EARLY EXPLORATION

The Explorers and their motivations

Portugal takes the lead

They had ambitious leaders They lacked a Mediterranean port so

therefore did not have access to the profitable trade between Asia and Europe

They wanted a more direct way to get African gold.

Portugal starts sending explorers to find a better trade route to Asia

Prince Henry of Portugal aka Henry the Navigator-he was fascinated by what lay beyond the boundaries of his country and the maps of the day- he brought in astronomers, geographers and mathematicians- with his leadership, ships began to sail along Africa’s west coast (nick named Gold Coast) and they began to make accurate maps

Early Explorers for Portugal

Bartholomeu Diaz – storm carried him around the tip of Africa – became known as “Cape of Good Hope.”

Vasgo da Gama – first trip to India Four ships Charted the East Coast of Africa Then made it to IndiaPedro Alvares Cabral – followed da Gama’s

route and swung wide and hit Brazil giving Portugal an early stake in the Americas

Viking Voyages

Leif Erickson explored the land west of Greenland and named it “Vinland” about 1000AD. Archeologists have found artifacts in present day Newfoundland from former Viking settlements.

Christopher Columbus

Inspired by the books of Marco Polo and the science of Ptolemy (estimated the size of the earth), he set about to find someone to finance a trip to find a western route to Asia Based on his calculations, he thought it would

take about two months to reach Asia He asked many countries to sponsor his trip, and

he finally convinced Queen Isabella by promising1. to convert any people in lands he discovered to Christianity2. that he would find riches for Spain like Portugal had gotten

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two…Columbus sailed the ocean blue!

Columbus finally sets sail 3 ships – The Nina the Pinta and the

Santa Maria He thought it would take two months

At one point the crew was so upset because of how much time the trip was taking, they threatened to throw him into the sea!

He even began to alter the ship logs so that the crew did not know how far they had actually traveled.

Finally Christopher Columbus Arrives!

On October 12, 1492 at 2am Christopher Columbus and the crew reach the Bahamas Read p. 593 primary sourceChristopher Columbus thinks he has arrived in

the Indies and so believe the inhabitants of the island are “Indians”

He claims these lands for the Queen

Queen is very happy with Columbus

Queen Isabella is very happy about of Columbus’s discovery and finances his future voyages

Went back in 1493, 1498, and 1502 He and his crew explored Haiti, Dominican

Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, and Central America

He claimed all these lands for Spain

Columbus

He left not knowing where he was going, upon arriving, not knowing where he was. He returned not knowing where he had been.

He died penniless, but now he is celebrated here in America for being one of the greatest explorers.

Does he deserve the acclaim? You decide. If no, who does?