The Age of Exploration Motives and Impact

Introduction In the late 1400’s scientific discoveries and the desire for wealth led to an age of exploration. New technologies like the compass, Caravel, and astrolabe, allowed Europeans to travel further and discover distant lands with many different goods. The desire for these goods led many nations to search for faster ways to the east.

Europeans had craved luxury goods like spices, sugar, and silk from Asia since the Middle Ages. Countries like Portugal, Spain, England, and France needed to find sea routes to get a share of this trade. This led to the many expeditions by adventurous men looking to make money. This period is the Age of Exploration.

Henry the Navigator A Portuguese Prince, Henry was a strong supporter of exploration. He set up a school for mapmakers, navigators, and shipbuilders. He also sponsored (paid for) many voyages of exploration. Portugal eventually became the dominant trader with Asia thanks to his support and the explorations of people like Vasco de Gama.

Christopher Columbus Columbus convinced the monarchs (king and queen) of Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand, to sponsor him on a trip to the west. He thought he could get to Asia faster that way. He accidentally found new land – the Americas. He thought he had found India… oops.

Exploration after Columbus After Columbus’ journeys, many European countries sponsored voyages of exploration in the Americas in an effort to make money, and to continue looking for a route to Asia

Ferdinand Magellan In 1519 Spain sponsored Magellan to sail around the world (circumnavigate). He left with 250 men and five ships. After almost 3 years, one ship returned with 18 men alive. Magellan died on the voyage, but his crew was the first to go around the earth.

Spanish Conquistadors In the early 1500’s Spanish explorers came to America in search of gold. People like Hernan Cortez, and Francisco Pizzaro invaded and conquered areas of the New World. Disease and better weapons helped these men defeat native tribes like the Aztecs and Incans.

New World View Before the discovery of the Americas, Europeans had a small world view, focusing on things close to home. Afterwards people started looking at a much larger picture of the world. Mapmakers started including the new continents on maps. One mapmaker named Amerigo Vespucci had his name added to maps of the new land.

Impact of Exploration The expansion of trade between Europe and the Americas led to big changes for all groups involved. Many things were exchanged including – people, plants, animals, diseases, culture, and ideas. This was known as the Columbian Exchange.

Triangular Trade This trade took place between America, Europe, and Africa. Sugar cane which grew in the islands off of America, took hard work to grow. Slaves from Africa were used to grow the sugar. The processed sugar was shipped to Europe. Cheap manufactured goods came from Europe to pay for the slaves. This went on for 300 years – over 10 million Africans were enslaved.

Competition for Colonies The new colonies in the Americas were making lots of money for their countries. The rivalry between countries to get more land was fierce. Portugal and Spain, the Dutch and French, and England all wanted more power. Money and land equaled power (Mercantilism). Spain, England, and France were developing quickly and competing constantly. In 1588 Spain’s navy, known as the Spanish Armada was completely destroyed by the English. This ended Spain’s dominance on the seas and made England the new power of the sea.

Europe’s Economy The growth of overseas trade and new wealth from the colonies had a big effect on the economies of Europe. The growth of Capitalism (private ownership of companies) was a major change in economic thought.

Effects of Exploration on Groups The Age of Exploration impacted many groups European explorers overcame difficult sea voyages to search for wealth and fame – some died, some became rich Africans were enslaved by the millions to work in the new colonies in the Triangle Trade Asians were able to trade more frequently with Europeans, but also lost ports in their land Native Americans were conquered and killed in large numbers by European colonizers like Cortez and Pizarro