1. Age of Exploration Portuguese & Spanish Explorers

2. Mercantilism The economic theory that a country’s wealth should be measured in bullion (gold and silver) European nations got bullion by establishing colonies in Africa, the Americas, and Asia

3. Portugal Prince Henry the Navigator: 1420-1430 –Goal was to find gold for Portugal –Sailed along the west coast of Africa –Traded for gold, slaves and ivory

4. Portugal Bartholomew Diaz: 1487-1488 –Sailed around the Cape of Good Hope (southern tip of Africa) –Found a route to the Indian Ocean

5. Portugal Vasco de Gama: 1497-1499 –Went further into the Indian Ocean –First to trade with India by sea –Easier and cheaper to go by sea than by land

6. Spain Reconquista: 1492 –King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella drove all the Muslim Moors out of Spain –Began the Spanish Inquisition –Reconquista = “Reconquer”

7. Spain Treaty of Tordesillas: 1493 –Pope draws a north-south line in South America –Spain got territory west of the line –Portugal got territory east of the line WHO GOT THE BETTER DEAL?

9. Spain Christopher Columbus: 1492-1504 –Wanted to find a westward route to India –Landed on Hispaniola (Haiti/DR) –Named it “West Indies” thinking he was in India –Died thinking he went to India –Columbian Exchange: Trade of products, plants, animals & disease between Europe and the “New World”

11. Spain Amerigo Vespucci: 1497-1504 –Didn’t think Columbus was in Asia –First to call it the “New World” –Both North and South America are named for him

12. Spain Ponce de Leon: 1513 –Explored into Florida –Looking for the “Fountain of Youth”—one drink and you remain young forever

13. Spain Ferdinand Magellan: 1519-1522 –Proved the New World was not part of Asia –Circumnavigated the globe –Named the Pacific Ocean “Pacificus” meaning “calm” –Killed in the Philippines

14. Spain Hernan Cortez: 1519 –Invaded Mexico –Seized and destroyed the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan –Killed King Montezuma II –Introduced horses and smallpox into Mesoamerica

15. Spain Francisco Pizarro: 1530 –Invaded Cusco, capital of the Incan empire in Peru –Captured and killed king Atahualpa –Destroyed the Incan empire –Introduced smallpox into South America