The Age of Exploration Europe Asia and the Americas

Motivation Gold Glory God

Search for Spices Europeans desired luxury goods and spices from the East. – Spices were very expensive – Food – Medicines – Perfumes

Trade routes Land routes between Europe and Asia were unreliable. Land routes – Threat from barbarians – Muslim traders cut off the trade routes to the East. Italian city states were the only ones granted trading privileges with the Muslims

Search for new trade routes Hoping to bypass the Muslim and Italian traders who controlled the rich Asian spice trade, Europeans sought a new sea route to Asia.

Advances in technology helped European explorers navigate the vast oceans of the world.

Improved ships Caravel Carrack Rudders, masts, weapons

Navigational tools Cartography – – Improved maps Astrolabe and Quadrant – Latitude Compass Directions

1400s- 1600s Age of Global Exploration – Portugal – Spain – Netherlands (the Dutch) – England – France

Portugal in the 1400s Pioneers in exploration Superior military power. Began exploring the African Coast. They controlled the spice trade between Europe and Asia for most of the 1500s.

Prince Henry the Navigator Portuguese Prince Naval School at Sagres – Built ships – Created maps – Studied astronomy – Developed tools – Trained men

Vasco de Gama Found the passage around the Cape of Good Hope to India. Found the passage around the Cape of Good Hope to India His discovery of this route allowed Portugal to dominate the spice trade.

Christopher Columbus Financed by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain Searching for a sea route west to Asia.

Columbus Pinta, Nina, Santa Maria. Landed in the Caribbean, though he believed it was the Indies

Americas Gold, silver and other riches. Led to numerous expeditions first from Portugal and Spain and other European countries.

Columbian Exchange Transfer of foods, diseases, animals from one continent to the other as a result of explorations

1494 The Treaty of Tordesillas divides the world between Spain and Portugal for the alleged purpose of spreading Christianity.The Treaty of Tordesillas Line of Demarcation determined by Pope Alexander VI

Explorations continued Portugal and Spain led the way in overseas exploration. Later, the English, French, and Dutch joined. Circumnavigation of the Globe Search for a northwest passage to Asia.

Problems at sea Storms Rough waters Tropical heat Shipwrecks Scurvy Lack of drinking water

Impact of Explorations European supremacy in the world – Imperialism

Impact of Exploration Positive Global interdependence Increased trade Increased knowledge of the Earth Negatives Conflicts between regions, countries and people Exploitation and destruction of native peoples Slave trade