The Explorers

NOT a sailor Never made an ocean voyage In the early 1400’s brought together mapmakers, mathematicians, and astronomers sponsored many explorations First European country to venture out into the Atlantic Beginnings of the Age of Exploration and the Portuguese empire Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese 1497, led four ships to find a sea route to Asia Made trade connections all along the West and East coasts of Africa In 10 months hit India First discovery of actual sea route to Asia Vasco da Gama

Made three more trips to the Americas Died in 1506 still believing he had discovered a sea route to Asia Was not until 1507 that an explorer named Amerigo Vespucci suggested that Columbus had discovered a “New World” Columbus

”With fifty men I could subjugate them all and make them do everything that is required of them” ~ Christopher Columbus, Journal (14 October 1492) Columbus

Spain and Portugal laid claim to all of the newly discovered worlds Asked the Pope to settle who gets what Line of Demarcation, 1493 Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494 Dividing Up the World

Portuguese 1519, with 5 ships and 260 man crew looking for a route to Asia Renamed South sea to Pacific Ocean Because it was so calm Originally discovered by Balboa of Spain Magellan

Reached the Philippines, killed in a tribal dispute between warlords 1522, after 3 years, 18 crew and one ship made it back to Spain Proved once and for all World was round Columbus had not discovered Asia The oceans were all connected The world was much larger than most people believed Magellan

More interested in conquest than trade Unlike Portugal who was more interested in trade Conquistadors – “conquerors” “We came to serve God and his Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness, and to grow rich as all men desire to do.” Spain

Cortes – conquered the Aztecs Pizarro – conquered the Incas Slaughtered thousands of Aztecs and Incas Spain

Cortes told the Aztecs, “I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart which can be cured only with gold.” Spain

The encomienda system Monarchs granted land And gave those landowners the right to use the Native Americans as labor First 50 yrs of Spanish rule Millions of Native Americas died Disease, enslavement, working in mines, and plain ole massacre Spain

Bartolome de Las Casas Spanish priest who fought against the abuse of the Native Americans Forced Spain to pass new laws in 1542 Forbade enslavement Spain was too far away to enforce it Spain

“The Indians were totally deprived of their freedom and were put into the harshest, fiercest, most horrible servitude and captivity which no one who has not seen it can understand. Even beasts enjoy more freedom when they are allowed to graze in the field.” ~ Bartolomé de las Casas, History of the Indies (1510) Treatment of the Native Americans

So many Native Americans died from Spanish rule that there were not enough laborers left in the colonies to enrich landowners and Spain. What did Spain do? Spain