1.  Fall of the Roman Empire  Western Europe becomes isolated (Middle Ages)  Weakened Centralized governments  Feudalism  Manorialism  Economic improvements by 1000  Plow and horse collar  Revival of trade (Growth from 1000-1200)

2.  Church - Struggled mightily after the fall of Rome to maintain order  Impact of Crusades  Contact with other cultures  Influences on trade

3.  New desire for exploration  Decline of feudalism  Increased wealth for monarchies  Growth of four strong states (England, Portugal, Spain, France)  Renaissance  Coincided with growth of unified kingdoms  Rediscovery of ancient scholars  New technology needed for travel  Astrolabe  Compass  Lateen Sails  Caravel

4.  First Europeans to find a sea route to Asia  Prince Henry of Portugal (Henry the Navigator)  Mapping of West Africa – 1420  Dias – reaches southern tip of Africa (1488)  Vasco da Gama – sails around Africa (1497)

5.  Vikings  Leif Ericsson  Failure to settle permanently  Spain  Christopher Columbus  Ptolemy’s map  Underestimated the size of the earth  Portugal refused support  Spain – Convert people to Catholicism  Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria  Thought he was in Asia  Natives thought they had been sent by gods

6.  Men left behind in Hispaniola had been killed  New colony inhabited by wealthy. Would not do manual labor.  Forced locals to work gold mines  Third Voyage – discovered South America  Fourth Voyage – mapped out coast from Guatemala to Panama

7.  Line of Demarcation (Portugal)  Treaty of Tordesillas  Portugal – Route around Africa, Brazil  Spain – Americas

8. Amerigo Vespucci Juan Ponce de Leon Vasco de Balboa Ferdinand Magellan Determined Americas were not part of Asia Discovered Florida First European to see the Pacific from the American Coast Died in the Phillipines during his crews successful circumnavigation of the globe.