1. Rise of European Empires in the Americas, Africa, and Asia
Age of Discovery
Rise of European Empires in the Americas, Africa, and Asia

2. Known World in 1490

4. Portugal Leads the Way Prince Henry the Navigator
Bartholomeu Dias – Cape of Good Hope, 1488
Vasco da Gama and India, 1498
Portuguese defeated Muslims for control of the
Spice Trade

5. Portugal’s Main Interests
Africa & Asia
Trade rather than colonization
Exception: colonized Brazil

6. Who is this Man?

7. Spain’s Quest for Riches
Ferdinand and Isabella (King and Queen of Spain)
backed Columbus in his expeditions
Columbus eventually made 4 voyages to the Caribbean Islands and South America
was certain that he discovered a new route to Asia
1507 Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci
was the first to suggest that Columbus had not reached Asia, but a “New World”

8. Voyage of Magellan
1519 – 5 ships led by Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan set sail under the Spanish Flag
wanted to find a western route to Africa
Magellan’s ships passed around the southern tip of South America in to the Pacific Ocean
Strait of Magellan
Magellan’s crew was the first to circumnavigate the globe
proved that the world was round