Age of Discovery Jan. 16th, 2017

From the 1450s to the end of the 1600s, European countries started to explore the seas. The main goal of many explorers was find new trade routes & a new and quicker path to China, not new land.

Why new routes? By the end of the 14th Century, the Mongol Empire was breaking up, therefore, European merchants could no longer be assured a safe passage through the Silk Road and other land routes. Secondly, the growing power of the Ottoman Turks (Ottoman Empire), who were hostile towards Christians, blocked many outlets to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea leading east.

The look for a new routes eventually became known as an Age of Discovery, as many explorers found much more than what they expected.

The Age of Discovery brought forth the discovery of new worlds and lands which introduced new riches to Europe and created the establishment of new colonies and eventually new countries.

Listed below are a group of European explores Listed below are a group of European explores. In groups of 3-4, you will research each of these explores. Questions to answer Where and what year were they born? Who & what country financed the explorers voyage? What year(s) did they set sail? What did they discover? Did that nation establish colonies in the area discovered? If so, where? What new resources would have come from this newly discovered area? Christopher Columbus Vasco da Gama Ferdinand Magellan Hernan Cortes Jacques Cartier John Cabot Zheng He Columbus – America & Caribbean Gama – First trade route from Europe to India through sea Magellan – First to cross the Pacific – Discovered the Straight of Megellan Cortes – Mexico Cartier – Gulf of the St. Lawrence Cabot – Labrador coast and North America He – Southeast Asia