looked for whenever the ship

reached land.

Exploring Problems

What were some of the hazards involved in exploring?

Pirates- Ambushed ships on the return part of their voyages

Storms- Hurricanes, White Squalls, Wind (too much, too little)

Religious Fears- The Earth was flat, Sirens and Monsters

Navigation- Not very good technology could get lost at sea.

Mutiny- Crew attacks captain and takes over ship.

Timeline of Exploration860 - Iceland discovered. 982 - Greenland discovered by Eric the Red. 1002 - Leif Erikson discovers North America. 1271-95 - Marco Polo journeys to China establishing the overland trade route. He leaves China in 1292 and three years later arrives home. 1441 - Portuguese navigators cruise West Africa and reestablish slave trade. 1492 - Columbus sets sail. 1497-98 - Vasco de Gama rounds the Cape of Good Hope and reaches India. 1519 - Magellan begins his journey to circumnavigate the world with five ships and 270 men. 1534 - Jacques Cartier enters the St. Lawrence River. Land in Great Lakes claimed for France. 1609 - Henry Hudson explores present-day New York and Hudson River and claims them for the Dutch. 1768 - James Cook begins the first of his Pacific explorations

The Evolution of ExploringFor centuries, mapmakers have been redefining the world. It was not

until the great age of discovery from the early Vikings to the Portuguese to the last voyage of Captain Cook that the earth was mapped to look as it does today.

The age of exploration is inherent in the human existence. It did not end with vast sea exploits. Adventurers explored by land and air, and now venture into space. Once most of the earth was charted and documented, human beings sought to break time records of air travel around the world. Now that air travel is rapid and routine, mankind has ventured out to the infinity of space. Space exploration now holds the same wonder and fables that once fascinated the Europeans of the fifteenth century. Modern generations marvel at mankind's first steps on the moon. Perhaps future generations will marvel at mankind's first steps on Mars, or the first meeting with an alien civilization. What modern truths will turn into the myths of the future?

If it were not for the bravery and adventurous spirit of the explorer,

mankind would never know what lies beyond or advance comfortably with rapidly changing technology.