04.
05 The Age of Discovery: Note Guide
Take notes using the guide as you complete the lesson and activities.
Big Ideas
What push/pull factors led to
exploration during the Age of
Discovery?
What is mercantilism, and how did it
contribute to the growth of exploration?
How did new technologies enable
exploration to occur during this time?
What I Learned
To increase opportunity
It is an economic system where a nation's
wealth is controlled by government
regulation of all the nation's commercial
interests
Medieval Technology: Lateen: This type of
triangular sail was better able to catch the
wind. This allowed the vessels to be more
maneuverable than the previously used
square sails.
Lateen: This type of triangular sail was
better able to catch the wind. This allowed
the vessels to be more maneuverable than
the previously used square sails.
Caravel:  the Portuguese developed a
vessel, the caravel, which was specifically
designed for long ocean voyages
Carrack:  Carracks were ships carrying
three or four masts and lateen sails. They
had high, rounded sterns and were faster,
more maneuverable, and more seaworthy
than caravels.
Compass:  A compass that has a
magnetized needle that points toward
Earth's magnetic north; used for direction.
Astrolabe: A navigational device used by
sailors to determine their position relative to
celestial bodies and the horizon. Before the
astrolabe, it was impossible for sailors to
determine their correct latitudinal position.
What were the accomplishments and
contributions of early explorers?
The Chinese: Between the years 1405 and
1433, seven major naval expeditions sailed
around the vast Indian Ocean to India, Africa,
and Arabia. However, upon the death of Zhu
Di, the new leadership in China decided to
scale back these voyages. The reasons for
this scaling back are still debated, but it was
likely an economic decision.
Prince Henry the Navigator: Under his
leadership, Portuguese sailors managed to
make it as far south as Senegal on the African
coast. Prince Henry died in 1460, but his
desire for exploration was taken up by many
others.
In that year, Pedro de Sintra reached Sierra
Leone. Other Portuguese explorers sailed
farther south, crossing the equator (a first for
Europeans) in 1487. One Portuguese explorer,
Diego Co, even ventured inland along the
Congo River.
Bartolomeu Dias:  Under his leadership,
Portuguese sailors managed to make it as far
south as Senegal on the African coast. Prince
Henry died in 1460, but his desire for
exploration was taken up by many others.
In that year, Pedro de Sintra reached Sierra
Leone. Other Portuguese explorers sailed
farther south, crossing the equator (a first for
Europeans) in 1487. One Portuguese explorer,
Diogo Co, even ventured inland along the
Congo River.
Vasco da Gama: The Portuguese explorer
Vasco da Gama set sail from his native land in
1497. The men aboard his fleet of four ships
sought a sea route from Europe to India, which
was the hub of the spice trade. They sailed
south and around today's Cape of Good Hope,
and then northeast up the eastern coast of
Africa and across the Indian Ocean.
On May 20, 1498, da Gama and his men
reached Calicut, a city on India's southwestern
coast. Da Gama negotiated a good trade deal
between India and Portugal. When he returned
home in 1499, he was treated as a hero.
Ferdinand Magellan: Financed by the
Spanish king, Magellan and his explorers
headed out into the Atlantic Ocean in August
1519. His fleet headed south across the ocean
and landed in Tierra del Fuego at the
southernmost tip of South America. From
there, Magellan and his fleet made the
perilous journey through the rough waters of
today's Strait of Magellan and into the Pacific
Ocean.
He was the first to link the two oceans by ship.
From there, Magellan sailed across the
immense Pacific. Magellan died in a battle with
indigenous people in the Philippines, but what
remained of his boats and crew finally returned
in triumph to Spain in 1522. Magellan had led
humanity's first round-the-world voyage.

The Dutch: The Dutch were eager to take

advantage of the profits of exploration. In the
late 16th century, several wealthy
businessmen in Amsterdam began discussing
the idea of financing a voyage to the East.
Ultimately, they equipped four ships that sailed
around Africa and reached Indonesia. The
voyage proved very costly to the men, many of
whom died. However, the pepper and nutmeg
that they returned with managed to bring a
profit for the financers.

John Cabot: While many think of John Cabot

as an English explorer, he was from Genoa in
modern-day Italy, where he was known as
Giovanni Caboto. He was, however,
commissioned by England to explore areas for
the crown. He and his son's explorations
furthered the English interest in profiting from
exploration. However, it was not until much
later that the English took an active role in
exploring areas to the east. Christopher
Columbus, commissioned by Spain, was also
from Genoa. Consider what you know about
the rise of the Italian city-states.

The Russians:  When we think of Siberia,

we often think of it in the wintertime. But
Siberia is just as inhospitable during the
summer. It's freezing cold during the winter,
and hot and wet during the summer. Despite
all this, between the late 1500s to the mid-
 1600s, Russians pushed eastward to open up
Siberia. Russian explorers, who traveled either
overland or on riverboats, generally conquered
native peoples as they journeyed across the
vast Siberian steppes, eventually reaching the
Pacific Ocean.

Additional Key Terms

push factor: negative home conditions that impel the decision to migrate
pull factor: a factor that induces people to move to a new location
mercantile system: An economic system where a nation's wealth is controlled by
government regulation of all of the nation's commercial interests.