THE AGE OF EXPLORATION

New desire for contact with Asia develops in Europe in early 1400s Main reason for exploration is to gain wealth Contact during Crusades spurs demand for Asian goods and

spices Italy profited the most from trade with the East after the Crusades Muslims and Italians control trade from East to West

Desire to spread Christianity and find new sources of wealth spurs exploration

Advances in sailing technology made long voyages for the purpose of exploration possible

In 1400s, the caravel makes it possible to sail against wind Astrolabe makes navigation easier Magnetic compass improves tracking of direction Prince Henry of Portugal influences European exploration by

setting up (founding) a navigational school Portugal was the leader of sailing innovations in the 15th century

(1400s)

Portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa

Cape of Good Hope is the name of the location Dias sailed to

His route stopped just east of Cape Town

Portuguese sailor who succeeded in gaining a sea route between Portugal and India

The easternmost city Vasco da Gama reached was Calicut, India

Portugal complained that the Line of Demarcation (1493), which was a boundary between Spain and Portugal, gave too much to Spain

Spain and Portugal argued over which nation had the rights to the land Columbus had claimed

In 1494, both countries signed this treaty Portugal won control over the east – Africa, India, and Asia Spain won control over the Americas

In the 1600s, the English and the Dutch (Netherlands) controlled trade in the East Indies

They were able to secure power in the Indian Ocean because they set up East India Companies to control Asian trade

The Dutch dominated Indian Ocean trade in the 1700s These companies were like governments that had the power to

make money, sign treaties, and create armies

Catholic priest from Spain Protested terrible treatment of Native Americans He did, however, advocate using African laborers Spoke out against the encomienda system Encomienda system - Spanish forced Native Americans to work

for them; provided a cheap labor source Spanish felt it was their God-given right to demand labor from

Native Americans

Genoese sea captain Christopher Columbus reached Americas in1492

He believed he was in the East Indies (present-day India), so he called the natives “los indios” (Indians)

Actually landed on an island in the Bahamas (San Salvador)

1519 – Hernando Cortes landed in Mexico He is known as a conquistador, or Spanish conqueror Cortes and 600 men captured the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and

by 1521, they conquered the Aztec empire Cortes and the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztec due to

superior steel weapons, the use of horses, and other Native American allies

European diseases also wiped out large numbers of Aztecs

Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, led a force to the conquer the Inca Empire (present-day Peru) in 1532

Pizarro killed the Inca ruler, Atahualpa, and eventually crushed the Inca Empire

Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazil for Portugal (1500) By the 1530s, the Portuguese settled in Brazil and began growing sugar Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, identified South America as new

continent (1501) In 1507, German mapmaker named the continents (North and South

America) “America” Vasco Nunez de Balboa was the first European to reach the Pacific

Ocean Ferdinand Magellan left Spain to sail around the world (1519); he was

killed and his crew completed the first voyage that circumnavigated the world in 1522

Spanish men and Native American women have children

Result is large mestizo—mixed Spanish and native—population

Encomienda system—Spanish force Native Americans to work for them

Spain abolished encomienda system (1542) Enslaved Africans were now used as labor in mines and

on farms Some Native Americans resisted Spanish conquerors In 1680, Popé leads rebellion against Spanish in modern

New Mexico Spanish were driven out, but returned 12 years later to

stay

Several European nations fought for control of North America, and England emerged victorious

French, English, Dutch started colonies in North America European nations also started colonies in Caribbean where large

cotton and sugar plantations were worked by enslaved Africans

Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec New France—French colony in North America New France included Great Lakes and Mississippi River

valley New France was very large but had few inhabitants Main activity of the colony was the fur trade

King James permitted investors to start North American colony In 1607, colonists founded Jamestown—English settlement in

Virginia (first English colony in Americas) Early years were very difficult; many died, but settlement took hold Pilgrims—group persecuted for religion—founded Plymouth in

1620 Puritans—group that sought religious freedom—settled in

Massachusetts

In 1609, Henry Hudson explored waterways for Dutch Dutch claimed land and founded New Netherland—now

Albany and New York City New York City was called New Amsterdam under the

Dutch Dutch focused on fur trade; welcomed settlers from

other lands

In 1664, English forced Dutch colonists to surrender control of New Netherland; New Netherland became New York

By 1750, about 1.2 million English settlers in 13 colonies English settlers, pushing west, collide with French possessions French and Indian War—part of Seven Years’ War—begins

(1754) In 1763, France loses to Britain, gives up its American colonies

Wars were less deadly to Native Americans than European diseases

Colonists used enslaved Africans to work in place of Native Americans

Slavery existed in Africa for centuries Spread of Islam produced more slavery in Africa In African Muslim lands, slaves had some rights Need for workers in Americas raised demand for enslaved Africans Africans were able to withstand diseases, had farming skills, and

were unlikely to escape Atlantic slave trade—forced movement of many Africans to

Americas; many African families were torn apart

Triangular trade—trade network that linked Europe, Africa, Americas

Manufactured goods move from Europe to Africa People move from Africa to Americas Sugar, coffee, tobacco move from Americas to Europe Voyage of enslaved Africans to Americas known as the Middle

Passage As many as 20 percent of Africans died on these journeys

Columbian Exchange—global transfer of food, plants, animals Corn and potatoes from Americas became crops in Eastern

Hemisphere New animals and plants introduced by Europeans take hold in

Americas European diseases killed millions of Native Americans

New economic system—capitalism—based on private property and making a profit

Increase in business led to inflation—rising prices—in Europe Hauls of gold and silver from Americas caused high inflation in

Spain Joint-stock company allows investors to share the risk and profits

of businesses These joint-stock companies helped to fund colonies in America

Policy of mercantilism emphasizes national wealth as source of power

One way for nation to increase wealth: gather gold, silver Favorable balance of trade when nation sells more goods than it

buys Colonies provide raw materials that home country uses to make

goods