THE
AGE OF EXPLORATION
GIGLIOTTI’S CLASS NOTES
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
MOTIVES FOR EXPLORATION:
Early Motives:
-Before 1400, Europeans had little contact with people outside
-The Crusades introduced Europeans to the riches of the East.
-Europeans also read the accounts of Marco Polo (Description of the World)
-Polo left Italy for the East in 1271 with his father & an uncle - three
years later he reaches Mongol ruled
China (Kublai Khan) by ship & camel - travels around China for 17 years - returns
home after 24 years
(traveled 15,000 miles total) - writes a book about the riches he witness in
China
-Europeans wanted to obtain spices (used in food & medicine), gems, silk,
jewels, & other riches
-These items were very costly, especially in Northern Europe - (price increases
because of middle men in
Italy & the Middle East. Overland routes are also costly & dangerous.)
-Europeans wanted to find a more direct way to
Later: the 3 G’s
1. God: convert native peoples to Christianity
2. Gold: search for riches
3. Glory: new discoveries make the explorers very famous
NEW TECHNOLOGY AT SEA:
-Before the 1400’s, Europeans used larges ships called Galleys - (50 to 60 oars
slaves & prisoners)
-rudders were located on the side - clumsy ships - could not sail against the
wind or for from land
-The Compass: indicates direction by pointing north
-Europeans learned about the compass during the Crusades (Chinese invention) -
perfected in 1300’s
-The Astrolabe & Quadrant: applies geometry & astronomy to navigation
-allows sailor to determine latitude (North & South) by the height of the
stars & planets
-The Caravel: designed in Portugal
-ships were thinner & longer than galleys - rudder at rear of the ship -
triangular sails
- these improvements allow you to sail faster & against the wind
-other improvements such as Map Making as well
*These improvements in technology combined allow Europeans to sail further from
the coast & out to sea
PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR OF PORTUGAL:
-3rd son of John I (King of Port.) - distinguished himself during the capture
of Ceuta (N. Africa)
-Henry hoped to acquire gold for Portugal & begin another Crusade with
Pastor John (legend)
-became very interested in navigation
-began a school of navigation at Sagres (1419)
-established an observatory and gathered other navigational data
-Henry sends sailors out to search for a new route to Asia
-sail west to the islands of Madeiras & the Canaries
-later the Portuguese would primary focus on the exploration of Africa
-They believed that Asia could be reached by sailing south around the tip of
Africa
-know one knew for sure how far south Africa extended
-Portuguese explorers sail down and explored the west coast of Africa – set up
trading posts
-Although Henry was interested in the advancement of knowledge, glory for
Port., & the spread Christianity,
most sailors were more interested in trade ($$$)
BARTHOLOMUE DIAS:
-first to sail around the southern tip of Africa (1488)
-did not sail to India - large storm forced him to turn back
-he named the southern tip of Africa The Cape of Storms - later renamed Cape of
Good Hope
VASCO DE GAMA:
-first to sail around Africa and reach India (1497)
-4 ships with orders to find spices
-returned with riches & spices after 3 year trip - much cheaper than land
routes
*The Portuguese would later sail to the East Indies & established trading
posts throughout Asia
EUROPEANS & AFRICA
-large African civilization located in Mali (others along the coast)
-Portuguese’s traded with these civilizations for gold (Gold Coast), ivory,
slaves
SPANISH EXPLORATION
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS:
-son of a weaver - born in Genoa, Italy in 1451 - father wanted him to become a
weaver as well
-sailed around the Mediterranean as a young man
-planned to sail to England, but his ship sunk off the coast of Portugal
(battle)
-worked as a chart maker in Lisbon - married
-began to sail again (Iceland, the Equator, the Azors)
-Columbus believed that he could reach Asia by sailing West for 2 months -
Port. would not finance him
-Portuguese attempted their own western trip, but had to turn back
-Columbus moved to Spain & tried to convince Ferdinand & Isabella to
finance his trip
-finally after 6 years he was able to convince Isabella to finance the voyage
-Columbus demanded 3 things from the king & queen
1. the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea 2. governor (Vicroy)of all new lands
3. 10% of all riches (heirs as well)
THE VOYAGES OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS:
1st Voyage:
-August 3, 1492 Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain with 3 ships (Nina, Pinta,
Santa Maria)
-stopped in the Canaries for repairs & supplies
-sailed west for a month - faced mutiny by crew - kept two logs (one to deceive
the crew)
-landed in the Bahamas October 7, 1492 (actual location is unknown)
-Columbus names the island were he landed San Salvador & claimed in for
Spain
-Columbus believed he was in Asia (India) - he called the native peoples
(Arawaks) Indians
- never realized his mistake
-Columbus was puzzled not to find the riches Marco Polo wrote about
-Columbus thinking that China was near by explored Hispaniola & Cuba before
returning to Spain
-He returned to with only two ships - 40 men left behind on Hispaniola - Ft. La
Navidad
-He also returned with some riches & native peoples. - given highest honors
OTHER VOYAGES BY COLUMBUS:
-Columbus would make four voyages never realizing he had discovered a New World
-SECOND VOYAGE: 1493 - given 17 ships, over 1000 men, livestock & cattle -
intention of colonizing
-discovered new islands in the Caribbean (Virgin Island, Puerto Rico, Others)
-return to Hispaniola to find that La Navidad had been burned & his men
killed
-local chief claimed a nearby tribe had raided - retaliation for Spanish
actions
-Columbus doe not retaliate - establishes new colony named La Isabela
-sailed to Cuba (thinking it was China) then Jamaica
-Columbus becomes ill - returns to Spain
-THIRD VOYAGE: mission on exploration - problems on the trip to the New World
-crew lands on Trinidad & are the first Europeans to see South America
-Columbus returns to Hispaniola were colonists were upset at the lack of gold
-revolt against Columbus - new governor appointed by King & Queen
-Columbus is arrested returns home in shackles & humiliated
-FOURTH VOYAGE: 1502 - 140 men - looking for a straight that Marco Polol spoke
of
-linked Atlantic to Indian Ocean -the actual straight is located near Singapore
-not welcomed in Hispaniola - not allowed to stop
-explored Central America - found natives who spoke of another ocean & had
gold
-established a fort in Panama - attacked by Indians - forced to leave
-ships were damaged - Columbus was marooned in Jamaca
-after several months a new ship was sent to rescue him from Hispaniola
-returned home to Spain - in obscurity - dies 1506 never realizing what he had
discovered
COLONIES: a group of people settled in a distant land who are ruled by the
government of their native land
THE COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE:
-The interaction & clash of cultures between the Old World (Europe) &
the
New World (Americas) changed the way people on both sides of the ocean lived.
-interaction involved the movement of products, plants, animals, & diseases
-Gold & silver were mined in the New World & sent to Spain making them
powerful ($$$)
-Foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, beans, corn, others were introduced to
Europe for the first time
-Cattle, horses, & smallpox were seen for the first time in the New World.
-other exchanges as well
AMERIGO VESPUCCI:
-Italian explorer from Florence who sailed for Spain & Portugal
-followed Columbus’s route to New World (South America) 1499
-unlike others he realized that he was not in Asia, but in an entirely new land
-wrote a letter describing population, plants, & animals in the New World
-1508 a German Map maker read the letter & named the New World “America”
after Amerigo
LINE OF DEMARCATION:
-Spain & Portugal begin to claim land in the New World & Africa - some
conflicts
-in 1493 Pope Alexander VI sought to resolve the conflicts by dividing the
world between Spain & Portugal
-the Treaty of Tordesillas - gave the rights of all new lands to Spain &
Portugal
-Brazil accidentally discovered by Port. & the line is moved further west
into Brazil
-Portugal gets all the new land East of the line - Spain gets all the new land
West of the line
-Pope gave land to them, because they remained Catholic nations
VASCO NUNEZ de BALBOA:
-First European to see the Pacific Ocean 1513
-in the early 1500’s, Spanish explorers looked for a passage through the new
continents
-Balboa heard stories of a large body of water to the west while in Panama
-Set out with 190 Spaniards & hundreds of Indians through the jungles of
Panama
-the isthmus (narrow strip of land that connects two larger pieces of land) was
only 45 miles wide
-Balboa names the Pacific “The South Sea”
FERDINAND MAGELLAN:
-first man to circumnavigate (sail around) the globe
-a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain
-1519 Magellan & 5 ships left Spain for South America
-sailed along the Eastern Coast to the Southern tip (Straights of Magellan)
-He entered a calm ocean he named the Pacific (South Sea - Balboa). - (after the Latin word for peaceful)
-Magellan sails westward to the
-had few supplies - crew ate rats - dirty water
-Magellan is killed during a battle on the
-one of his ships (18 crew member) eventually makes it back to
THE CONQUISTADORES: the conquerors
-natives were fascinated by Spanish - some believed to be Gods - natives were
tricked & cheated
-had never seen some common items, metal weapons, horses, guns
-natives had very poor technology
-”. . . with fifty men they could all be subjected & made to do all that
one wished.” Columbus
-Spanish generals forced native tribes to accept the rule of the Spanish
monarch
“If you do so . . ., we shall receive you in love & charity”
-those tribes that resisted were decimated (killed) by military force &
driven from their homes
“We shall powerfully enter into your country, and . . . shall take you, your
wives, & your children, & shall
make slaves of them . . . The death & loses which accrue from this are your
fault!”
-”The Conquistadores behaved like the most cruel tygres, wolves, & lions
enraged with a sharp & tedious
hunger.” Bartolome de las Casas
-they had driven the Moors out of Spain - adventurous - serve God, the King,
& get rich
-authorized to set up outposts in the Americas by the King of Spain
-agree to give Spain 1/5 of all the treasure they find
*Spain would grow very rich and become a world power
HERNANDO CORTEZ
-landed on the Eastern coast of Mexico in 1519 - with an army of 500 men (16
horses)
-heard about the might Aztec Empire & wanted to conquer it
-the Aztecs lived in central Mexico -
-news of Cortez’s landing reached Montezuma the Aztec leader
-they reported fair skinned men from the East - had never seen horses -
believed they were Gods
-Montezuma did not know what to do - thought Cortez was a God - Quetzacoatl
-Montezuma welcomes Cortez as a guest - Cortez is really holding Montezuma
hostage
-for more than 6 months this continued - finally Montezuma kicks Cortez out of
the city
-1521 Cortez with his army, & the help of another native tribe attack &
defeat the Aztec Empire
FRANCISCO PIZARRO:
-marched with Balboa & heard of a large rich empire known as the Inca
-The Inca Empire was located in S. America in the Andes Mountains in what is
now Peru
-Pizarro led 180 men 37 horses over the mountains from Panama to Peru
-Inca believe Spanish to be Gods
-Pizarro forces the Inca leader Atahualpa to fill a room with gold & silver
- promises to leave
-He forces the Inca to melt their gold art & mold them into bars for
transportation.
-Once the room was filled, he forced Atahualpa to convert to Christianity &
then had him strangled to death
and his body burned. (This violated Inca religion) -Pizarro destroys the Inca Empire (1535)
WHY WERE THE CONQUISTADORES ABLE TO DEFEAT THESE MIGHTY EMPIRES WITH ONLY A
SMALL ARMY?
1. Aztecs & the Incas believe that the Spanish are Gods
2. The Spanish have much better weapons (guns, cannon, metal) - vs. bows,
arrows, & spears
3. Aztecs & Incas had never seen horses - frightened
4. diseases: the Natives had no immunity to small pox, measles, chicken pox,
influenza
OTHER SPANISH CONQUISTADORES:
PONCE DE LEON:
-named the island of Puerto Rico (rich port)
-put down a native (Taino) rebellion on Puerto Rico - named governor (Vicroy)
-heard stories about the Fountain of Youth (makes you young forever)
-1513 explored Florida - did not find the fountain - took native slaves back to
Puerto Rico
FRANCISCO CORONADO:
-1540 explored what would become New Mexico
HERNANDO DI SOTO:
-explored what is now the Southeastern USA 1539-1542
*These two were looking for the rumored Seven Cities of Gold, but found none
OTHER EUROPEAN NATIONS EXPLORE THE NEW WORLD:
NORTHWEST PASSAGE:
-quick routes to Asia in search of spices were still more valuable that land in
the New World
-Magellan’s route was too dangerous
- England, France, & Dutch searched for a waterway through or around the
America’s to the Pacific
FRENCH EXPLORERS:
-GIOVANNI da VERRANZANO (Italian) was sent by France to find the Northwest
Passage
-1524 sailed into New York Harbor - (Verranzano Bridge stands their today)
-JACQUES CARTIER:
-1530’s sailed up the St. Lawrence River
-met the Iroquois who told him of a rich kingdom near by (lie)
-Cartier searched but later returned to France
ENGLISH EXPLORERS:
-MARTIN FORBISHER: searched for the Northwest Passage in Canada
-1576-1578 - found fool’s gold
HENRY HUDSON:
-explored in far North America (Canada)
-discovered Hudson River (sailing for the Dutch) 1609
-another trip for England explored Hudson Bay - set afloat by crew - never
heard from again
RIVALRIES AMONG EUROPEAN NATIONS:
-In 1517, Martain Luther starts the Protestant Reformation
-Before Reformation, all Christians were Catholic
-Spain was the strongest Catholic nation - England the strongest Protestant
nation
-THE ENGLISH SEA DOGS:
-English pirates who robed Spanish treasure ships
-encouraged to operate by Queen Elizabeth I - England was no match for Spain
militarily at the time
SIR FRANCIS DRAKE:
-most famous Sea Dog
-1577 took Magellan’s route - raided Spanish in Peru - returned to England
-received as a hero - knighted by the Queen
- infuriated Spain - prepared for war
THE SPANISH ARMADA: 1588
-Spain built a huge fleet to attack England
-although the English were outnumbered, their ships were faster
-Armada was defeated by British ending Spanish power
-Spain would still maintain colonies, but could not dominate the New World
-now other nations would begin establishing colonies