Reasons for the Age of Exploration Motives and Advances

Why now? Why explore now, in the late 1400s/1500s? 1. Motives – they had a REASON 2. Advances in knowledge and technology helped make voyages possible

Motives for Exploration

New trade routes to Asia Why Asia?? Spices! Used to help preserve food Cover taste of not-so-fresh food Why find a route by water? Muslims and Italians controlled the route Often closed trade routes Goods went through many trading hands, raising $$

Explorers had many motives New knowledge Fame and GLORY Personal wealth Adventure

Nations Motivations for Funding explorers Claim lands’ riches!

Spread Religion Catholics wanted to spread Catholicism Protestants wanted to spread Protestantism Missionaries followed the paths blazed by explorers to bring native people to their faiths

Advances in Knowledge and Technology

Renaissance Age of Exploration began during the Renaissance Renaissance was a time of learning, which led to advances that made it easier for explorers to venture farther than they could imagine. Key Advances:

Cartography The art and science of mapmaking Italian scholars translated an old Greek book called Guide to Geography, by the famous ancient Greek Ptolemy. This renewed the interest in mapmaking. Explorers’ discoveries made maps more precise. 1500s – maps showed Earth as a sphere 1507 – first map that clearly shows North and South America separated from Asia Gerardus Mercator – created maps using improved longitude and latitude, All of this helped make navigation easier for explorers.

Improved Ship Design 1400s – Portuguese and Spanish using caravels (small, fast, easily maneuverable ships) Caravels had shallow bottoms made it easier for explorers to travel along coasts Caravels also had triangular sails (lateen), which can pick up wind from every direction

Improved navigational tools Compass was much improved in the 15th century Compasses helped sailors find their bearing, or direction of travel Astrolabe helped sailors figure out their distance north or south of the equator

Improved weapons Europeans had a huge advantage over the people they met Sailors could fire cannons at targets near the shore without leaving their ships Weapons of native peoples were often no match for European guns, armor, and horses

Question time! 1. What were some key motives for Europeans during the Age of Exploration? 2. Which motive do you think was the strongest for encouraging European exploration? Why? 3. What key advances in knowledge and technology allowed Europeans to explore these new areas? 4. Which advance do you think was the most important? Why?