Lesson 2, A Changing World Main Question: Why did Europeans explore the Americas, and did they find? Objectives:  Describe the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of early explorers.  Trace the routes of the explorers and identify the areas they claimed. John Cabot 1497 – Cabot reaches Newfoundland Amerigo Vespucci Vasco Nunez de Balboa Balboa reaches the Pacific Ocean Ferdinand Magellan 1522 – The Magellan expedition completes a voyage around the world.

Columbus returned three times to what he thought was the Indies He never found great riches. But he did show that it was possible to sail across the Atlantic His trips inspired several European rulers to send ships west to claim lands. Europeans will soon begin to create a new culture in the undiscovered Americas.

What Columbus was looking at, which greatly influenced his plans. Notice Cathay, China. And how he decided to sail south.

Columbus’ Four Expeditions

England sends John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) 1497 King Henry VII sends an expedition to claim land Cabot and his crew leave England, and sail far north of Columbus. He reaches land, and claims it for England. Naming it Newfoundland and Labrador. What was the aim of King Henry VII when he paid for Cabot’s expedition? to help England compete for land and wealth.

Lief Ericson, and the Vikings Had visited North America almost 500 years before Columbus

Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci, and others, did not believe Columbus reached Asia. In 1499 he sailed to a place just south of where Columbus had landed. Two years later he sailed down the coast of South America. He looked for signs that he reached Asia, but found none. The places he saw did not match Marco Polo’s descriptions of Asia. Vespucci began to think that the world was much larger than most people had thought. Which means, Asia was much farther from Europe than Columbus thought. Over time, Vespucci came to realize that he, Columbus and Cabot had found new lands not yet known to Europeans.

Martin Waldseemuller – publishes a new map of the world. He names the new lands in honor of Amerigo Vespucci.

Reaching the Pacific Vasco Nunez de Balboa Balboa set up a farm on the island of Hispaniola Was not a successful farmer He owed people money, and decided to escape He boarded a ship for what is present day Columbia He met settlers of a failed Spanish settlement. And helped them start a new settlement in present day Panama. Balboa and his group hear about an ocean west, the Pacific. They proved Amerigo Vespucci was right about an unknown continent.

A New View of the World Ferdinand Magellan Also proved Vespucci was right. In 1519, Magellan left Spain with five ships and 250 sailors. They passed a waterway at the tip of south America and saw the same ocean Balboa had seen. Magellan named it the Pacific, which means “peaceful.” It seemed calmer than the Atlantic. Magellan thought he could cross the Pacific in a few days, it took three months. Many died of hunger and illness. Magellan was killed in a battle in the Phillipine Islands, but one ship of sailors was able to make it home to Spain.

Magellan’s Expedition around the World

The Treaty of Tordesillas In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed a treaty. The Catholic rulers of these countries asked the Church to settle a land dispute. So they drew a line. Spain was promised land west.