European Exploration 19-1, 20-1

By 1400s CE Arabs and Chinese most skilled at sailing long distances Europeans began to sail farther into the unknown, why? By 1400s CE Arabs and Chinese most skilled at sailing long distances Europeans began to sail farther into the unknown, why? Driven by curiosity, desire to spread Christianity, and for economic reasons Economic reasons: Desire to find direct trade routes btwn Europe and Asia to bypass Arab and Italian middle men = buy Asian goods at lower prices Fear that Ottoman Turks would cut off overland trade routes, which the Ottomans controlled Economic reasons: Desire to find direct trade routes btwn Europe and Asia to bypass Arab and Italian middle men = buy Asian goods at lower prices Fear that Ottoman Turks would cut off overland trade routes, which the Ottomans controlled BACKGROUND:

For God, Glory, and Gold! For new wealth… gold (and silver) For spices For sea routes to Asia To convert souls to Christianity To avoid Muslim trade routes controlled by Arabs and Italians Europeans looking

Contact with Chinese and Arabs led to improvements in tools of Exploration Caravel – ships could sail against wind with triangular sail (lanteen) – favored by Muslims Compass - invented by Chinese Improvements in mapmaking with coordinates Astrolabe - brass circle with adjusted rings marked off in degrees important to determine latitude – Line up w/ stars to determine latitude – Later replaced by the sextant in the mid-1700s to determine latitude and longitude

sextant astrolabe Caravel with lanteen sail

Portugal 1 st country to explore the Atlantic Ocean… looking for trade route to Asia Vasco da Gama 1st to reach India by ship 1498

Christopher Columbus, Italian Searching for Asia via western route over Atlantic Ocean 1492 landed in Bahamas Called natives Indians - b/c he thought he was in India Searching for gold King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain financed his voyage He did not know he discovered new world

They... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned.... They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane.... They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. Columbus and his men took natives as slaves, shipped hundreds to Spain – most died in the process, the rest after arriving. They used the natives as torture toys, sex slaves, and as dog food.

Amerigo Vespucci 1499 Crossed Atlantic… realized Columbus had not reached Asia, but “new” world Mapmakers labeled Western Hemisphere for Amerigo = America

Hernando Cortes, Spain Conquistadors - Spanish explorers 1st settlers in Americas Looking for gold Destroyed Aztec empire 1521 – Aztec thought he was Quetzalcoatl Reasons for victory 1. Superior weapons 2. Allied w/ other native groups 3. Disease - small pox

Missionaries Traveled w/ conquistadores for converts Protested poor treatment of natives by Europeans

James Cook, British captain Sailed to New Zealand & New Holland (Australia) 1760s-1779 Sailed around the world 2xs 1 st British commander to prevent scurvy 1 st known European to reach Hawaii (where he was killed)

Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese Expedition paid for by Spain 1519 first to circumnavigate the globe 270 men, 5 ships Battles in Philippines where he was killed Only 18 men return & 1 ship Significance of voyage = established earth was round and oceans were connected Named the Pacific Ocean

Samuel de Champlain, French Explorer Sailed St. Lawrence river 32 colonists Founded Quebec Base of French Empire