1. The Age of
Discovery

2. Earlier Explorers European Explorers Asian Explorer
Nicolo, Maffeo, & Marco Polo, 1271
Expansion becomes a state enterprise  monarchs had the authority & the resources.
Better seaworthy ships
Asian Explorer
Chinese Admiral Zheng He & the Ming “Treasure Fleet”

3. Admiral Zheng He
Each ship was 400’ long and 160’ wide!

4. Zheng He’s Voyages
In 1498, Da Gama reached Calcutta, China’s favorite port!

5. A Map of the Known World, pre- 1492

6. Motives for European Exploration
1. Crusades  increased demand for Spices  decreased power of nobles
Renaissance  encouraged individual glory
Exploration decreased power of Italian Port City States as new routes to Spices of the EAST were found and used
Reformation/Counter Reformation  encouraged spread of Catholic/Protestant Christianity
Monarchs able to sponsor explorations
Technological advances allowed for exploration
2. Gold, God, Glory and Spices

7. New Technologies for better navigation Better Maps [Portulan]
5. Hartman Astrolabe (1532)
Mariner’s Compass
Sextant

8. New Weapons Technology
Caravel and Muskets

9. Prince Henry, the Navigator
School for Navigation, 1419

10. Museum of Navigation in Lisbon

11. Portuguese Maritime Empire
Exploring the west coast of Africa/”Gold Coast”
Bartolomeo Dias, 1487.
Vasco da Gama, 1498.
Portugal creating trading Empire. Can they keep it.

12. Other Voyages of Exploration

13. Vasco Da Gama – Portuguese Explorer
First to sail around tip of Africa
“Cape of Good Hope”

14. First to sail around the world
Magellan
Portuguese Explorer
Credited as the
First to sail around the world

15. James Cook – English Explorer
Explored – “Discovered”
Australia, New Zealand and Canada

16. French Explorer Samuel De Champlain
Explored Canada
and
founded city of Quebec