--------------------------------------------------------------AGE OF EXPLORATION

The Chain of Events that led to the Discovery of New Worlds

These Events Lead to the Discovery of America.
THE DARK AGES
Rule by strong men(indiviuals) & their clans(Fear, Force and Uncertainty). No countries. Read:Bjami
[Barney] Herjulfson.
476-

Fall of Rome : rule by law!!

-The Dark Ages begin (1st Year of Middle Ages)
-Learning almost stops, civilization is fragmented
-Reading, writing, medicine, laws almost disappear

622-

Mohammed began the Religion of Islam

-Conquered the Middle East, North Africa

732-

The Battle of Tours- The Christian Coalition led by Charles Martel defeated the
Muslim army.

742 to 814-

Charlemagne
-1st Holy Roman Emperor
-Tried to relight the torch of learning
Pg. 10, 11 in Pageant --NOT IN PAST AND PRESENT

847-

Norsemen - Began exploring across the Atlantic to North America.

- Eric the Red 982=Iceland, Greenland
-Bjarni 986 =- Bjarni Herjulfsson-Maybe the first to discover
North America.
Ericson 1000 =Newfoundland, Greenland pg. 15
- The Vikings had no writing thus knowledge was not shared through the written
word.
Feudalism was The Social Structure of the Middle Ages & The government structure
of the Middle Ages. PRIMOGENATOR!!

The ChurchThis became the most powerful institution in Europe. This institution gave hope to
peasants. Life after death, they believed, could be better than life on Earth.
THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES
Change begins. The Church emerges as the most powerful institution in the world.
1095 to 1272- Crusades Holy Wars fought by Christians against Moslems.
-Christians (Europe) VS Moslems (Middle East). pg. 16
*IMPORTANCE- The Crusades brought about contact with new learning and
new trade goods: Silk, Spices, Gold, etc.- these were the riches of the Far East,

Europeans developed a taste for these items.

Consequences of the Crusades
1. Breakdown of Feudalism
2. Power of the Church was weakened
3. Trade between Europe and the East increased
4. Rise of Nationalism
5. Renaissance
ITALIAN Trade Centers- Genoa, Florence & Venice
-Crusaders left from these cities to fight the Moslems in Jerusalem. These Italian
merchants became the Middle Men in trading with the Far East.
1275 to 1295- Marco Polo
-Venetian merchant
-Traveled to China, lived with Kublai Khan, wrote an adventure book about
-Cathy = the Kingdom of China.
IMPORTANCE-Polos book sparked interest in finding an easier and less expressive
means of trading with the Far East. Maybe an all water route to the East could be found.
1300-

The Renaissance : a rebirth of learning!!!

-Began in the Italian city states of Northern Italy.
-People, once again, became curious to learn. They began to look outward, and they
looked for trade opportunities (like a water route to the East) and new ideas.
Arabs taught ideas on latitude and ocean currents to Christian Italians.
Nationalism: kings began to unite peoples of like culture into political entities.

1420-

Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) / son of Alfonso II- 1384

-Established an informal school for sailors at Sagres, on the southern tip of Portugal
-Astronomers, Geographers, & Mathematicians shared learning with captains & pilots
-Discovered Madeira and Azores
The Change == Nation States Emerged:
1. Kings subordinated nobles
2. Feudalism broke down
3. United countries (Nations) became colonial Empire builders
4. CAPITAL = Money for investment

1453-

The Turks closed Constantinople

-The city was the trade center for the East and the West
-Stopped the flow of riches from the East to Europe
This was a MOTIVE- it intensified the search for another route to the Far East.

1456-

Gutenburg (the PC of the Middle Ages)

-Invented the Printing Press (technology)
-Knowledge could be shared cheaply and rapidly.

1460-

Prince Henry died.

1474-

Paolo Toscanelli
-Italian physician, lived in Florence, Italy
-Map maker: Showed Europe and Asia to be only a couple weeks of sailing apart.
-Columbus got a copy of his map and used it to convince people to finance a voyage of
discovery, with optimism, self-reliance, adventure Spirit of Renaissance
-Columbus voyage plan - Sailing west to come East
-3,000 miles of sailing to get to Asia
-Columbus made his 1st Proposal to the Portuguese in 1484

1481-

Spain unites as a nation

THE BREAKTHROUGH
European geographers of the 15th Century believed that there were two Ocean routes for reaching the
East (India, China, and the East Indies)
Route #1
1488-

Route #2
1492-

Bartholomeu Dias
-Portuguese
-Sailed around the Cape of Good Hope
-King John II pushed exploration that would reach India by sailing around Southern
Africa.

Christopher Columbus Spanish 90 men 3 ships

-August 3,1492 sailed for East Indies = October 12, Sighted land.
-Landed on San Salvador,(Holy Savior)-Watling Island in the Bahamas.
-1451- Columbus was born in Genoa. He was an Italian sailing for Spain.
-Theorized that one could sail West and reach China.
-He gave Spain claim to the New World!!

1494-

Pope Alexander VI
-Divided Non-Christian World between Spain and Portugal (Treaty of Tordesillas)
-Papal Line of Demarcation

1497-

John Cabot England 2 Voyages for King Henry VII.

-Name of Ship Mathew Probably came to Labrador .
-1498 Died Did not return from his second trip.
- He gave England claim to North America.

1498-

Vasco de Gama Portuguese

-Sailed from Lisbon
-Reached the port of Calicut, India. He gave Portugal claim to India and proved you
could sail around the southern tip of Africa and reach the Indies.
SIGNIFICANCE- Portuguese broke the grip of Italian commercial cities

NOTE: Explain the difference between the West Indies and the East Indies

1500-

Cabral Portuguese
-Found and claimed Brazil for Portugal

1501

-Amerigo Vespucci
-Agent for a banking firm who became an explorer.
-1492 Met with Columbus sailors, and in 1501, he explored the Amazon River.
He determined that the Amazon river basin was in a New Continent (South America)

1506-

Columbus died.

1507-

Martin Waldseemuller
-Wrote a geography book
-Credited Amerigo Vespucci with finding a new continent

1481
UNITED
SPAIN

Spain was the country authorized by the Pope to colonize the New World:
1. To Christianize the Indian
2. To Find Wealth
3. For Adventure
WEALTH MEANS POWER!!
-The king and queen who united Spain were: Ferdinand of Aragon, Naples, & Sicily who
married Isabella of Castile & Indies
-They united Spain and defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Granada (1492)

THE EMPIRE OF SPAIN

The Columbian Exchange also known as the Grand Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of
animals, plants, culture, human populations (including slaves), communicable disease, and ideas between the
Western and Eastern Hemispheres following the voyage to the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
[1]:163
The term was coined in 1972 by Alfred W. Crosby, a historian at the University of Texas at Austin, in his
same-titled work of environmental history.[2][3]:27 The contact between the two areas circulated a wide variety of
new crops and livestock which supported increases in population in both hemispheres. Explorers returned to
Europe with maize, potatoes, and tomatoes, which became very important crops in Eurasia by the 18th
century. Similarly, Europeans introduced manioc and the peanut to tropical Southeast Asia and West Africa,
where they flourished and supported growth in populations on soils that otherwise would not produce large
yields (P. 12&13)
Conquistadors (P. 16)- Brave, imaginative men who took North, South America for Spain. Conquerors!
Requerimiento (requirement)- A long winded document that was recited. It was a Spanish version of the
history of human race from the creation to the division of the Non-Christian World by Pope Alexander
VI. They called upon the Indians to recognize the sovereignty of the reigning Spanish monarch. In this
system the Spaniards are the lords of the Latin American manors, and the Native Americans were their
serfs.
( Pg. 23: The Black Legend)
ENCOMIENDA a system in which natives were forced to labor for Spanish landlords. (pg. 19)

SPAIN MET THREE GREAT EMPIRES IN NORTH AMERICA

#1 Incas Peru
-Civilization located in the Andean Mountains
-Agricultural civilization, farming potatoes, corn, etc.
-Master road builders
-Machu Picchu Famous city- (Pg. 349 The Human Experience)
-Cuzco Capitol city
-Height of civilization reached about 1200 .
-Pachacuti (1438) Great leader
-Atahualpa (1533) / conquered by Pizzaro (pg. 6)
Nazca Lines - Pictures carved into the countryside
#2 Aztecs Mexico Civilization located in Central Mexico
-1325 Established their capital city of Tenochititlan (tay nohch tee TLAHN), Mexico City
-Controlled all of Central and Southern Mexico by 1500AD
-Agricultural empire/believed in human sacrifice
-Montezuma King (1519)-the Legend of Quetzalcoatl
#3 Mayans Guatemala AD 300 to AD 800 Yucatan Peninsula
-Life centered on religion/extremely cruel
-Built enormous stepped temple-pyramids
-Game: pok-a-tok - Batted a solid rubber ball back and forth across a court
-Chichen Itza (che chen et sa)
-Excellent astronomers, mathematics Created a 365 day calendar
******Europeans brought citrus, honey Bees, rice, sugar cane, and horses to North America.****
****The Americans sent potatoes, corn, tobacco, and sweet potatoes to Europe.*****
THE CONQUISTADORES
1513-

Balboa Spain
-Redheaded stowaway
-Found the South Sea, crossed the Isthmus of Panama

1513-

Ponce de Leon Spain

-Searching for Bimini
-Story A spring whose waters made eternally young all those who drank from the water.
-Landed near St. Augustine during Easter season
-Named the land Pascua Florida (Spanish words for Easter)

1519-1521

Ferdinand Magellan Spain

-Reached East by sailing west
-Magellan was Portuguese, but sailed for Spain
-Five Ships 270 Men
-Crossed the Atlantic, sailed around the southern tip of South America
(Through the Straits of Magellan)
-1 Shipwrecked, 1 Ship crippled and returned to Spain
-Observation Water in the Pacific was calm
-Renamed Balboas Ocean The Pacific Ocean

-Reached the Island of Guam Magellan was killed in Cebu, Philippines

-1522 One ship and 18 men returned to Spain
-They were the 1st to prove the world was round, possible to sail west to reach East

1519-1521

Cortez Spain 1st Conquistador

-34 year old soldier / politician
-Feb 1519 200 men / 16 horses
-Went to land of Aztecs
-Aguilar Spaniards had learned Mayan language (pg. 20)
ADVANTAGE- Indians thought horses and men were one animal
LEGEND- God Quetzalcoatl to return in 1519
-Montezuma Aztec King thought Spaniards were Quetzalcoatl.
-Cortez took Montezuma prisoner
-He conquered Tenochititlan on August 12, 1521

THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH Came to North America SEARCHING FOR A NORTH WEST
PASSAGE around the Americas.
1524-

Giovanni de Verrazano France

-Landed somewhere near the coast of North Carolina, also probably landed somewhere
near New York City
-Gave France claim to North America

1528-

Cabeza de Vaca Spain

-Explored Florida
-Shipwrecked on coast of Texas
-Traveled overland through New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. Got to Mexico City in 1537
-First Spaniard to cross the continent of North America

1533-

Francisco Pizarro Spain

-Sought the Seven Cities
-Went to Peru in the Andes Mts.
-Conquered the Inca Indians
-Atahualpa (a taw al pa) Carried Pizarro on golden throne
-180 men / 27 horses defeated his army
-Capitol of Empire Cuzco
-Made Indians ransom Atahualpa by filling room with gold
-Pizarro would later kill the king

1534-

Jacques Cartier France

-Looked for a route/passage to China (NWP)
-2 Ships / 61 Men April 20, 1534
-Explored New Brunswick Canada, claimed this land for France
1535- 2nd Voyage Explored the St. Lawrence River
-Wintered at the Indian town of Stadacona (Quebec)

1581

The Dutch came into the colonization game after 1581, when they declared their
independence from Spain.
Henry Hudson

1609-1610

Pedro de Peralta - found Santa Fe (Northern Mexico) on the Rio Grande.

Name

Date

Country

Importance

Columbus

1492

Spain

Sailed to the West Indies/gave Spain

claim to the New World

Cabot

1497

England

Sailed to Newfoundland, gave England

claim to North America. Sailed to
Grand Banks fishing grounds

Balboa

1513

Spain

Discovered the Pacific Ocean, South

Sea

Ponce de Leon

1513

Spain

While looking for the legendary

fountain of youth, he discovered and
named Florida as La Florida

Magellan

1519-1522

Spain

Ship sailed around South America.

Found water route from Atlantic to
Pacific. He proved world was round.

Cortez

1521

Spain

Conquered the Aztec Indians of

Mexico.

Narvaez

1528

Spain

Explored the interior of Florida, landed

at present-day St. Petersburg. Cabeza
de Vaca was with Narvaez, de Vaca
completed the expedition after
Narvaez was killed in a storm trying to
sail to Texas

Cabeza de Vaca

1528-1536

Spain

Explored Florida and was first

Spaniard to cross North America

Pizarro

1531

Spain

Conquered the Inca Indians of Peru

Corondo

1540-1542

Spain

Discovered the Grand Canyon and

looked for 7 cities of gold.

Name

Date

Country

Importance

De Soto

1539-1541

Spain

Discovered the Mississippi River

Verrazano

1524

French

Reached New York, Newfoundland,

New Brunswick. Gave France claim to
North America,

Cartier

1535

French

St. Lawrence River, and also made

alliance with the Algonquin Indians
and founded Montreal.

Champlain

1603

French

Founder of Quebec, The Father of

New France.

La Salle

1662

French

Explored Mississippi River and

claimed the Mississippi Valley
for France, named it Louisiana.

Joliete &
Marquette

1672-1673

French

Explored Mississippi River to Arkansas

River for France

Henry Hudson

1607-1609

Dutch

Hudson River named after him. He

gave Dutch claim to North America.

Diaz

1488

Portugal

Sailed around the tip of Africa (Cape

of Good Hope). He found the route,
but never reached India.

DeGama

1498

Portugal

Sailed to India. Found all water route

to India.