Age of Exploration 1450 – 1750 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcdO0QTmxIU
Technological Advances 1. Improved navigational methods: - magnetic compass and astrolabe - improved maps and charts
Example- the caravel ship - allowed sailing with and against the wind 2. Improved ship designs Example- the caravel ship - allowed sailing with and against the wind
- gunpowder and cannons 3. Improved weapons - gunpowder and cannons Why would this be important?
Motives for Exploration The 3 G’s 1. Wealth (GOLD) 2. Religion (GOD) (convert new people to Christianity) 3. Fame (GLORY)
“Gold” aka- wealth Tried to gain access to the spice trade, including sugar and silk (Arab and Italian merchants had a monopoly) Tried to find new sources of wealth (gold and silver) and to expand their markets
Portugal and Spain Portugal led the way in exploration -Prince Henry the Navigator encouraged exploration and the study of improvements in seafaring. -He set up a navigational school to teach Europeans the newest sailing techniques
Portugal Location, location, location!
Portugal – Explored Africa while trying to get to India
Portuguese explorers: 1. Bartholomeu Dias - first to sail around the southern tip ofAfrica 2. Vasco da Gama - discovered an all water trade route between Portugal and India.
Spanish Explorers 1. Christopher Columbus: -Sailed West to try to reach Asia. -1st to reach the New World during the Age of Exploration
2. Ferdinand Magellan: -attempted to find a western route to Asia -the first to circum- navigate the earth. (1519-1522)
3. Hernan Cortes: -arrived in Mexico in 1519. -defeated the Aztecs.
4. Francisco Pizarro: -arrived in central America -defeated the Incas.
-Explored the coast of the newly discovered lands in the New World 5. Amerigo Vespucci -Explored the coast of the newly discovered lands in the New World -Suggested Columbus had actually discovered a new world -Vespucci’s name begins to appear on maps of the New World -The Americas were named after him
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) Spain and Portugal signed a treaty dividing the newly discovered lands between the two nations An ancient instrument used widely in medieval times by navigators and astronomers to determine latitude, longitude, and time of day. The device employed a disk with 360 degrees marked on its circumference. Users took readings from an indicator that pivoted around the center of the suspended device like the hand of a clock.