The Age of Exploration

New Trade Route To Asia Powerful European nations wanted to increase their wealth by finding water trade routes to Asia to get silks and spices. Advances in technology like ship design and better navigational tools will help them.

Better boats: Caravel

Better Navigational Instruments: Astrolabe, Compass, Sextant

We sail to the New World for God, Gold, Glory This slogan would summarize the motivation for European exploration. Men… We sail to the New World for God, Gold, & Glory!!!

Portugal Portugal will sail south down the west coast of Africa and sail around it to India. They will develop and exploit the African slave trade and make settlements.

Spain Spain will sail west and Christopher Columbus will open up the “NEW WORLD” for exploration and conquest. They will seize great wealth from the region, especially gold.

Christopher Columbus lands

Conquistadors or Spanish soldiers tricked, conquered, and killed millions of Indians. Gunpowder allowed them to defeat much larger forces. Millions of Indians were made into slaves.

Spanish Conquistadors

Spanish Treasure

England Wanted to find an all water route across North America (Northwest Passage). Created permanent settlements along the Atlantic coast and built a stable trade relationship.

France Also wanted to find an all water route across North America (Northwest Passage). Created trading posts around the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Valley. Fishing and fur.

Spread of Religion The Catholic countries of France, Spain, and Portugal made it a point to send Jesuit missionaries with them to spread the word.

Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange was the movement of goods, people, ideas, and even diseases across the Atlantic Ocean. It was a mixed blessing.

The exchange of these foods, animals, and goods was beneficial to Europe and the Americas… Europeans: 1. tobacco made them wealthy 2. potatoes and corn improved nutrition 3. tomatoes and chocolate popular Indians: 1. guns made hunting easier 2. horses improved lifestyle (Great Plains)

It was also negative, diseases would spread and wipe out millions of Indians by smallpox or measles.

Another negative was hundreds of years later in Ireland there was a potato famine. Many people relied heavily on it for food and had to move to the United States.

*Potato Famine Began 1845*

Forced Migration The loss of Indian slaves caused a labor shortage. Europeans took their new workers from Africa and began the Atlantic slave trade.