Age Of Exploration 1400 CE 1700 CE Why

Age Of Exploration 1400 CE- 1700 CE

Why explore? �In 1400 most Muslim and Italian merchants controlled trade between Asia and Europe �Europeans wanted to cut the Muslim and Italian middlemen because the price of the goods increased from trader to trader. �The Atlantic powers, first Portugal then Spain sought new route to Asia that by passed Mediterranean.

Improved Technology Magnetic Compass Sextant Astrolabe Mercator Projection Caravel

Magnetic comapss �Description- direction. Device used for determining �Importance- made it possible to find direction at sea. �Not very accurate, iron in a ship caused false readings.

Astrolabe �Description- Device used to measure the angles of the sun and stars above the horizon. Difficult to use accurately in rough seas �Importance- determine their latitude at sea

Sextant � Description- Device for determining the altitude of the sun or stars. � Importance- improvement over astrolabe because the movements of the ship didn’t effect the readings at rough seas. � By comparing this altitude at different degrees of latitude, navigator can find the latitude of the ship.

Mercator projection �Description- Map projection that shows latitude and longitude at straight lines. �Importance- excellent map for navigators b/c it showed true directions of places in relation to each other

Caravel � Description- Ship developed by Portuguese that combined the square sails of European ships with triangular sails. � Importance- made it easier to sail across or even wind. Also there were sturdier cannons. � Also adopted the sternpost rudder and numerous masts of Chinese ships.

Henry the Navigator • Country/date- Portugal 1415 • Significance- Prince Henry, son of Portuguese king, gathered experts in science, mapmaking, and shipbuilding. Started the idea of exploration after Portugal seizes African coast. • Henry wanted find the source of African gold. He wanted to form alliance with a mysterious but very rich Christian African ruler, Prester John who he heard tales of, to go against the Muslims.

Bartholomeu Dias � Country/date- Portugal 1488 � Significance- Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. Became known as the Cape of Good Hope b/c it opened sea route to Asia. � First European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa.

Vasco Da Gama � Country/ date -Portugal 1497 � Significance- led four ships around the Cape of Good Hope. Lost many men but reached great spice port of Calicut on west coast of India.

� It took 10 months to reach India; the Portuguese lost half their ships. � Many sailors died of scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C. � The English began to include limes on board, which did not spoil quickly; this led to English sailors being called “limeys. ”

� � Although he lost half his ships, Da Gama returned with Asian spices. The Portuguese had now established a successful all-water trade route to Asia!

Christopher Columbus � country/date Spain 1492 � Significance-Italian navigator who wanted to reach the indies by sailing across the Atlantic. Instead he made contact in the new World.

Don’t write �In 1492, Columbus convinced Ferdinand Isabella of Spain to finance he voyage to Indies. �August 3, 1492 Columbus sailed west with three small ships the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria.

� Columbus reached land on October 12, 1492; he hadn’t reached Asia, but the New World!

DON’T WRITE � Thinking he had successfully reached the East Indies, Columbus called the surprised inhabitants who greeted him, los indios. � This term translates into “Indian, ” a word applied to all native peoples of the Americas.

The Columbian Exchange � A Global Exchange of plants and animals between the Americas and Europe.

B. Effects: 1. By the 1700 s, foods such as corn, potatoes and beans contributed to population growth worldwide.

Effects of Exploration 1. 2. 3. Explorers continued trying to find a Northwest passage to India Europeans conquered most of South East Asia, India and the New World. The slave trade developed in the New World.