Exploration and Technology Chapter 3, Lesson 1

Lesson Objectives Explain the reasons for European exploration. Explain the technology that made ocean exploration possible.

Vocabulary Technology Navigation Expedition Empire Entrepreneur Cost Benefit Reconquista

A Rush of New Ideas In the 1400’s, a new age of learning, science, and art began in Europe called the Renaissance. The Renaissance, which means “rebirth”, began in Italy and spread across Europe. Johannes Gutenberg helped spread these new ideas by developing the printing press in the 1450s. The Travels of Marco Polo became a popular book which told of great inventions, silk, and spices that could be found in China. Sailors and scientists began to work to find a way to travel to China by sea.

Gutenberg Press

Marco Polo 1254-1324

The World Awaits In 1418, Prince Henry of Portugal opened a school of navigation. The aim of the school was to make better ships, maps, and tools for navigation. The magnetic compass was a tool sailors used to find direction. The astrolabe was a tool that helped sailors find their latitude –their distance north or south of the equator.

Prince Henry the Navigator and His Students

Magnetic Compass

Astrolabe

Caravel

The World Awaits (continued) Europeans knew of Asia because of Marco Polo’s book and because of trade. Traders had been using an ancient land route between China and Italy called the Silk Road for many years.

The Silk Road

The World Awaits (continued) Europeans also traded with North Africa. North African cities such as Timbuktu, and Jenne’ were centers of wealthy empires.

The World Awaits (continued) Europeans generally did not know there were other continents beyond Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Vikings had sailed as far as Canada in the year A.D.1000, but had not realized Canada was part of an entire new continent.

The Business of Exploring Explorers ran their explorations as businesses. They had to be entrepreneurs to generate the money it cost to run the expedition. Explorers had to persuade investors to give them the money for the expedition. The investor would expect to benefit from their investment through the riches the explorer found.

The Business of Exploring (continued) Christopher Columbus believed he could reach the Indies by sailing west. Columbus first asked the King of Portugal to finance his voyage, but was turned down. Then in 1485 Columbus asked the king and queen of Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand, and was again turned down.

The Business of Exploring (continued) Finally, in 1492, after Spain had finished the Reconquista, Isabella and Ferdinand agreed to pay for Columbus’s voyage.

Two Worlds Meet On August 3, 1492, Columbus and a crew of nearly 90 sailed from Spain on three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The voyage was long and frightening. The crew was losing hope. On October 12, land was finally spotted.

Two Worlds Meet (continued) When Columbus and his crew went ashore, they called the native people they met Indians, since he thought he was in the Indies. Columbus did not know he had discovered an entire new continent! When Columbus and his men returned back to Europe, they were treated like heroes.

Two Worlds Meet (continued) The king and queen of Spain were pleased and paid for more voyages. Columbus was expected to find more riches, start settlements, and convert people he met to the Catholic religion.