1. Age of Exploration
What were the motivations behind European exploration of distant lands?
What inventions made it possible to discover and explore distant lands?
How were Spain and Portugal able to take the lead in discovering new lands?
Identify major explorers and their accomplishments.

2. Why would Europeans concern themselves with trying to explore the world?
What mode of transportation would likely be used?
What other inventions would be needed to make long term exploration possible?

3. A. What were the motivations behind European exploration of distant lands?
European explorers and merchants had long been attracted to Asia.
Marco Polo (Venice) had traveled to Asia during the late 13th century. He wrote of the riches and experiences he had in his diary, later published as The Travels.
Many 15th century European explorers were captivated by his book and Asian trade.

4. A. What were the motivations behind European exploration of distant lands?
“Gold, glory, and God”
Economic motives to expand trade borders and find spices (which were expensive in Europe) and precious metals such as gold and silver.
Glory for expansion, and spirit of adventure (being the first to discover a new land)
By converting indengenous populations to Christianity, it assured that Europeans could control and organize the societies in new lands.

5. B. What inventions made it possible to discover and explore distant lands?
Caravel – a small, fast, maneuverable ship that had a large cargo hold with three masts and lateen sails.
Prior to the invention of the caravel, ships were large, relatively slow, and had trouble sailing against the wind.
The caravel allowed for just as much cargo to be transported over larger distances due to it’s speed. Cutting down the cost of shipping.

6. B. What inventions made it possible to discover and explore distant lands?
The magnetic compass (Chinese) made it possible to chart re-usable routes across oceans.
The astrolobe (Greeks) made it possible to chart latitude based on the sun and stars.
These two devices made it possible to create new, modern maps and gain a better understanding of wind patterns and ocean currents.

7. List three motivations for overseas exploration/expansion.
Why were Europeans so curious and motivated to get to Asia?
How did the caravel differ from other ships of the time period?
What other two inventions made exploration poosible?

8. C. How were Spain and Portugal able to take the lead in discovering new lands?
Due to their relative location to both the Atlantic Ocean and Africa, Spain and Portugal were able to take the lead in exploration.
From 1420 – 1440’s, under sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese explorers were able to discover gold and establish a number of colonies along the west coast (Gold Coast) of Africa.

9. C. How were Spain and Portugal able to take the lead in discovering new lands?
Prior to the establishment of those colonies, European explorers and merchants had the understanding that Africa was much smaller than it initially seemed.
The idea was that the southern tip of Africa could easily be sailed around.

11. C. How were Spain and Portugal able to take the lead in discovering new lands?
Instead, much more of Africa was discovered and trade was established in this area. The Portuguese especially benefitted from this discovery.
The southern tip of Africa was crossed in by Bartholomeu Dias (Portugal)
By 1498, the Portuguese had found a regular route to India and taken complete control of the spice trade from the Muslims.

12. C. How were Spain and Portugal able to take the lead in discovering new lands?
Instead of taking a southward path to Asia, the Spanish decided to cross the Atlantic and head westward.
The Spanish knew that the earth was round. However, they had no idea of the circumference.
They thought the earth was about 20,000 miles in circumference when in reality it was closer to 25,000 miles.
Christopher Columbus

13. Christopher Columbus
In 1492, when Columbus reached the islands of Barbados, Cuba, and Hispaniola, he thought he had discovered islands off the coast of Asia.
Columbus made two more voyages, both of which explored the Caribbean Islands.
On Columbus’ fourth voyage, he discovered present day Honduras in Central America.
Many historians believe that Columbus may have died never realizing his discovery of the Americas.

14. Ferdinand Magellan
Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the earth in 1520.
Did Magellan really circumnavigate the earth?
No. After Magellan rounded the southern tip of South America (Strait of Magellan) he did make it to Asia (discovering a western route to Asia) but he was killed by the indigenous population in the Philippines.
The crew aboard one of his ships did manage to return to Spain.

15. Columbian Exchange—Europe to the New World
Plants
bananas
cabbage
barley
wine grapes
lettuce
olives
peaches
oranges
radishes
lemons
figs
cauliflower
daisies
sugar cane
wheat
rice
pomegranate s
wild oats
tumbleweed
Diseases
dysentery
mumps
measles
influenza
bubonic plague
tonsillitis
small pox
typhus
trachoma
cholera
jaundice
whooping cough
malaria
chicken pox
diphtheria
meningitis
Animals
horses
cats
cattle
honey bees
chickens
goats
European dogs
rats
mosquitoes
pigs
sheep
donkeys
starlings
sparrows

16. Columbian Exchange—The New World to Europe
Diseases
syphilis
Plants
avocados
tomatoes
beans
yams
cocoa
corn
coffee
pumpkin
tobacco
papaya
peanuts
potatoes
squash
pineapple
chili pepper
Animals
gray squirrel
guinea pigs
chiggers