An Age of Exploration

Early Trade Routes Europeans traded with Asia via water and land routes Ports at Venice & Constantinople in the Mediterranean Sea The Silk Road Marco Polo’s Travels made Europeans believe that China possessed unimaginable riches Quicker trade routes must be discovered to obtain these items and bring them to the European people

The Search for New Trade Routes Prince Henry the Navigator Portugal Opened a Navigation school in 1418 Bartholomew Diaz Portugal Sailed to Africa’s Cape of Good Hope

The Search for New Trade Routes Christopher Columbus (1492) Italian navigator sailing for Spain Searching for a faster route to China and the East Indies Had attempted to gain funding for his expedition from the monarchs of France, Portugal and England

The Search for New Trade Routes John Cabot An Italian navigator sailing for England

The Search for New Trade Routes Vasco da Gama Was from and sailed for Portugal First to round Africa’s Cape of Good Hope

The Search for New Trade Routes Amerigo Vespucci Italian navigator sailed for both Spain & Portugal Explored South America, believing it to be Asia Later, along with information from Columbus’ voyages, he determined that the lands he (and Columbus) had explored were actually a New World In 1507, German mapmaker Martin Waldseemuller created the first map with the New World on it, and he called it America in honor of Vespucci

The Search for New Trade Routes Ferdinand Magellan ** Copy the following link  open Internet Explorer, paste this link in the address bar & hit enter http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/extmedia?id=ar337920&st=magellan%27s+route&em=lr004306

The Search for New Trade Routes Giovanni Verrazano Italian navigator sailing for King Francis I of France

Spanish Exploration of the New World Motivation for Spanish exploration: The 3 G’s Gold Spanish were looking for gold, silver, jewels God Spread Christianity to all Native Americans (whom they believed were “God-less” Glory Wanted the fame to go along with the fortune

Spanish Exploration of the New World Juan Ponce de Leon Sailed on Columbus’ 2nd expedition Was appointed Governor of Dominican province of Higuey & granted permission to explore Discovered Florida and called it Pascua de Florida (Feast of Flowers) Claimed land for Spain

Spanish Exploration of the New World Vasco Nunez de Balboa Spanish conquistador and explorer who was the first European to see the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean (in 1513), crossing the Isthmus of Panama

Spanish Exploration of the New World Hernan Cortez/Cortes Spanish Conquistador Conquered the Aztec Indians Francisco Pizarro Spanish Conquistador Conquered the Inca Indians

Spanish Exploration of Georgia Hernando de Soto – influential in the conquering of Peru, and gaining gold and silver. King of Spain granted de Soto 18 months and 600 miles of land to explore Florida. De Soto’s objectives were to acquire gold & conquer the natives.

Disease – the silent killer Guns and swords were not the only deadly weapons that Europeans brought with them This is a Native American depiction of smallpox

Early Spanish Missions Captain General Pedro Menendez Spain dispatches Menendez to establish a colony in St. Augustine, Florida Catholic Missions are established up along the coast of present-day Georgia Area divided Guale to the north Mocama to the south

Spanish prosperity = English and French resentment Spain becoming wealthy & powerful because of the New World England and France want the riches also English sea captains capturing Spanish ships and taking the treasures Spanish settlements in the New World attacked and burned John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, Richard Greenville King Phillip II of Spain decides to invade England with his huge naval fleet, The Armada The English have faster ships and better naval personnel. This, combined with a fierce storm in the English Channel led to an easy defeat of the “Invincible Armada” This creates a shift in the Balance of Power, and England becomes the dominant European force