Section 1 The Age of Exploration

Objectives  1. Explain what happened to the Vikings who explored Newfoundland.  2. Describe the voyages of Christopher Columbus.  3. Describe the expeditions of such Spanish explorers as Vasco Nunez de Balboa and Ferdinand Magellan.  4. Explain the importance of the Columbian Exchange.

Key Terms and People  Christopher Columbus  Vasco Nunez de Balboa  Ferdinand Magellan  Strait  Circumnavigate

A. First Visitors From Europe  1. The Vikings a. seagoing people who originally lived in the part of northern Europe known as Scandinavia. b. Scientists found the remains of an early Viking settlement in Newfoundland. c. Leif Erikson sailed from a colony in Greenland in 1001 to explore land farther west. d. They explored the region and named it Vinland.

A. First Visitors From Europe  2. The Voyages of Columbus a. Columbus thought he could reach Asia and the East by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. b. He sailed on Portuguese ships, studied maps and charts, and learned about the world beyond Europe. c. The king of Portugal refused to finance his trip. d. He moved to Spain and presented his plan to Kind Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

A. First Visitors From Europe  3. Setting Sail a. In 1492, about 90 men, mostly Spaniards, prepared to make the voyage. b. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. c. Believing he was in the Asian islands the Indies, Columbus called these people Indians. d. Columbus set sail for Spain in January of 1493.

A. First Visitors From Europe  4. Spain Backs More Voyages a. Columbus reported that there was gold in the “West Indies.” b. In September of 1493, he set sail for the “West Indies.” c. Boats filled with priests, soldiers, and settlers planned to colonize and rule the land while trying to spread Christianity.

A. First Visitors From Europe  d. On the second voyage, Columbus discovered other islands, including Puerto Rico  e. 12 of his ships returned to Spain with gold, trinkets, and captives.  f. On his third expedition, reached South America and decided it was the Asian mainland.  g. When Columbus died, he was still convinced that he had reached Asia.

B. The Continuing Search for Asia  1. America a. Italian Explorer who followed the route charted by Columbus. b. A German mapmaker labeled the region “the land of Amerigo”, which was shortened to “America” c. Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spanish colonist, explored the Caribbean coast of what is now Panama. d. He became the first European to set eyes on the Pacific Ocean.

B. The Continuing Search for Asia  e. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, set out to find an Atlantic- Pacific passage in  f. strait – a narrow passage that connects two large bodies of water.  g. At the southern tip of Argentina, his ships made it to what is called the Strait of Magellan  Circumnavigate – travel around the world

C. The Columbian Exchange  1. The Columbian Exchange is a transfer of people, products, and ideas between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.  2. Positive Effects a. Europeans introduced cows, hogs, and other domestic animals to the Western Hemisphere. Food plants such as wheat and oats

C. The Columbian Exchange  3. Negative Effects a. Europeans brought germs to which Native Americans had no immunity. b. Smallpox, chickenpox, measels, and other diseases killed thousands of Native Americans

C. The Columbian Exchange  4. Impact on Europe a. The Americas introduced llamas, turkeys, squirrels, and muskrats to the rest of the world. b. More importantly were the crops that Native Americans taught the Europeans to cultivate. c. These plants account for nearly one third of the world’s food supply.