Europeans Explore Overseas

Understand the major causes of European exploration. New Global Connections (1415-1796) Lesson 1 Europeans Explore Overseas Learning Objectives Understand the major causes of European exploration. Analyze early Portuguese and Spanish explorations and expansion. Describe how the Portuguese established footholds on Africa’s coasts. Describe European searches for a direct route to Asia.

Causes of European Exploration European Trade with Asia The Drive to Explore Improved Technology

European trade with Asia Europe and Asia exchanged goods over land routes.

European trade with Asia cont. Population growth in Europe led to greater demand for Asian goods.

European trade with Asia cont. Black Death and fall of Mongol Empire made land routes to Asia treacherous, with disease and bandits.

Exploration of Sea Routes to Asia In the 1400s Europeans began exploring and mapping new sea routes around the world. This great age of exploration was fueled by many causes, but at first, the most important was the search for spices.

Moluccas Spice Islands, present day Indonesia.

Spices =

Most Expensive spice in the world Saffron

Causes of European Exploration In this illustration from the 1400s, a French trader samples pepper harvested by workers.

Pepper

Portugal Explores the Seas Portugal, a small nation on the western edge of Spain, led the way in exploration. As in Spain, Christian knights in Portugal had fought to end Muslim rule.

Portugal Explores the Seas cont. By the 1400s, Portugal was strong enough to expand into Muslim North Africa and take control of trade routes.

Cartographer Map maker.

Portugal Explores the Seas Prince Henry examines a chart with his men, as depicted by modern Portuguese artist Adriano de Sousa Lopes.

Portugal Explores the Seas cont. African Coast Mapped Portuguese Footholds in Africa Ultimate Goal: Reaching Asia

Cape of Good Hope- southern tip of Africa

Cape of Good Hope

Vasco da Gama First European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and reach Asia.

Portuguese success spurs other European powers to explore

Spanish Exploration An Italian navigator from the port of Genoa wanted to reach the East Indies by sailing west across the Atlantic. Spain saw Portugal’s wealth begin to grow through exploration. Spain had nothing lose except three ships, so they gave him a chance.

Christopher Columbus Italian Navigator who wanted to sail west to reach Asia. Greatly underestimated the size of the Earth. Died thinking he had reached Asia, actually “discovered” two continents “unknown” to Europeans. Sailed for Spain.

Leif Erikson

Columbus Searches for a Route to Asia Amid much activity, Columbus prepares to depart Spain in August 1492, as shown in this fresco from the 1800s.

Treaty of Tordesillas Treaty signed between Spain and Portugal that divided the non-European world between them.

Columbus Searches for a Route to Asia Analyze Charts The Treaty of Tordesillas resolved a major territorial dispute between Spain and Portugal. Whose rights and claims were not addressed by this treaty?

Spanish Exploration cont. In 1513 the Spanish adventurer Balboa, helped by local Indians, hacked a passage westward through the tropical forests of Panama. From a ridge on the west coast, he gazed at a huge body of water. The body of water that he named the South Sea was in fact the Pacific Ocean.

Ferdinand Magellan Captained the first circumnavigation of the globe from 1519-1522. 5 ships and 270 men set sail with two years of supplies.

circumnavigate To travel completely around the world.

Magellan cont. Voyage lasted three years and only 1 ship with 18 men made it back. Magellan was killed during a battle in the Philippines.

European Expansion in Africa Following the Portuguese and Spanish examples, several other European powers sought to expand their trade networks. By the 1600s, the French, English, and Dutch all had footholds along the coast of West Africa.

European Expansion in Africa cont. These outposts often changed hands as European countries battled for control of the new trade routes. Like the Portuguese, they used these footholds to protect and expand their trade routes in Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Asia.

The Search for a Route to the Pacific Once Europeans realized that the Americas blocked a sea passage to India, they hunted for a route around or through the Americas in order to reach Asia. The English, Dutch, and French explored the coast of North America unsuccessfully for a “northwest passage,” or a route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific through the Arctic islands.

Key Terms cont. Define Key Terms in your notebook Conquistador Alliance Civil War Encomienda Peon Peninsulare Creole Mestizo Mulatto Privateer