The Age of Exploration The Reasons for European Exploration

Why was there a desire to search for and explore new lands? During the Middle Ages, the Crusaders who fought the Muslims in the Middle East learned of spices, and brought them back to Europe. The Europeans wanted cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and most of all pepper to spice and preserve meat, make perfume(s). The chief source of spices was the Moluccas (in modern day Indonesia) which they called the Spice Islands.

The Muslim Situation Europeans wanted spices. Following the fall of Constantinople (it became Istanbul), Europe no longer had their “gateway to the East.” Trading over land was expensive and dangerous. Muslims and Italian sailors controlled the trade by sea. Other European sailing powers (Spain and Portugal) wanted in on the riches of the spice trade, but had to find a way to get there.

The biggest reasons for the Age of Exploration: The 3 Gs GOLD GLORY GOD

Mercantilism An economic system developed in Europe, intended to unify and increase the power and monetary wealth of a nation by strict governmental regulation of the entire economy. Designed to secure bullion, a favorable balance of trade, the development of agriculture and manufacturing, and foreign trading monopolies.

Mercantilism: The Intended and the Unintended Consequences Societies must make economic choices. The choices they make have both intended consequences (what they want to accomplish) and unintended consequences (what actually happens that was unexpected). What do you think some of the intended consequences of mercantilism were? What do you think some of the unintended consequences of mercantilism were?

Intended Consequences of Mercantilism Was for the mother country: To gain money in the form of gold Gain strength and power from the money supply Export as much as possible Import as little as possible Use colonies for raw materials and markets for goods

Unintended Consequences of Mercantilism “+” or “-“ ? Tension and wars between European countries for colonies (Treaty of Tordesillas) Pirates sail the Caribbean after Spanish treasure ships Treaty of Tordesillas 1494 Drew an imaginary line through the Atlantic. Everything to the west of the line belonged to Spain. Everything to the east belonged to Portugal.

Unintended Consequences of Mercantilism “+” or “-“ ? Natives forced into slave labor to mine gold and silver and to work plantations Natives given least productive lands for their own Mistreatment, death, diseases between natives and Europeans (malaria, smallpox, measles, influenza Africans brought in for labor, started Atlantic slave trade

Unintended Consequences of Mercantilism “+” or “-“ ? Columbian Exchange of people, goods and ideas between Europe and the Americas Government, law, religion, African cultures America’s Foods: corn, potatoes, squash, chocolate, peanuts, tomatoes European Foods: sweet potatoes, pineapples, papaya, chili peppers European crops: wheat, barley, chickpeas European livestock: horses, cows, sheep, chickens, pigs

Columbian Exchange Italian Food Without Tomatoes? Until contact with the Americas, Europeans had never tried tomatoes. Most Europeans thought tomatoes were poisonous. By late 1600s, tomatoes had begun to be included in Italian cookbooks.

Simple version