Europeans Explore the East Mr. Snell HRHS

Setting the Stage 1400s – Europeans ready to venture beyond their borders. Renaissance spirit – Promoted curiosity – Adventure

For “God, Glory, “Gold” Europeans were not totally isolated Crusades … over holy land Desire for riches Desire to spread Christianity. Advances in sailing technology. Spur the age of European exploration.

New Trade Routes Overall Source of Exploration – Desire for new sources of wealth. Europeans wanted to continue luxury trading post-crusades. Muslims and Italians controlled trade between the East and West. – Muslims sold to Italians, who sold to the rest of Europe. By the 1400s, European merchants sought to bypass the Italian merchant. – Needed a sea route directly to Asia.

Spread of Christianity Motivated Europeans to explore. Crusades left a sour taste. Christians felt they had 2 duties. – Continue fighting Muslims. – Convert people all over the world. Bartolomeu Dias – Early Portuguese explorer who wanted to get rich and Christianize Asia.

Technology Advances made exploration voyages possible! Caravel – light, fast-sailing ship, capable of going against headwinds. – Triangle sail flaps adopted from the Arabs. – Weapon adaptable.

Technology Astrolabe – Navigational device that is based off monitoring the stars. Perfected by Muslims. Magnetic Compass – invented by the Chinese to accurately track direction.

Portugal First European county to setup trade outposts on the coast of Africa. Prince Henry – Henry the Navigator Enthusiastic, patron of exploration expedition into Cueta, North Africa. – Found pepper, cinnamon, cloves, other spices, Huge supplies of gold, silver, and jewels too.

Portugal Henry wanted to find the source of the treasure and spread Christianity – Prince Henry established a navigational school. Died in 1460 but… – Africa had a series of trading posts on the shores. – Gold, ivory, and slaves began being traded.

Portugal gets closer to Asia Believed they would need to sail around Africa Bartolomeu Dias got to the tip of Africa. Cape of Good Hope – Southern tip of Africa.

Portugal reaches Asia! Vasco da Gama – First explorer to connect Europe with Asia. – 1498 reached Calicut, India. – Returned to Portugal in – Cargo was worth 60X the cost of the voyage.

Spain Sat and watched Portugal with envy, also wanted a direct route to Asia. In 1492 – Christopher Columbus convinced them of a bold plan: to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean to reach Asia. He sailed & actually reached a Caribbean island. Regarded by the Spanish as a hero!

Spain Columbus returned to Spain in 1493 with exotic goods, and native americans. – They would be baptized as Christians. Columbus would have 3 more voyages to the Americas still thinking it was Asia – Amerigo Vespucci sails along coast of South America concluding it was new land, not Asia.

Spain realizes this is new land… Vasco Nunez de Balboa – First European to see the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

Magellan’s Fleet First to circumnavigate the world Set sail west in 1519 with 5 ships, 250 men. 18 survivors returned to Spain in 1522.

The Rest of Europe By the early 1500s the English and French were exploring northern parts of the Americas. The Dutch would join them within the century.

The English 1497 John Cabot – Sailed to present day Canada. Thought it was also Asia – Returned to England, set sail again… English Queen sent Sir Francis Drake to round the tip of South America and explore it’s west coast. – Sailed north towards present-day California hoping to circle around North America.

England cont. Still wanted to find a shorter route to Asia than Magellan found. Henry Hudson – Dutch-born sailor sent to find the Northeast Passage (He failed).

The French Also sought to find the Northeast Passage. Sent John Cartier who left France in John Cartier claimed Canada for France.

The Dutch Early 1600s the Netherlands became a strong trading nation Henry Hudson (again) now sailed for the Dutch trying to find the Northeast Passage (again he failed). Then tried looking for a Northwest Passage (also failed). He did explore a river that would be named after him…The Hudson River. – Poor guy can’t catch a break. – Giovanni da Verazzano had discovered it years earlier.