Early European Explorers

Need a NEW Water Route to Asia ► WHY? –  Italians had a monopoly on the Mediterranean Sea (military)  Too dangerous to go by land ► Caravel – (Prince Henry – Portuguese) ship with triangular and square sails  allowed the boat to sail into the wind ► July 1488 – Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese) reached southern tip of Africa

Water Route to Asia ► 1498 – Vasco da Gama  Sailed to southern tip of Africa and then north and sailed across the Indian Ocean ► IMPORTANCE? –  ALL WATER ROUTE TO ASIA

Columbus’s Plan ► Italian Sailor – thought he knew a faster way ► Plan: Sail WEST across the Atlantic  thought it was shorter ► Mistakes –  Followed writings of others  WRONG about size of Asia  Underestimated the distance around the world – thought it was 1/3 smaller

Help From Spain’s Rulers King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ► Support  Wanted to share in the riches  Wanted to spread Christianity ► Against  Royal counsel doubted his calculations  In the middle of a war against the Muslims to drive them out of Spain  Columbus wanted a high payment

Day of Opportunity ► January 1492 –  Spanish conquered the last Muslim stronghold in Spain  Still had doubts about sending Columbus  Finally allowed him to go!!!!

Setting Sail ► Difficulty finding a crew ► August 3 rd, Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria left the port of Palos de la Fontera in southern Spain ► Two Log Books – 1. Shared with men 2. Secret – held the truth about the journey

Returning Home? ► October 10 th, 1492 –  Men lost courage and wanted to return home (at sea for 10 weeks)  Columbus made a bargain – sail for three more days and then return home if hadn’t spotted land ► October 12 th, 1492 – “Tierra, Tierra”  “Land, Land!”  Two days later, sailor on the Pinta saw land

Reaching the Americas ► Greeted by Natives – called them Indians because Columbus thought he had landed in the Indies ► San Salvador and Espanola – traveled looking for Japan ► Relationship with Taino people – BAD  angered the Tainos by stealing and committing violence against them

An Expanding Horizon ► Four more voyages to the Americas –  Never brought back treasures  After 4 th voyage Spain refused to fund anymore trips ► Queen Isabella’s Goal – FAILED  Upset that Columbus had mistreated and enslaved the Taino people

Columbus’ Legacy

► 1506 Columbus died thinking he had reached Asia – but also thinking he was a failure ► Changed the way Europeans viewed the world ► The ocean became a bridge that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas. ► Began an era of great wealth and power for Spain