The Start of Sea Exploration

-For many years, the Silk Road connected China to the Middle East and Europe.

-European countries saw that you could make money trading and now they wanted to make money too

Monarchs believed that trade in spices, perfumes, and silks would greatly increase their wealth.

European kings started to investing money in new sea exploration technology

New navigational technologies helped voyages of exploration.

Compass  A compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles. magnetic polesmagnetic poles

Sextant  A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects instrument

Caravel  A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century sailingship sailingship

Closure  What connected China to Europe  Why did Monarchs want to start to travel by sea?  List 2 new types of instruments and what they did?

The Americas

Portugal and Spain were the first 2 countries to jump into the spice trade

The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, discovered an all-water route to India in 1498.

While searching for an all-water route to Asia, in 1492, Columbus accidentally landed in the Americas. Columbus sailed for Spain.

The conquistadors were Spanish explorers That Came to the Americas to conquer new land

The conquistadors  Spanish explorers  That Came to the Americas to conquer new land  Wanted Gold, Glory and to spread the word of god

 Hernan Cortez Most famous Spanish conquistador Most famous Spanish conquistador Went to war with Montezuma after he wanted more money Went to war with Montezuma after he wanted more money

Review  European started to travel by sea because Muslims blocked trade routes  Europeans wanted silk and spices because they made a ton of money selling them  New technology caused Europeans to travel long distances and explore Rudder- steers the ship Rudder- steers the ship Caravel- Small ships, easy to control Caravel- Small ships, easy to control Compass- tells you which direction your traveling Compass- tells you which direction your traveling Cartographers- Map makers Cartographers- Map makers

The Columbian Exchange

A great exchange of people, ideas, and products occurred as trade developed between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This great exchange is called the Columbian Exchange.

The Age of Exploration benefited the Europeans, but it harmed the Native American Indians.

The Encomienda system  Slavery of Native Americans to help make the Europeans money

Many Native American Indians died from smallpox disease.

The Atlantic Slave Trade

It also greatly harmed the African slaves who were enslaved to replace a dying Indian population in the Americas.

Europeans decided to use African slaves to replace a dying Indian population.

Enslaved Africans were usually captured by warring African tribes and traded to European and American slave traders.

The “Middle Passage” was the voyage across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Captured Africans were crammed into small quarters during the Middle Passage.

African slaves encountered brutality and cruelty on plantations in the Americas.

Questions for Reflection:  Why did many Native American Indians die?  How did the deaths of Native American Indians affect Africans?  What was the Transatlantic Slave Trade?  Why did so many Africans die during the “Middle Passage”?

The Age of Exploration Causes Explorers Effects