Exploration and Expansion Mr. White’s World History

Big Questions After we study this section, we should be able to answer the following questions: What motivated Europeans to explore and expand around the globe? What technologies allowed them to do this? How did European societies change because of these explorations?

Major Change! The Renaissance and Reformations had created a new culture in Europe that created new ways of thinking about life, man’s place in the world, and religion. Exploration and expansion would change the entire world by interconnecting all the different parts of the world, forever

God, Gold, Glory In the early parts of exploration, countries and explorers were motivated by three things: God, gold, and glory God – Christians desired to spread Christianity to other places around the world Gold – Merchants desired riches from other parts of the world, gained through trade Glory – Countries desired to grow and become stronger through exploration and empires

Contact Outside of Europe Europe before the Renaissance had depended on spices, such as pepper and nutmeg, from the east Arab and Venetian (Venice, Italy) merchants got rich from trading these spices Many of these traders looked for quicker routes to the east

Spreading Christianity Church leaders also wanted to halt the spread of Islam and spread Christianity Renaissance thinkers, and their focus on human possibility, also encouraged people to want to expand and explore

New Technology Open-water sailing required: Sailors trained in navigation Accurate maps Ocean-going ships Compass (Chinese) – allowed naval vessels to determine their direction Cartographers – accurate mapmakers helped chart the seas and coast lines

Shipbuilding Late in the 1400s, ships were outfitted with the lateen sails – triangle shape, enabled ships to sail against the wind Ships would use multiple masts of different types to make the ships more flexible in sailing Rudder was moved to the back of the ship to make it more maneuverable Caravel – incorporated all of these improvements, as well as cannons

Lateen-rigged ship

Countries that Explored Portugal – first country to start to explore, looking for a sea route to Asia Found the southern tip of Africa Did find an all sea route to Asia Spain – ruled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella 1492 – Columbus, wanted to sail west to try to find water route to Asia Struck land in the western hemisphere and “discovered” the New World

Magellan Ferdinand Magellan also was looking for a westward water route to Asia Crews attempted mutinies, ships were wrecked, eventually they reached the Phillipine islands, where Magellan was killed The last ship that survived returns to Spain – first to circumnavigate the globe

Overseas Empires Portugal – mainly interested in Africa and Asia, and the spice trade, also Brazil Spain – came to the Americas to spread Christianity, ran into the Aztecs in Mexico, conquered them Netherlands (Dutch) – interested in Asia like the Portuguese, traded in Asia and the Pacific islands, also explored around New York for a westward route to Asia

France and England France and England turned toward North America and the Caribbean sea French – quick profits from trade English – raw materials from colonies French – explored much of North America, including Canada English – some people left for religious freedom (Pilgrims), settled other parts of North America

Slave Trade The slave trade sprang up as new colonies began in the Americas – the triangular trade Europe to Africa – manufactured goods for slaves Africa to the Americas – slaves Americas to Europe – raw materials The slave trade was brutal, the trip killed many of those who made it, and the conditions were inhumane, cramped, and unsanitary

Changing Ideas of Business To fund these overseas explorations, rich families or companies had to provide funding for them Joint-stock companies – companies where a person could buy stock in the venture The goal of business began to change to one of making profits

Mercantilism Mercantilism – a country’s power came from its wealth, so nations should try to become as wealthy as possible This wealth was often measured in gold and silver that a country owned Countries could get this by either finding it through mining, or getting it through trade

Changing Social Patterns Merchants began to surpass the nobility in riches and power Nobility often looked down on these merchants, as their wealth didn’t come from land Peasants still lived pretty much the same as always

The Columbian Exchange As new trade routes opened up, ways of life changed in the countries that interacted Europe – sent out wheat, grapes, and livestock to the Americas Native Americans – exposed Europeans to corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and chocolate Many of these foods fed Europe’s growing population Asia and Africa – bananas, coffee, tea, sugarcane, ivory, perfumes, silk, gems Movement of people and cultures accelerates