What led Elizabethans to explore?

Learning objective – to be able to explain the reasons why the Elizabethan era became one of exploration. I can describe the key reasons why the Elizabethans explored more. Grade 3 I can explain the key reasons why the Elizabethans explored more. Grade 6 I can explain and assess the reasons why the Elizabethans explored more. Grade 9

Why did the Elizabethans explore more? Expanding trade and investment Adventure Improvements to ship design Triangular trade New technology Improvements in map making Conflict with Spain

How did expansion of trade and investment encourage exploration? Trade was expanding in the New World and English merchants were looking for alternative opportunities as the European wool markets were hit badly by the conflict in the Netherlands. Private investors funded many of the voyages to search for new markets and goods to sell, such as tobacco and potatoes. This was a quick way of making a significant profit.

How did adventure encourage exploration? Stories of voyages which portrayed exploration as a heroic adventure became very popular. This encouraged many young men to venture into the unknown in the search for treasure. Needless to say, many of the published stories of exploration were inaccurate and misleading.

How did improvements to ship design encourage exploration? The development of the galleon allowed for exploration. The galleon was much larger than traditional ships, which allowed for greater storage for supplies and cargoes for long journeys. The galleons were designed in such a way that they were faster and more stable as well as possessing greater firepower to protect themselves from attack.

How did the triangular trade encourage exploration? Slavery had existed for thousands of years across societies and cultures. In 1562, John Hawkins discovered that iron goods and guns could be sold in West Africa to buy slaves which could be sold in the New World in exchange for luxury goods, such as rum and tobacco, which could then be sold in Europe at a huge profit. Seeing how much profit could be made, other explorers followed Hawkins’ route in the such of massive profits.

How did new technology encourage exploration? Developments in navigation led to more precision in planning and charting voyages. Harriot’s method of using the Sun to calculate the true sailing direction of a ship led to safer voyages. Greater mathematical awareness saw devices such as astrolabes and quadrants being used to chart journeys using the position of the stars.

How did map making encourage exploration? Improved records of voyages were a significant contributor in improving the accuracy of maps. The Mercator Map of 1569 was the first map to plot longitude and latitude lines on a map with land precisely charted. This gave sailors precise information when plotting voyages. Developments in printing allowed for these maps to become widely available and were more consistent compared to the previously hand-drawn maps.

How did conflict with Spain encourage exploration? Seeing that Spain’s wealth was reliant on their plundering of the New World, England wanted a slice of the wealth, particularly as the rivalry with Spain grew into war in the 1580s. Also, there was a religious element to this as Spain was spreading the Catholic word in the New World, Elizabeth wanted to do the same for Protestantism and stop Catholic expansionism.

Tasks Write two sentences for each reason why exploration boomed during the Elizabethan era. Design a chart which connects each reason together and explain as many connections between different factors as you can.

Homework – Drake’s circumnavigation of the world. Complete the following tasks for homework. Use the following subheadings to explain why Drake circumnavigated the globe. Attacking Spanish Interests Revenge Profit Use the following subheadings to explain the significance of Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe. England’s reputation as a sea power Expansion of the British empire Naval developments Declining relations with Spain