European Exploration Exploration Encouragement Renaissance encourages adventure and

European Exploration

Exploration Encouragement • Renaissance encourages adventure and curiosity • Desire to get rich • Main reason for exploration • Demand for spices from Asia runs high after the Crusades – merchants able to charge a lot • Muslims and Italians control East to West trade • Wanted to find direct route to Asia (eliminate the middle man)

Spread of Christianity • Hostility between Muslims and Christians following the Crusades • Europeans thought they had duty to keep fighting the Muslims and convert non-Christians • Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese) becomes an early explorer with Christian motives

Technology Advances • 1200’s -> impossible to cross the open ocean • European ships could not sail against the wind • Ship builders design the caravel • Sturdier and had triangular sails to sail against the wind • Sailors begin to use the astrolabe • Could use it to tell how far North or South from the equator they were (used the stars) • Began using a magnetic compass the Chinese invented

Portugal • Had strong governmental support • Prince Henry becomes most avid supporter • Peaked interest from raids in Africa (saw wealth) • Also wanted to spread Christianity • Opened a navigation school • By the time of Henry’s death, Portugal had already established trading posts on the West coast of Africa • Traded for spices and eventually slaves

Hello Asia • Reach Asia by sailing around the Southern tip of Africa • Bartolomeu Dias reaches this point • Storm blew them to Eastern coast of Africa • Crew was tired so they returned home • Vasco de Gama reaches coast of India • Direct sea route to Asia

Spain Joins the Race • Spain watches Portugal intently • Also wanted a direct sea route to Asia • Christopher Columbus • Find route by sailing West • Reaches island in the Caribbean • Fuels tensions between Spain and Portugal • Possible that he claimed same lands? • To keep peace they drew the Line of Demarcation • West of line belonged to Spain, East to Portugal • Signed Treaty of Tordesillas – agreed to the line

Trading Empires • Portugal takes control of spice trade from Muslim merchants • Set up many trading posts in the Indian Ocean • Brought back goods at 1/5 the cost to Europe • Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan arrives in Philippines • Claim lands and begin to settle there • Peaks interest of even more European countries

Other Nations • English, Dutch, French come into the picture • Challenging Portugal’s dominance of the Indian Ocean • The Dutch • Owned the largest fleet (20 k + vessels) • Dutch East India Company -> able to mint money, make treaties, and raise their own armies • Drove the English out eventually • English and French • English East India Company gains trade control in India • French establish their own company focused on Indian but never profitable because of English

Spain’s Conquests

Columbus • Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria • “Tierra, Tierra!” • Called the people encountered los indios (actually the Taino) • Pg. 483 • Columbus claims land for Spain -> San Salvador • Interested in the gold and wealth • Found none in Salvador -> explored other islands • Columbus returns to Spain (gets permission for 3 more trips) • 2 nd trip he sailed as an empire builder (17 ships + 100’s of soldiers + 1, 000 or more settlers) • Wanted to make the islands colonies of Spain

Other Explorers • Pedro Alvares Cabral (Portuguese) • Reached modern-day Brazil • Amerigo Vespucci (Italian in service for Portugal) • Traveled along the eastern coast of South America • Claimed it was not Asia but a new world • Named the Americas after Vespucci • Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese) • Explored even further in the Americas • Vasco Nunez de Balboa (Spanish) • Explored Panama and became first European to see the Pacific Ocean • Magellan then convinces king of Spain to fund a voyage into the Pacific • Reaches the Philippines -> first person to circumnavigate the world

Spain’s Empire • Hernando Cortes • • Lands of shores of Mexico Known as conquistadors (conquerors) Wanted to find gold and silver Learns of the Mayan Empire • Montezuma II thinks Cortes in one of their God’s returning • Welcomes Cortes with open arms • Aztecs rebel and drive out Spanish forces • They counterattack • Conquer the Aztecs • Superior weapons • Cortes able to enlist many enemy Native American tribes • Disease was carried by the Spanish

Pizarro and the Incans • Francisco Pizarro • Conquers the Incan Empire • Incan king offers gold and silver but is killed anyway • March his men into Cuzco (capital city) • Able to take the capital with no problems • Spanish also responsible for the conquest of the Mayans • Able to create a new empire -> New Spain

Spain’s Influence • Spain’s American colonies become strongest in the world • They begin to build up their military and navy to protect the colonies and ships traveling back and forth • Juan Ponce de Leon -> begins to explore Florida • Francisco Vasquez de Coronado -> Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas • Catholic priests go along to convert people • Against the harsh treatment of the natives and encomienda system • “There is nothing more cruel than the tyranny which the Spaniards use toward the Indians for the getting of pearl. ”