European Exploration

Exploration Encouragement Renaissance encourages adventure and curiosity Desire to get rich Main reason for exploration Demand for spices from Asia runs high after the Crusades – merchants able to charge a lot Muslims and Italians control East to West trade Wanted to find direct route to Asia (eliminate the middle man)

Spread of Christianity Hostility between Muslims and Christians following the Crusades Europeans thought they had duty to keep fighting the Muslims and convert non-Christians Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese) becomes an early explorer with Christian motives

Technology Advances 1200’s -> impossible to cross the open ocean European ships could not sail against the wind Ship builders design the caravel Sturdier and had triangular sails to sail against the wind Sailors begin to use the astrolabe Could use it to tell how far North or South from the equator they were (used the stars) Began using a magnetic compass the Chinese invented

Portugal Had strong governmental support Prince Henry becomes most avid supporter Peaked interest from raids in Africa (saw wealth) Also wanted to spread Christianity Opened a navigation school By the time of Henry’s death, Portugal had already established trading posts on the West coast of Africa Traded for spices and eventually slaves

Hello Asia Reach Asia by sailing around the Southern tip of Africa Bartolomeu Dias reaches this point Storm blew them to Eastern coast of Africa Crew was tired so they returned home Vasco de Gama reaches coast of India Direct sea route to Asia

Spain Joins the Race Spain watches Portugal intently Also wanted a direct sea route to Asia Christopher Columbus Find route by sailing West Reaches island in the Caribbean Fuels tensions between Spain and Portugal Possible that he claimed same lands? To keep peace they drew the Line of Demarcation West of line belonged to Spain, East to Portugal Signed Treaty of Tordesillas – agreed to the line

Trading Empires Portugal takes control of spice trade from Muslim merchants Set up many trading posts in the Indian Ocean Brought back goods at 1/5 the cost to Europe Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan arrives in Philippines Claim lands and begin to settle there Peaks interest of even more European countries

Other Nations English, Dutch, French come into the picture Challenging Portugal’s dominance of the Indian Ocean The Dutch Owned the largest fleet (20k + vessels) Dutch East India Company -> able to mint money, make treaties, and raise their own armies Drove the English out eventually English and French English East India Company gains trade control in India French establish their own company focused on Indian but never profitable because of English

Spain’s Conquests

Columbus Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria “Tierra, Tierra!” Called the people encountered los indios (actually the Taino) Pg. 483 Columbus claims land for Spain -> San Salvador Interested in the gold and wealth Found none in San Salvador -> explored other islands Columbus returns to Spain (gets permission for 3 more trips) 2 nd trip he sailed as an empire builder (17 ships + 100’s of soldiers + 1,000 or more settlers) Wanted to make the islands colonies of Spain

Other Explorers Pedro Alvares Cabral (Portuguese) Reached modern-day Brazil Amerigo Vespucci (Italian in service for Portugal) Traveled along the eastern coast of South America Claimed it was not Asia but a new world Named the Americas after Vespucci Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese) Explored even further in the Americas Vasco Nunez de Balboa (Spanish) Explored Panama and became first European to see the Pacific Ocean Magellan then convinces king of Spain to fund a voyage into the Pacific Reaches the Philippines -> first person to circumnavigate the world

Spain’s Empire Hernando Cortes Lands of shores of Mexico Known as conquistadors (conquerors) Wanted to find gold and silver Learns of the Mayan Empire Montezuma II thinks Cortes in one of their God’s returning Welcomes Cortes with open arms Aztecs rebel and drive out Spanish forces They counterattack Conquer the Aztecs Superior weapons Cortes able to enlist many enemy Native American tribes Disease was carried by the Spanish

Pizarro and the Incans Francisco Pizarro Conquers the Incan Empire Incan king offers gold and silver but is killed anyway March his men into Cuzco (capital city) Able to take the capital with no problems Spanish also responsible for the conquest of the Mayans Able to create a new empire -> New Spain

Spain’s Influence Spain’s American colonies become strongest in the world They begin to build up their military and navy to protect the colonies and ships traveling back and forth Juan Ponce de Leon -> begins to explore Florida Francisco Vasquez de Coronado -> Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas Catholic priests go along to convert people Against the harsh treatment of the natives and encomienda system “There is nothing more cruel than the tyranny which the Spaniards use toward the Indians for the getting of pearl.”