1. Lesson 2 Background to European exploration

2. An End to East-west trade
For hundreds of years Europeans traded with Asians.
Europeans got to Asia by a road called “The Silk Road.”
Europeans were willing to pay a lot of money for Asian goods such as silk, they made a lot of money selling them.
Trade with Asia stopped in because of conflict in the Middle East.
The road closed.

3. Portugal leads the way
King John I of Portugal decided to spend a lot of money finding a new route to Asia.
Prince Henry (King John’s son) believed that the best way to reach Asia was to go south around Africa.
No one ever made it around Africa before.
Because they were traveling around Africa, natives of Africa were captured and made slaves.

4. Dias and da gama After Prince Henry died, King John II was in charge.
King John II ordered Bartolomeu Dias to try to sail around the southern tip of Africa.
Others could not due to storms.
Dias and his crew succeeded!

5. Ten years after Dias’s achievement, Vasco da Gama reached India.
He brought back spices, silks and perfumes.
Da Gama helped to make Portugal VERY rich with these items.