The Age of Exploration

The current year 2008, can you guess when the idea of ‘trading’ something first began?

Why was trading important?

Eight hundred years ago, silk and spices from China traveled by a caravan on the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a series of trade routes between Europe and Asia. Merchants traded goods, especially Chinese silks, in hopes of earning a profit. European traders often paid with gold, because they had few goods that the Chinese wanted. This route was dangerous. Why?

It ran beside the hot, dry Taklamakan Desert It crossed high mountains Merchants risked thirst, hunger, and attacks by bandits

The Europeans wanted to find a safer, faster route to Asia. They knew if they could do this, they could make more profit. With the advances of technology in the 1450’s, the Europeans now had navigation tools to assist them in finding a water route to Asia-which would be much faster and safer. Compass-A magnetic needle that always points north. Astrolabe-Measured the angle of the stars or sun above the horizon.

1492 Sponsored by Spain: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella Believed he could find the West Indies by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus faced many obstacles: The unknown-Columbus had no idea what he was going to face or find. Many of his sailors wanted to turn back. Columbus arrived in the Bahamas in the island of San Salvador.

Good things He brought new crops such as wheat, barley, and sugar cane to the Western Hemisphere and found ways to grow them Brought animals such as horses, pigs and cows which had not previously lived in the Americas Made friends with the Taino Indians and traded goods Returned to Spain with maize (corn), peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, cacao (chocolate) and certain peppers, beans and squashes which the Spanish had never seen before

Bad Things Cut down rain forests and built sugar plantations to adapt to the environment which hurt the Taino Indians Brought diseases that the Indians had never had and many Indians died from epidemics Within 50 years of Columbus’s arrival, almost all of the Taino Indians had died

1497 Sponsored by Italy Cabot wanted to reach Asia Cabot landed on the eastern coast of Canada, where fish were plentiful. (Other Europeans eventually went there to set up fishing companies.) One of Cabot’s toughest obstacles was that he had no maps.

1513 Travel sponsored by Spain Ponce de Leon was in search of gold and a legendary “fountain of youth” He was the first explorer to reach Florida Juan Ponce de Leon faced many obstacles including fighting with Native Americans.

1513 Sponsored by Spain His purpose was to find new land for the Spanish settlers to exploit. In other words…he was looking for gold! He also wanted to find a quick overland route to the Pacific Ocean. Balboa sailed to present day Panama in Central America. He crossed the mountains and jungles of Panama and was the first European to reach the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. Many of Balboa’s obstacles centered around fights with Native Americans while on his journeys.

1534 Sponsored by France Continued France’s search for a water route to Asia. He sailed far up the St. Lawrence River in Canada-over 1,ooo miles. Some of the obstacles Cartier faced were cold winters and many of his sailors caught deadly diseases.

1609 Sponsored by England Hudson was looking for the Northwest Passage Explored the Hudson River and the Hudson Bay Hudson faced many obstacles including a crew that mutinied while experiencing a very cold winter.

Obstacles He kept his ship in the bay too long and ice trapped the ship for an entire winter. His crew was very unhappy with him and set him adrift in a small boat. He was never seen again.