The Age of Exploration

What was the Age of Exploration? A time period when Europeans began to explore the rest of the world. Improvements in mapmaking, shipbuilding, rigging, and navigation made this possible. Blue water sailing, not just coastal boats. Policy of mercantilism drives the exploration.

What was mercantilism? Policy that said there was a limited amount of money in the world. Each country needs to grab what they can before it is gone. Export more than you import…more money in your pocket. Colonies and markets were needed to keep everything in the system.

The Explorers: Portugal

Bartolomeu Dias Sailed around Cape of Good Hope at southern tip of Africa. Found route to Indian Ocean Trade can go from Europe to Asia by sea.

Vasco da Gama Landed in India in 1498. Important trade route from Europe to India and East Indies.

Ferdinand Magellan His crew made first round-the-world voyage. Proved for certain that the world was round. Magellan was killed in the Phillippines, did not make it home.

The Explorers: Spain

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus Believed a shorter route to Asia could be found by sailing westward instead of around Africa. Found the Americas instead. Oops.

What was the Colombian Exchange? Massive exchange of plants, animals and diseases. These things moved between the New and Old Worlds. Started with Columbus. To the Americas: cows, horses, wheat, smallpox, plus much more. To Europe: potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, corn, plus much more.

The Slave Trade Europeans began to use slave labor in their colonies to grow crops, mine, etc. Native Americans used for a while, but Africans began to be brought to the Americas. The slave trade then became the main focus of Europe’s relations with Africa.

What was the Triangular Trade? System of trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Stage 1: Raw materials to Europe (tobacco, rum, sugar) Stage 2: Manufactured goods to Africa (guns, cloth, rum) Stage 3: Slaves to the Americas to make raw materials.

The Triangular Trade