The Search for Spices

Exploration European population growing European population growing –Demand for traded goods –Spices Preserve food Preserve food Add flavor to meat Add flavor to meat Make medicine and perfume Make medicine and perfume

The Search for Spices Moluccas Moluccas –Chief source of spices –Chain of islands in present day Indonesia Arabs and Italians controlled most of the trade going to Europe Arabs and Italians controlled most of the trade going to Europe Europeans wanted direct route to Asia Europeans wanted direct route to Asia

The Search for Spices Portugal Portugal Prince Henry Prince Henry –Led the way for sponsoring exploration in Portugal –Expanded into Muslim North Africa –Tried to convert to Christianity –Find riches that Muslim traders had

Portugal Wanted to find easier way to Asia Wanted to find easier way to Asia –Sent ships south to explore the Western coast of Africa Dias Dias Rounded Southern tip of Africa Rounded Southern tip of Africa Cape of Good Hope Cape of Good Hope

Portugal Vasco Da Gama Vasco Da Gama –Went farther than Cape of Good Hope Calicut, India Calicut, India Highly profitable Highly profitable –Kept going back for more spices –Confirmed Portugal as a world power

Christopher Columbus Portugal’s success led to others wanting to explore Portugal’s success led to others wanting to explore Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus –Wanted to reach East Indies by sailing West on Atlantic –Knew the world was round –Underestimated Earth’s size

Christopher Columbus Portugal refused to sponsor him Portugal refused to sponsor him Persuaded Spain to finance voyage Persuaded Spain to finance voyage Ferdinand and Isabella Ferdinand and Isabella Hoped voyage would bring wealth and prestige Hoped voyage would bring wealth and prestige

Christopher Columbus Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria Several weeks with no land Several weeks with no land Landed on Caribbean Landed on Caribbean –Called natives Indians Thought he was in Indies Thought he was in Indies Three more voyages Three more voyages –Still thought he had reached East Asia

New World Eventually people figured out that Columbus had found a route to new continents Eventually people figured out that Columbus had found a route to new continents –Spain asked pope for the rights to the new world

New World Line of Demarcation Line of Demarcation Divided non-European land into two zones Divided non-European land into two zones –Spain controlled West of the line –Portugal controlled East of the line

Search Continues Still looking for direct route to Asia Still looking for direct route to Asia Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan –Wanted to find Ocean –Went to South America –Straits of Magellan –Pacific Ocean

Magellan Crew wanted to return the way they had come Crew wanted to return the way they had come Magellan wanted to keep going to east Indies Magellan wanted to keep going to east Indies –Underestimated size of the Pacific –Three years later they returned to Spain –Only 18 crew members survive –First to circumnavigate globe