1. European Exploration and Expansion

2.  Europeans remained in their small region of the world for almost 1,000 years  Between 1500 and 1800, Europeans used improved ships to travel and explore the rest of the world  What are some reasons European countries would be attracted by overseas journeys to new parts of the world?

3. Motives  European explorers had long been attracted to Asia  Marco Polo travelled from Venice to China in the 1200s  The Travels – an account of his experience that fascinated many Europeans  Conquests by the Ottoman Turks also reduced the ability of westerners to travel by land to the East  Major cause of European exploration:  Gaining access to Asia by sea

4. Motives  Economics:  Hopes of expanding trade  Especially for spices in the East  Too expensive to have Arab middlemen ship them to Europe  Also sought precious metals  Religion:  “Gold, God, and Glory”  Wanted to ensure native people were “introduced into and instructed in the holy Catholic faith.”  Glory and adventure also played a role

5. Factors Assisting Exploration  Sailing technology  Now able to make long-distance voyages beyond Europe  Portuguese “caravel” was faster then previous ships  Lowered cost of long distance voyages  Included large cargo area  Able to sail against the wind  Accurate maps  Able to plot their latitude using the sun or stars  Magnetic compass helped chart their course across the ocean  Knowledge of wind patterns  Sailors benefitted from understanding of different wind patterns in different areas

6. Race for Riches  Portugal  Beginning in 1420, Portuguese fleets began sailing south along the western coast of Africa  Here they discovered a new source of gold  Became known as the Gold Coast  Used a sea route around the tip of Africa to gain control of the spice trade  Cape of Good Hope  Gained control of the spice trade from the Muslims  Created a stopping place on the long journey to the Spice Islands  Signed a treaty with the locals to establish control of the spice trade

8. Race For Riches  Spanish  Sailed west across the Atlantic to find a route to Asia  Christopher Columbus  Queen Isabella financed exploration  Reached Americas (NOT UNITED STATES!!!!!!) in 1492  Reached all major Caribbean Islands and Honduras after 4 voyages  Ferdinand Magellan  Searched for a sea passage through the Americas  Strait of Magellan  Waterway along the tip of South America  Reached the Philippines  Killed by indigenous people there  First person to sail completely around the globe

9. New Lands to Explore  Spain and Portugal each thought the other would claim some of their newly found territories  Treaty of Tordesillas – 1494  Boundary line from north to south through the Atlantic Ocean and the easternmost part of South America  Unexplored lands east of line would be controlled by Portugal  Lands west of the line would be controlled by Spain  Other European countries soon joined the race  John Cabot (Venetian) explored New England on behalf of England in 1497  Pedro Cabral (Portugal) landed in South America in 1500  Later became Brazil  Amerigo Vespucci (Florentine) is namesake for America

11. Spanish Conquest of Aztec  Locals accepted Aztec king in the capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City)  Hernan Cortes – 1519  Landed at Veracruz  Marched to Tenochtitlan with 550 soldiers  Made alliances with groups unhappy with Aztec rulers  Welcomed by Montezuma  Aztec unfamiliar with men on horseback  Aztec unfamiliar with Spanish weapons  Eventually tensions arose between the groups  Spanish took Montezuma hostage in 1520 but local population revolted and drove the Spanish from the city  Many Spaniards killed

12. Spanish Conquest of Aztec  Contact with Spanish proved disastrous for Aztecs  Aztec fell sick from European diseases and many died  Cortes eventually received fresh soldiers from new allies  Aztec surrendered after four months  Cortes’ troops leveled the great Aztec city  Made roads out of Aztec canals  Spanish expanded control of all of Mexico within 30 years

14. Spanish Conquest of Inca  Encountered great Inca empire in 1531  Francisco Pizarro – 1531  Landed on coast of South America with 180 men  Steed of weapons, gunpowder and horses  Also brought smallpox which soon devastated entire villages  After emperor died, both sons claimed the throne causing a civil war  Pizarro soon captured the emperor  Inca’s weapons no match for Spanish  By 1535, Pizarro established capital at Lima for the Spanish empire

15. Rivals to Spanish and Portuguese  Dutch, French, and English began to challenge for dominance  Explorers were sent motivated by the promise of gold and precious goods

16. Dutch  Formed West India Company  Initially made inroads in Brazil and the Caribbean  Lacked resources and power to maintain gains made  New Netherland established in North America  Extended from Hudson River to present day Albany, New York  Never flourished because of commercial goals  Fur trading didn’t encourage settlement  English gained control of New Netherland in 1664 and named it New York

17. French  Colonized parts of what is now Canada and Louisiana  Quebec was first permanent French settlement, founded in 1608  When New France became a royal province in 1663, population grew and the colony greatly developed

18. English  Controlled most of the eastern seaboard of North America  Also set up sugar plantations in the Caribbean  Colonies had little importance to England