Early European Exploration & The Discovery of the New World

Why Did Europeans Explore? Before the discovery of the Americas, the world known to Europeans was very small Trade with Asia was very profitable, but was dominated by Italian and Arab merchants Western Europeans wanted a share of the wealth – but travel to Asia was slow, difficult, and dangerous As a result, Europeans began looking for other ways of trading with Asia and for other trade partners The Known World, 1300 AD Travel on the Silk Road into Asia from Europe could take months or years and traders faced a difficult environment and the threat of attack by bandits

Early Explorers “The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow on the moon and I have more faith in a Shadow than in the Church.” - Ferdinand Magellan Although some still believed in a flat earth, by the time Columbus sailed, the notion of a spherical Earth had become widespread in Europe.

Prince Henry the Navigator Early Explorers In the 1400s Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator founded a school of navigation and sponsored voyages to explore the Atlantic Ocean and west coast of Africa The Portuguese also developed an improved seafaring ship called the caravel Square sails pushed the ship forward with the wind at its back Triangular sails allowed it to sail at an angle into the wind The Caravel allowed for faster travel over increased distances Prince Henry the Navigator

1488 – Bartolomeu Días reaches southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope) 1498 – Vasco De Gama follows Dias’ route and crosses Indian Ocean to India 1492 – Christopher Columbus reaches the New World in the Caribbean Sea 1498 – John Cabot encounters North America at Newfoundland 1500 – Pedro Cabral encounters South American coast in modern Brazil 1522 – Ferdinand Magellan becomes the first to circumnavigate the globe

Christopher Columbus and the New World Italian merchant Christopher Columbus thought a shorter way to reach Asia would be to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean He asked the king and queen of Portugal to sponsor his voyage but was denied He tried again with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and succeeded. He asked for: The title “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” A percentage of wealth brought back from Asia Permission to rule new lands he found Cristóbal Colón Ferdinand and Isabella Columbus was given 3 ships: The Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria

Christopher Columbus and the New World Columbus arrived on the island of San Salvador in 1492 He was incorrect in believing he had reached India and called the native Arawaks that inhabited the Islands “Indians.” He returned to the New World 3 times and died believing he had discovered a route to Asia.

Christopher Columbus and the New World Historian Howard Zinn wrote about Columbus’s arrival: “Arawak men and women, naked, tawny, and full of wonder, emerged from their villages onto the island's beaches and swam out to get a closer look at the strange big boat. When Columbus and his sailors came ashore, carrying swords, speaking oddly, the Arawaks ran to greet them, brought them food, water, gifts. He later wrote of this in his log:” “They ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned... . They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... . They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” -Christopher Columbus, 1492

Dividing up the New World After the surge in exploration, the Catholic Pope divided the new lands in the western hemisphere by drawing what is called the Line of Demarcation (the line was later moved 800 miles west with the treaty of Tordesillas) Initially, explorers had 3 main motives in voyaging to the New World: Glory Gold God Because Native Americans had little of value to trade, and gold was often hard to find, efforts moved from trade to colonization Portuguese – could settle east of the line Spanish – could settle west of the line

Dividing up the New World Colony: A permanent settlement in a new land formed by a group of people who leave their native  country that is subject to the laws of, or connected with, the parent nation. Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec civilization in modern Mexico and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca empire in modern Peru, chile, and beyond – greatly expanding the Spanish empire Soon the British, French, Dutch, and other European nations began colonizing the Caribbean islands and North America in order to expand their own empires and seek new wealth