1. What were the Causes and Tools for European Exploration in the 15th Century?
Global History & Geography
10th Grade Boys & Girls / Al-Madinah School
Monday, May 06, 2019

2. What is Exploration? To find out To learn about new things To discover
To survey for resources
Technically It means, “the expeditions of European nations in the 15th and 16th centuries to Asia, Africa and Americas to look for business opportunities.”

3. Causes of Exploration Europeans have provided 3 reasons: Known as 3 Gs
God: To spread Christianity
Glory: To gain name & fame
Gold: To gain wealth
To look for an alternative sea route to Asia
Ottoman control of Constantinople and Muslim & Italian control of Eastern Mediterranean.

4. Alternate Route

5. Means & Tools of Explorations
Spanish Reconquista
Marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon & Isabella of Castile in 1469
Conquest of Granada in 1492
Expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Spain.
Political and religious unity of Spain was achieved.

6. Technology The Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg invented movable printing press in 1456
This enabled literacy to spread
Books were made easily available
Europeans learned about geography easily.

7. Technology Contd… Gunpowder Naval Technology
Muslim traders introduced gunpowder to Europe in the 1200s.
New Military weapons were made.
Portuguese started to equip their ships with cannons
Naval Technology
New Maps (cartography)
Magnetic Compass
Astrolabe
New Ships (Caravels)

8. Early Explorations Portuguese takes the lead
Prince Henry (the Navigator) establishes navigation school in Lisbon
Gathers scientists, cartographers and shipbuilders
Bartholomeu Dias explores West coast of Africa and reaches Cape of Good Hope
Vasco Da Gama sails acorss Indian Ocean and reaches Indian port of Goa.

9. Spain & Portugal
Constantinople
Italy
Goa
Cape Town

10. Columbus & Portuguese-Spanish Rivalry
Isabella funded an expedition of Italian sailor Christopher Columbus to sail across Atlantic to reach India by going westward
Columbus reached Hispaniola in the Caribbean in 1492.
Both Spain and Portugal claimed the island.
In 1493 Pope Alexander VI mediated a treaty between the two countries.
Treaty of Tordesillas settled the dispute

11. Homework
Questions 1, 2, 4 and 5 on page 413