The Age of Exploration

Causes of Exploration Renaissance ideas of humanism and intellectual progress God: Reformation and Counter- Reformation create desires to convert people to religions Gold: Desire for Luxury Goods and Wealth Glory: Stood to become famous (and rich!) off of exploration Advances in Technology Better navigation devices (compass) Shipbuilding improved (larger, faster ships)

Who Started the Age of Exploration? Portugal: Prince Henry the Navigator funded many expeditions to the Atlantic Ocean and Africa Main Goal: Find a water route around Africa to India Spain: Supported by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella Main Goal: Wanted to seek new routes to the East (India and China) Other European Countries will eventually start exploration England The Netherlands France

Consequences of the Age of Exploration Colonialism one country taking over and settling in land in another region Starts a larger trend of Europeans moving to the Americas Columbian Exchange Global exchange of goods, plants, animals and diseases between the Americas and Europe

The Columbian Exchange From Europe, Africa, and Asia to the Americas Cattle Chickens Donkeys Horses Pigs Bananas Sugary Coffee Diseases: Smallpox, Influenza, Measles, Cholera From the Americas to Europe Guinea Pigs Turkeys Beans Chocolate Corn Potatoes Pecans Pineapples Rubber Tobacco Tomatoes Vanilla

Results of the Columbian Exchange Crops native to Americas became key parts of the European Diet (Potato in Ireland  later Potato Famine causes many to die) Improves health of Europeans and Asians b/c of better food choices  Increase life expectancy and population growth New economic activities in Americas (coffee plantations, cattle ranches) Introduction of New Diseases dramatically decreases Native American population

Additional Consequences of the Age of Exploration Impact on Native American Population New diseases killed millions of Native Americans 90% of population dies Colonization leads to need for more workers Creation of the Atlantic Slave Trade Caused by decline in Native American population Needed greater work force  look to Africa million Africans to Americas

CCOT Question (choose one) 1) Pick ONE of the following regions and analyze the continuities and changes in the region’s connections to the world trading systems from 1450 to Be sure to explain how alterations in framework of international trade interacted with regional factors to produce continuities & changes throughout the period. China, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Middle East 3) Analyze the social and economic transformations that occurred in the Atlantic world as a result of new contacts among Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas from 1492 to 1750.