The Search for Spices

Warm-Up  Do you think Columbus “discovered” America? Why or why not?

Europeans Explore the Seas  As Europe’s population grew, so did the demand for trade goods Most demanded items were SPICES: clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper Used to preserve food, add flavor & make medicine/perfume  Chief source of Spices: Asia (Spice Islands) European explorers wanted to gain direct access to Asia

Improved Technologies  Astrolabe- Device used to measure the angles of the sun and stars above the horizon; determined latitude  Caravel- Ship that combined the square sails of the Europeans with triangular sails of Arabs; easier to sail across or into wind

Portugal’s Voyages to the East  Henry the Navigator gathered scientists, cartographers & other experts to send out ships  Bartholomeu Dias- Rounded the southern tip of Africa Cape of Good Hope- opened the way for a sea route to Asia  Vasco da Gama- Reached spice port in India Journey took a heavy toll. Many sailors died of scurvy-disease caused by lack of vitamin C

Columbus’ Voyages to the West  Columbus wanted to reach the Indies by sailing west across the Atlantic Did Columbus think the world was flat?  Greatly underestimated the size of the earth  Unaware that two continents stood in his path

Voyages of Columbus  “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue”  Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain financed his journey  Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria  He believed he reached the Indies  Indians

Line of Demarcation  Spain & Portugal rushed to claim lands that Columbus explored  Line of Demarcation- divides the Non-European world into two zones Spain had exploration rights in any lands west of line Portugal had rights east of line

Naming the New World  Italian sailor Amerigo Vespucci wrote reports about the “New world” Mapmaker labeled region America Islands Columbus explored became known as West Indies

The Search Continues  Ferdinand Magellan- set out from Spain. Charted a passage that became known as Strait of Magellan at tip of South America  His crew was first to circumnavigate-sail around- the world. (he died on the voyage)

Search for a Northwest Passage  English, Dutch & French searched for a northwest passage to Asia  John Cabot- found rich fishing grounds off Newfoundland; he claimed for England  Henry Hudson- Sailed for the Dutch, explored the Hudson River Hudson Bay