1. Aim: How successful was the Age of Exploration?
Do Now: If it were possible, would you want to explore a distant galaxy? Why or why not?

2. I What was the Age of Exploration?
From the th centuries, Western Europe increased its exploration of the world. This was due to:
The Renaissance and Scientific Revolution increasing Europeans curiosity about the world
The Ottoman Turks blocked access to the Silk Road.
Newly formed European nation states competed for colonies overseas. This led to the new economic system of mercantilism.

3. Mercantilism
Mercantilism is an economic system where the parent nation exploits the resources of its colonies.

4. II Improved Technology
Portolan Maps
Magnetic Compass
Caravel Ships
Astrolabe
Lines on portolan maps radiated out from compass points.
An improvement on the Chinese compass. Used an iron needle that aligns with the Earth’s north-south magnetic poles.
Built by the Portuguese and Spanish. Unlike medieval ships, they could go against the wind, and long distances.
Astrolabes used the stars and sun to find the ship’s latitude.

5. Caravel Ships
Triangular sails enabled the caravel ship to sail into the wind.
The smooth, rounded hull handled high seas well.
The large center rudder allowed for quick turns.

6. III Portugal and Spain’s 1st Explorers
Portuguese and Spanish explorers were the earliest European nations to voyage into the Atlantic ocean during the Age of Exploration.
Mediterranean Sea
The Atlantic Ocean

8. Portugal and Spain’s 1st Explorers Continued…
Henry “The Navigator”
(1394 – 1460)
Bartolomeu Dias
(1451 – 1500)
Vasco de Gama
(1460 – 1524)
1. Created a naval school to make better maps & ships, and train for long voyages
2. Began exploring West Coast of Africa & establishing colonies.
In 1488 he sailed around the Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of Africa). Due to the intense winds he turned back.
In 1497 he sailed east from Europe, around Africa, then went on to India.

9. Excerpt from Vasco de Gama’s Journal
… 14 or 15 natives came to where our ship lay. The captain… showed them a variety of merchandise… included cinnamon, cloves, gold, and many other things, but it was evident that they had no knowledge whatever of such articles, and they were consequently given round bells and tin rings…

10. Portugal and Spain’s 1st Explorers Continued…
Christopher Columbus
(1451 – 1506)
To be discussed later in this lesson!
Ferdinand Magellan
(1480 – 1521)
1. From Portugal. His goal was to circumnavigate (sail around) the world.
2. He set sail August 10, 1519 with 5 ships and 251 men.
3. In 1521 Magellan was killed in the Philippines.
4. In 1522 one ship returned with 18 survivors.
His name in Italian is Christophero Colombo.

11. IV The life of a Sailor
Journeys could take years; ships only covered about 100 miles a day. The pay was poor. Beatings and floggings were common for disobedience, and mutineers [sailors who defied their captain] were put to death. 16 was the average starting age for sailors, but some boys started working on ships at 8 years old. Some ships used slaves. A sailor’s diet was mostly salted meat and hardtack [hard dry biscuits]. Sailors drank ale or hard liquor, leading to alcoholism. Lack of fresh fruits & vegetables led to scurvy. Lice, rodents and dirty water spread typhoid fever. Captains didn’t have it much better than their crews. Magellan didn’t make it around the world with his ships; he was killed in the Philippines. A fight over stolen boats ended Cook’s life in Hawaii. Hudson’s crew set him adrift in what is now Hudson’s Bay; he was never heard from again.

12. V Consequences of the Age of Exploration
Positive
Negative ?
New food crops such as potatoes and corn led to a vast global exchange of goods. (Columbian Exchange)
Millions of Europeans settled in New World colonies
European sailors died from syphilis and scurvy.
Millions of Native Americans died of European diseases such as smallpox.
Europeans began the Atlantic trade.
Mercantilism became the economic policy of colonizing European nations.
Europeans brought Christianity to the New World.

14. Consequences of the Age of Exploration Continued…
Syphilis is a deadly STD that was spread by Natives of the New World to European explorers.
Scurvy is a disease due to a lack of vitamin C. Sailors prevented it by eating limes or lemons.
Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria which spreads through contaminated food and water.

16. Summary Questions
Why did Western Europeans want to find alternative routes to India and East Asia?
Describe 2 new technologies that allowed the Portuguese and Spanish to explore Africa and India during the Age of Exploration.
List 2 Portuguese or Spanish explorers (NOT Columbus). Where did they go and why? Were they successful?
Why do you think that the Europeans explored and colonized the New World, rather than Native Americans exploring and colonizing Europe?

17. Key Vocabulary Age of Exploration Typhoid Fever Astrolabe
Vasco de Gama
Bartolomeu Dias
Caravel Ship
Ferdinand Magellan
King Henry the Navigator
Magnetic Compass
Mercantilism
Ottoman Turks
Portolan Map
Scurvy
Syphilis