A Changing World Chapter 3, Lesson 2

Lesson Objectives Describe the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of early explorers. Trace the routes of explorers and identify the areas they claimed.

Vocabulary Isthmus Treaty

England Explores King Henry the VII of England wanted to compete with other European nations for land and wealth. King Henry hired Italian born John Cabot to sail across the Atlantic Ocean for England. Cabot sailed in 1497 and reached the coast of Canada. He too believed he had found the Indies.

A New Map of the World Amerigo Vespucci did not believe Columbus and Cabot had found Asia. Between 1499 and 1502 Vespucci sailed the Atlantic and came to realize that the world was a bigger place than was believed and that he was not in Asia, but had found a new continent. A map of his and other explorer’s discoveries was published and the New World was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci.

Reaching the Pacific In 1513, Vasco Nunez de Balboa and other explorers made an expedition across the Isthmus of Panama and found the Pacific ocean. Balboa proved Amerigo Vespucci was right about an unknown continent.

Balboa’s Exploration and Discovery of the Pacific Ocean

A New View of the World In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan left Spain with five ships and about 250 sailors with the aim of finding a western route to Asia. Magellan and his crew discovered many new lands and named the pacific Ocean. Magellan was killed in a battle with natives in the Philippines. Finally, just twelve days short of three years, the surviving 18 crew members made it back to Spain in 1522. They had sailed around the world!

A New View of the World (continued) To settle disputes between Spain and Portugal over land in the Americas, the leaders of the Catholic church drew a line on a map through the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal was promised land on the east of the line while Spain was promised land to the west. When the location of this line was finalized, Spain and Portugal signed the agreement called the Treaty of Tordesillas. That is the reason the language of Brazil is Portuguese, while the rest of South America generally speak Spanish.

The Treaty of Tordesillas