1. THE AGE OF EXPLORATION

3. Motives for Exploration
Need a route by sea to Asia (India and China)
The Ottoman Empire, due to its conquests, controls the land route to Asia
Motives for European exploration:
God – spread their faith to new lands
Glory – want fame and adventure
Gold – search for wealth
Able to expand due to new technologies:
Better ships and cartography (map-making)
New technologies from the Arabs, such as the compass and astrolabe

4. Portugal Takes the Lead
Portugal was the first country to launch large-scale voyages of exploration
In 1420 Prince Henry the Navigator sponsors expeditions to sail along the western coast of Africa
His ultimate goal was to find a water route around Africa to India
Portuguese sailors learned that both gold and slaves were available on Africa’s west coast
Bartholomeu Dias was the first European to sail around the tip of Africa looking for a route to India in 1488

5. Vasco da Gama set out for India in 1497 and ten months later he became the first European to reach India by sea
Brings back a cargo of spice, makes a profit of several thousand percent
The Portuguese were interested in setting up trading centers, not interested in conquering
They took the spice trade from the Muslims by force
Had the advantage since they put cannons on their ships

6. Spain Sails West
While the Portuguese sailed east to reach the source of the spice trade, the Spanish sailed west
Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain financed Christopher Columbus to sail west to reach Asia in 1492
Columbus thinks that the circumference of the world is not as large as others thought it was
Reaches Cuba in 1492, but thinks he is in Asia, on islands known as the Indies
Sails a total of four missions – explores many Caribbean islands and Honduras, which he names the Indies and calls the people Indians
The Spanish call Columbus a hero since they think he has found a new route to Asia

7. In 1502 Amerigo Vespucci sailed along the coast of South America and he finally realized that this wasn’t Asia, but a new land
It is later named America in his honor and the Spanish set out to explore it
Vasco Nunez de Balboa led an expedition across the Isthmus of Panama and became the first European to view the Pacific Ocean
Ferdinand Magellan decided to sail west around the world in 1519 with five ships and 250 men
Magellan was killed in a fight in the Philippines against the native people but his men continued on
In survivors from Magellan’s expedition arrived back in Spain, the first people to ever circumnavigate the world

8. Treaty of Tordesillas – signed by both Spain and Portugal in 1494 that gives a line of demarcation dividing their new territories
The treaty gives an imaginary north-to-south line through the Atlantic Ocean and the easternmost part of South America
Everything west of this line went to Spain and Portugal got everything east of the line

9. Other Explorers
Henry Hudson explored parts of eastern America and had a river and a bay named after him
Jacques Cartier sailed past the island of Newfoundland into the St. Lawrence river
He claimed all the land along the river as the province of New France (Canada)

11. Explorers and their Routes Chapter 16, section 1, pages 472-473

12. The Spanish Empire
The Spanish don’t just settle for a trading empire, they are going to conquer and colonize
Conquistadors = Spanish conquerors of the Americas
Had incredible success due to guns, horses, and disease
Hernan Cortez arrived with 600 men to take on the Aztec empire
Other Native American groups joined them since they hated the Aztec
Around 1520 Cortez defeats the Aztec empire

14. Ten years later Francisco Pizarro arrives with 200 men to take on the Inca empire
Pizarro took the new Inca emperor prisoner and killed him although they received lots of gold for ransom
He then conquered the Inca empire
By 1550 Spain controlled northern Mexico and the western part of South America
Catholic missionaries convert and baptize hundreds of thousands of natives

16. Drop in population among the Native Americans caused by forced labor, starvation, and disease
European diseases caused much death to the native populations who lacked immunity to such diseases, such as smallpox
Haiti went from a population of 100,000 when Columbus arrived to only 300 by 1570
Mexico’s population dropped from 25 million to 3 million
The Inca Empire decreased from 13 million in 1492 to 2 million by 1600

18. Other Colonies Portugal colonized Brazil
France established several colonies in New France or Canada
The French also did not enslave Native Americans, in fact many traders married Native American women
Samuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec
Rene-Robert La Salle claimed the enormous Mississippi region for France and named it Louisiana in honor of Louis XIV

20. The Dutch established New Netherlands and bought the island of Manhattan from Native Americans, founding the city of New Amsterdam
The Dutch were more interested in the spice trade and they eventually lost New Netherlands to the English, who renamed it New York
The first English colony established was the settlement of Jamestown in Virginia
The English soon established the thirteen colonies

22. The Columbian Exchange and Economic Concepts
The Columbian Exchange = global transfer that happened when large-scale contact between European and American societies led to the widespread exchange of plants, animals, and disease
Plants such as potatoes and tomatoes were introduced into Europe, while animals such as horses and pigs were introduced into the Americas
Colony = a settlement of people living in a new territory, linked with the parent country by trade and direct gov’t control
Played a role in the theory of mercantilism

24. Mercantilism is an economic theory that the prosperity of a nation depends on a large supply of gold and silver
A nation’s strength depended on its wealth, which was measured by the amount of gold and silver it possessed
Mercantilists believed that there was a fixed amount of wealth in the world – had to take wealth and power away from other nations
Could build wealth in two ways:
Extract gold and silver from mines
Have a favorable balance of trade (Goal of most nations)
Balance of trade = the difference in value between what a nation imports and exports over time
Favorable = export more than import

25. Establishing colonies was also essential to the mercantilist system since colonies were useful as:
Sources of raw materials for the parent country
Markets for finished goods from the parent country
In the mercantilist view, colonies existed only to benefit the home country
Capitalism = economic system in which most economic activity is carried on by private individuals or organizations in order to seek a profit

27. Joint-stock companies = investors pooled their money to fund business ventures in which investors bought shares of stock in the company
Idea of shared risk
Each shareholder receives a portion of the profit based on the number of shares owned
In 1607 the Virginia Company of London (a joint stock company) established Jamestown

28. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Colonization greatly increased the slave trade
Plantations = large agricultural estates
Shortage of labor in the Americas due to the death of millions of Native Americans
Triangular Trade = pattern of trade connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas
Europe
America Africa
Middle Passage

29. Middle Passage = journey of slaves from Africa to the Americas, usually lasted three to six weeks
Horrible conditions and high death rate – 20% did not survive
Number of slaves imported
16th century – 275,000
17th century – over one million
18th century – six million
Sources of slaves – Africa
Prisoners of war prior to the arrival of Europeans
Local merchants at slave markets on coast – exchange slaves for gold and guns
Some Europeans organized slave raids

31. Effects of the slave trade
Separated families
Depopulation in some areas
Strongest men and women taken, the future leaders of the villages
Increased warfare