The Beginning of the Age of Exploration The Impact of the Renaissance on Exploration: Inspired a new sense of adventure & curiosity New scientific advances made expanding exploration possible Increased wealth led to desire for goods from the East Reasons for Exploration: Crusades, a series of Holy Wars in between Christians & Muslims in Middle East introduced luxury goods to European markets Increased wealth among merchant & artisan class led to greater desire for luxury goods Muslims controlled all eastern trade routes making the trip very dangerous & goods very expensive Desire to spread Christianity to Asia New technology made navigation easier & safer
Leading the Way, Portugal Portugal was the first European nation to establish trading outposts along the West Coast of Africa Prince Henry of Portugal supported expanding European Exploration of Africa & Asia Created a school to teach sailors & navigators Hired the best navigators to develop better ships, navigational methods & navigational technology Commissioned mapmakers to map Africa Reaching Asia: Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to reach the tip of Africa Vasco da Gama first European to reach India by sailing around Africa
Trading Empires in the Indian Ocean Portugal built large trading empires in Africa & India Took control of Indian Spice Trade from Ottoman Muslims after a series of naval battles Built a fort at the Straits of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, blocking Muslim trade in region Captured the Spice Islands (Maluccas) making Portugal a VERY RICH nation Spain s Ferdinand Magellan claims lands in Philippines Netherlands (Dutch) creates largest naval fleet in Europe, challenges Portuguese domination in Africa & Asia Takes Java, the Spice Islands, & most of Indonesia from Portugal Establishes trading outpost at Cape of Good Hope, controlling European access around Africa to Asia France & England create small claims throughout Asia & African, but will turn to the Americas
Spain Begins Exploration Portugal dominating African & Asia trade Spain desires own trade routes & trading ports, but unable to claim coastlines along West Africa Ferdinand & Isabella, king & queen of Spain, agree to finance expeditions to find new routes Christopher Columbus develops new plan to reach Asia New theory developed by navigators & scientists states that the Earth is round, not flat Columbus predicts that if a ship sails West, it will eventually reach Asia Ferdinand & Isabella agree to finance Columbus on a voyage to reach Asia Columbus is believed to reach Asia (in fact was in the South America)
The Voyages of Columbus Columbus sets out to discover new trading route to Asia for Spain Ferdinand & Isabella sponsor Columbus expedition Three ships: Nina, Pinta, & Santa Maria Depart from Spain on August 3, 1492 Voyage took over three months, much longer than anticipated Landed on an island in the Bahamas, named it San Salvador Named the native people Indios because he thought he was near India (native people were the Tainos) Created a colony on the island Hispanola (La Navidad) Ferdinand & Isabella funded three more trips New Goals for Columbus s Expeditions to explore for gold & silver To establish colonies To spread Christianity
Continuing Exploration Portuguese Exploration Pedro Alvares Cabral explores eastern coast of South America & claims Brazil for Portugal Amerigo Vespucci sent by Portugal to survey area Determines that it is NOT India, but a New World New lands named America after Amerigo Spanish Exploration: Vasco Nunez Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama & becomes the first European to see the Pacific Ferdinand Magellan sent to map new ocean Sets out with 250 men & five ships Starvation, disease, & fighting become severe problems Three years later, 18 men and 1 ship return to Spain (Magellan killed in Philippines) Tensions increase between Spain & Portugal over new territories Agree to divide area along a line of demarcation, known as the Treaty of Tordesillas
Spanish Conquests ~ the Violence Begins Spain s main goal in exploration is to gain wealth in Gold & Silver, create new colonies, and spread Christianity Sent large numbers of conquistadors, paid professional soldiers/conquerors Hernando Cortés & the Aztec While establishing colonies in Caribbean islands, Cortés heard rumors of silver & gold on mainland South America Cortés & 600 conquistadors invade Aztec Mexico, eventually reaching Tenochtitlan, the Aztec Capital Montezuma II, Aztec Ruler, fears Cortés invasion & agrees to give Cortés gold in exchange for being left alone War breaks out following a massacre during an Aztec holy celebration/aztec lacked weaponry & armor of Spanish Following conquering of Aztec, the natives become slaves Disease spreads rapidly & natives lack immunity Native Americans died by the millions (between 1492-1700, population declined by 90%)
Spanish Conquests ~ the Violence Spreads Following the fall of the Aztec, Spain looks to South America for new conquests Francisco Pizarro hears rumors of a great empire in the Andes Mountains Atahualpa was leader of the Incas, which had created a vast empire throughout Andes & the Amazon basin Pizarro arranges a peaceful meeting to ask for safe passage for him & 200 men thru Incan territory The meeting was an ambush/atahualpa captured Inca agree to ransom back their king, but Spanish execute him instead Spanish Pattern of Conquest Known as the encomienda system Imposed Spanish culture on conquered peoples Sent missionaries to convert natives to Christianity Anyone who resisted Spanish rule were turned into slaves All land divided into huge plantations, natives were to work the plantations first then own land Intermarried with native peoples creating a large Mestizo population
Spanish Exploration of North America Spanish colonies in the New World helped make Spain one of the most powerful nations in Europe Gold & silver flooded markets in Europe Created a vast navy to protect its ships crossing the Atlantic Spanish Explorers in North America: Juan Ponce de Leon Explored the Florida Peninsula Francisco de Coronado Explored the Southwest in search of gold Due to lack of gold, missionaries & priests would settle this area to convert natives to Christianity Hernando de Soto Explored the Southeast, including Georgia, Alabama, & Mississippi
Opposition to Spanish Rule The Role of the Priests: Missionaries founded many settlements for the purpose to converting natives to Catholicism Openly opposed the treatment of the native Americans and the encomienda system Bartolomé de Las Casas was a Spanish priest & missionary who argued before the monarchy to end the encomienda system Opening of African Slave Trade: Due to massive loss of native Americans, Spanish needed to find a new labor supply Native Americans began resisting Spanish rule resulting in a series of wars & rebellions Pueblo leader, Popé, forced Spanish military out of Southwest for 12 years Spain began importing slaves from Africa to replace lost native American workers