THE AGE OF EXPLORATION Europe Encounters the World

Why did explorations happen when they did?  A variety of factors all came together to make the time period ( ) the “age of exploration”  Some of these factors were pushes, external forces acting on Europe  Some were pulls, motivations and things that attracted the Europeans  The Three G’s…Plus T and O:  Gold  Glory  God  Technology  Ottomans

The First G: Gold  Gold = wealth (not just gold)  Europe needed gold (and silver) to fuel the rising banking system  Europeans also desired spices (Da Gama’s voyage to India made him a 3000% profit!)  Other natural resources would come to be sold for profit as well (timber, sugar, tobacco, ivory, etc.)  This competition will be enhanced by the idea of mercantilism  Exports must exceed imports  There is only a fixed amount of wealth in the world

The Second G: Glory  Just like the first G, Gold, Glory was a relatively new idea in Europe  Came out of the Renaissance ideal of Humanism, and the focus on individual achievement  With the rise of the printing press, the idea of gaining fame for one’s actions was more possible  Think Matteo Ricci, Marco Polo, and Ibn Battuta  Also, individual kings wanted glory for their kingdoms, competition spreads The Triumph of Fame, a Flemish tapestry from 1502.

The Third G: God  As members of a universalizing religion, Europeans had always seen spreading Christianity as a good thing  Especially after the Reformation, competition will spring up  Colonization will become a race to convert native peoples to a particular brand of Christianity  Jesuits (Catholics) are some of the most active

The T: Technology  The caravel was a new, faster, more maneuverable ship  Eventually replaced by the Galleon (Spanish)  Older ships had square sails, caravels had triangular sails (easier to change direction)  Bilge pump system enabled ship to float higher (less likely to run aground, easier to explore coasts and rivers)  Compass, astrolabe, maps and other technologies from Asian culture all helped make explorations possible

The Final Piece of the Puzzle: Ottomans  You know this one…  Conquer Constantinople (1453)  Europeans see themselves in a fight for survival  Must cut out Ottomans from trade (first step – Portuguese and Dutch)  Once the Europeans realize they have found new lands, they want to exploit them for resources (second step – Portuguese, but more-so British, Spanish, French)

Portuguese strategy – Rapid expansion, establish trade “factories” across the known world, primarily Africa and Asia. Focused less on establishing colonies. Same strategy as the Dutch.

Spanish Strategy (red) – Establish colonial base in the New World for resources. Focused less on trade in Africa and Asia. This is the same strategy of the British and French.