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Voya§e§ of t}íscovery
In the late 1400s and l500s, Europeans set out
to explore the oceans. Building stronger ships
capable of longer voyages, they went in search
of trade, new lands and treasure.
When the Byzantine empire fell to the Ottoman
Turks in 1453, the old trade links by land between
Europe and Asia were cut. How would Europeans
get the spices from Asia that were essential to flavour their food? A Phili| II became king of
SPain in 1556 and ruled until
To find new routes to the spice-producing islands and out of 1598. A deuout Catholic, he
curiosiry and the spirit of adventure, Europeans set sail. encouraged his sailors and soldiers
The Portuguese were the first to go exploring. The Portuguese to exPlore and Pfunder, and,
conuert to Christianit1 the
prince, Henry the Naügator, took a keen interest in shipbuilding "heathen" PeoPles thq conquered.
and naügation. He directed Portuguese sailors west into the During his reign, ouerseas trade
Atlanúc and south to explore the west coast of Africa, where they and conquests ltrought fabulous
wealth to Spain. He worked
set up forts and traded in gold and ivory. Spanish, French, Dutch
incredibly hard, alone in an ffice
and English sailors followed. Instead of sailing east, some sailed in his huge Palace El Escorial
west hoping to flnd a route to India. One famous voyage was (built 1563-1584).
made by Christopher Columbus, the first 15th century
explorer to cross the Atlantic and return. Portugal and
Spain began to settle and plunder the Americas,
dividing it between them by treaty. By 1517 the
Portuguese had reached China and nearly 30 years later
they arrived inJapan. &"
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Y Nauigators used the cross-staff

and astrolabe to fix their shiPs'
Position by the sun and stars.
The magnetic comPass Pointed, North,
but was not always reli.able.
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The ships used by the explorers
nere small, but more seaworthy than
- e clumsr. r,essels of the Middle
_{ges. Thev used a mixture of square
,:nd lateen (triangular) sails for
n-asier steering and greater
Tnanoeu\Tabiliry. Sailors had only
crude maps and simple instruments
:ü qrr|flg them on voyages lasting
r"T,!.anr months. In 1519 a Portuguese
rnptain, Ferdinand Magellan, set out
rrrm Spain with five ships. They
*,ailed around South America, across
rhe Pacific Ocean to the Philippines
r*trere Magellan was killed in a fight
;*-ith local people) and across the
trrdian ocean to Africa. onlv one
;hip found its way home to
Spain, becoming the first
ship to sail completely
around üe world.
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NEWWORLD FOODS
As well as gold and silver treasures,
European explorers brought back new
foods from the Americas. Potatoes,
tomatoes and peppers, plants native
to America, were all unknown in
Europe before l500. Potatoes were
at first a luxury, served only to rich
people at banquets. Chocolate, from
the cacao tree, was first brought to
Spain from Mexico in l520.Also from
the Newworld came tobacco,
turkeys and maize,
Peppers
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VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY
14l9 Portuguese sail to tlre
Níadeira Islancls.
l43l Portuguese reaclr the
Azores.
l488 Bartolomerr Dias ol
Portugal explores west coast
of Africa as far scruth as Cape
of'Good Hope.
1492 Christopher Columbus, arr
ltaliarr sailirlg lor Spairl.
makes his first voyagc to
America rvith three ships.
the Americas befiveen thern
by the Treaq,,of Torclesillas.
l497John Cabot. arr Italiarr in
the service ol Errglarrd, sails
to canacla. The portusuese
explorer Vasccl Da Gama
sails rouncl Africa to Inclia.
l'or|ugal sails to Brazi] in
Sorrth Arnerica.
l50l ]talian Ameriqo Vespucci
sails to Srlutlr funerica. A
nrap published in 1507
tlalncs lhe col)lillcllt
Arnerica after lTim.
l509 Spairr begins sett.lernent of
tlte AltreI icas.
1513 Spurnish explorer Vasco
Nrrriez dc Balboa is the first
Europcan to see tlre Pacific.
l517 Portuguese traders reach
China.
1522 First rorrrrd-the-rvorld ',
rrtrage is completed br
Ferdinancl N,Iagellan's
Sparrislr crr-rr.
l524 lraliarr Giovarrrti da
verrirzzrtlo searches fclr a
not,rhrre.l pa\5agC fr()m
F.rlropc to \sia.
4 The aoyages of Magellan,
Columbus and Da Gama
reuealecJ to EuroPeans thtú the
tuorlrl uvts lurger than tt nricnl
geogra|lhns harl beliaud. They
sailed ac,ross oceans and lanr]erl
on coníinent.s unhnolun to
earl)er EuroPeans.
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