European Expansion and Exploration (E 3 ) What were the motivating factors for European expansion and exploration? What effects did exploration have on social, economic and political groups in Europe and the rest of the world?
4 Main Factors Behind European Exploration Political Changes- Rise of nation-states Economic- Standardization of money; wealth from trade Technology- Navigation (compass, astrolabe); military advancement (cannon) Social- Humanism; overcrowding ; spread of religion
What was happening in Europe? 1.) Transitioning from Medieval Period: ~ Rise and Fall of Greece and Rome ~ Monarchies and Christianity gaining strength Crusades through Middle East ~ Art, Education, Spread of knowledge (Printing Press), manufacturing grows 2.) Ming Dynasty is established in China ~ Threat of new power ~ New Control of trade in India So why the sudden need for Exploration?
3.) The Black Death (plague) ~ The Black Death had spread through Europe ~ one out of three people died (25 million 30 to 60%) ~ Religious, social and economic chaos The plague never really ended, slowly impacted everyone and affected fewer people So why the sudden need for Exploration?
Map
So why the sudden need for Exploration? 4.) 100 years War ( ) ~ fighting between England and France ~ English rulers fighting to maintain control of French Land (Edward III- English) ~ Joan of Arc fights for France Outcome: France = nationalism England = new trade overseas New military technology (Longbow and Cannon); Castles and defenses had to change; Monarchies need armies.
First Hand Account of The Black Death (resident from Siena, Italy) And so they died. And nobody could be found to bury the dead for money or for friendship…And in many places in Siena huge pits were dug and piled deep with great heaps of the dead…And I buried my five children with my own hands and many others did likewise. And there were many corpses about the city who were so sparsely covered with earth that dogs dragged them out and devourded their bodies.
Homework Using the account from the Siena resident, imagine you are newspaper editor during this time period and write five headlines about the effects of the Black Death on Europe.