Age of Exploration

Causes “God, glory, and gold” Rise of “new” monarchies resulted in competition Search for new knowledge Improved navigation technology Commercial Revolution Religious desire

Advancements in Technology Advances in astronomy Instruments Magnetic compass Latitude Quadrant - 1450 Mariner’s astrolabe - 1480 Cross staff - 1550

Ships Portuguese caravel Lateen sail and rope rigging Axial rudder Lighter, faster ship suited for exploration along African Coast Could sail into the wind Lateen sail and rope rigging Quickly maneuver to take advantage of wind Axial rudder Improved mobility

Portugal Motives for exploration Economic – all water route to Asia Religious – looking for help against Muslims

Prince Henry the Navigator 1394-1460 Financed numerous expeditions along the West African coastline in hopes of finding gold

Bartholomew Dias 1450-1500 Rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1488

Vasco da Gama 1469-1525 Followed Dias route and completed all water travel to India in 1498 Brought back Indian goods creating a huge demand This hurt the Italian monopoly trade with Asia

Amerigo Vespucci 1454-1512 Explored Brazil “America” named after him after he falsely proclaimed he was first to sight new land (Cabral actually was first)

Portugal’s colonies Brazil Administrative structure similar to that of Spain in the New World In the 17th century, large numbers of slaves from Africa were brought to help import Significant racial mixture between whites, Amerindians, and blacks resulted

Christopher Columbus (Spain) 1451-1506 Ferdinand and Isabella financed voyages 1492, reached the Bahamas, believing he had reached the “Indies” His four expeditions charted most of the major islands in the Caribbean His expeditions ushered in an era of European exploration and domination of the New World

Bartholomew de las Casas 1474-1566 A Brief account of the destruction of the Indies Publically criticized Columbus on his treatment of Amerindians Spread “black legend” in Protestant countries where Spain was accused of using Christianity ostensibly killing natives England was just as guilty

Treaty of Tordesillas 1494 Spain sought to secure Columbus’ discoveries New world divided Portugal Brazil and claims in Africa Spain Rest of Americas

Vasco Nunez de Balboa 1475-1517 Discovered Pacific Ocean in 1513

Ferdinand Magellan 1480-1521 His ship was the first to circumnavigate the globe Was killed in Philippines by natives

Conquistadores Hernando do Cortes Francisco Pizarro 1485-1547 Conquered Aztecs in Mesoamerica by 1521 Francisco Pizarro 1478-1541 Conquered Inca Empire along with Andes Mountains in 1532

“Golden Age of Spain” “New Imperialism” Colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country Mining gold and silver very important 1/5th of findings went to crown Goods shipped to Americas and did not allow for natives to form industries (no competition)

Encomienda System Why? Spanish government sought to reduce the savage exploitation of Amerindians in the Spanish Empire Laws against exploitation was poorly enforced

Encomienda System Amerindians worked for an owner certain days, and for themselves others Spain’s ability to utilize labor was major reason why the Spanish Empire imported few slaves from Africa Mestizos Spaniards married Amerindian women creating mixed descent Creoles Spaniards born in the New World to Spanish parents

“Old Imperialism” Africa and Asia Characterized by establishing posts and forts on coastal regions This was complete opposite of “New Imperialism” Entire nations were conquered and exploited

Portugal Trading Posts By 1495, Portugal had established forts and posts along the Guinea Coast Da Gama set up trading posts in India

Alphonso d’ Albuquerque 1453-1515 Laid foundation for Portuguese imperialism Established strategy of making coastal regions a base to control the Indian Ocean Did not seek to create an empire by penetrating inland Established an empire in Spice Island after 1510

Francis Xavier 1506-1552 Led Jesuit missionaries to Asia where by 1550, thousands of natives had been converted to Christianity in India, Indonesia, and Japan

Dutch Republic Dutch East India Company Founded in 1602 and became force behind Dutch imperialism Expelled Portuguese from Ceylon and other Spice Islands By 1650, began challenging Spain in the New World and controlled much of the American and African trade

France Jacques Cartier Quebec 1491-1557 In search of a Northwest Passage, he explored the St. Lawrence River region of Canada Quebec France’s first settlement in the New World, not founded until 1608

England Came into exploration relatively late John Cabot 1425-1500 Explored northeast coast of North America Henry VII not interested in colonization since no gold or silver was found

England Jamestown (Virginia) First permanent settlement, English Founded 1607 Tens of thousands of Englishmen came to the eastern coast of North America in the 17th and 18th century Far more then France, Spain, and Portugal