1. Reasons for Exploration

2. What motivated the explorers to explore?

3. Spices In the 1400s, there was no refrigeration. Spices were used to prevent meat from spoiling, people drowned their meat in salt to preserve and dry it (like beef jerky). They also used a lot of spices like pepper to cover up the taste of the salted or spoiled meat. Most people were not able to bathe on a regular basis so they used the spices to make perfume to cover their body odor.

4. Spices Unfortunately for Europeans, these spices did not grow anywhere in Europe. They were only found in Asia, which was very difficult to get to from Europe over land, so spices became very expensive. (Remember the middle man)

5. Spices Several European rulers finally decided to try and find a new route…a direct sea route. If a country could find a way to get these valuable spices to Europe, the rulers would become very rich.

6. What you need to know about Spices Europeans needed a direct sea route to get spices at a cheaper price.

7. Gold- Natural Resources Gold was one of the main things explorers were looking for, but remember that is really anything that would bring them wealth, (spices, land, crops, gems, silver, animals, etc.) not just literal gold that explorers were after.

8. What you need to know about gold Gold and other valuables would bring wealth and power to whichever country found it.

9. Glory – Large Empires Some European rulers wanted to take all of the natural resources from the new land and also have a market where they could sell their goods.

10. What you need to know about larger empires Countries would do almost anything to expand their empires to new places.. Larger empire = More power (glory)

11. God - Spread Christianity In the late 1400s, there was only one religion in Europe, Christianity. The European rulers were very religious. They wanted to convert all the indigenous people to Christianity( Catholicism). Indigenous – the original people in a place.

12. What you need to know about the spread of Christianity Europeans wanted to spread Christianity to the new places they explored.

13. The 3 Gs Gold God Glory Spread Christianity

15. Prince Henry “The Navigator” Son of the King of Portugal Started a school for sailors Developed new ships that were better for long distances Sent ships to explore the west coast of Africa Looking for a direct sea route to Asia’s spices and silk

16. Christopher Columbus Italian merchant who sailed for Spain Looking for a westerly, direct sea route to Asia’s spices and silk Discovered a new world (North and South America) The Columbian Exchange started because of Columbus.

17. Effects of European Colonization on the Indigenous (Native) People Many died in battle Much of their land was taken from them Many were made to be slaves Many died from European diseases Were made to change to the language and religion of the European country that colonized them