Age of Exploration (1450

- 1750)

I. Motives for Exploration

A. Technological Advances
1. improved navigational
methods:
- magnetic compass and
astrolabe
- improved maps and
charts

2. improved ship designs

Example- the caravel ship allowed sailing with and against
the wind

3. improved weapons
- gunpowder and cannons
Why would this be
important?

Desire for wealth (GOLD)

1. gain access to the spice trade
(also sugar and silk)
Arab and Italian merchants
had a monopoly
2. find new sources of gold and
silver

Religion (GOD)
1. desire to convert new people to
Christianity

Glory
1. desire to learn about the world
(intellectual curiosity)
- Marco Polo returns with
stories of the riches in Asia.
2. desire for adventure,
fortune, fame and glory.

II. Portugal and Spain

A. Portugal
1. Portugal led the way
in exploration
a.

Prince Henry the Navigator encourages

exploration and the study of
improvements in seafaring.

b.

Set up a navigational school to teach

Europeans the newest sailing techniques

b.location
Portugal was
well situated
to explore based
on routes
available to
explore.

2. Portuguese
sailors explored
the coast of
Africa in an
attempt to find a
water route to
Asian trade.

3. Portuguese explorers
included:
Bartholomeu Dias - first to sail
around the southern tip ofAfrica
Vasco da Gama - discovered an
all water trade route between
Portugal and India.

B. Spain
1. Columbus sails
West in an attempt to
reach Asia.
-1st to reach the
New World during
the
Age of Exploration

Ferdinand Magellan
attempted to find a
Western route to Asia,
one of his ships will
complete the first
circumnavigation of the
earth. (1519-1522)

Spanish conquistador
Hernan Cortes arrived in
Mexico in 1519.
Cortes along with
native allies
defeated the
Aztec.

Spanish conquistador
Francisco Pizarro arrived
in Central America
Pizarro defeated
the Incas.

Amerigo Vespucci Spain

Explored the coast of the
newly discovered lands in the
New World
Suggested Columbus had
actually
discovered a new
world
Vespuccis name begins to
appear on maps of the New
World

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

- Spain and Portugal sign a treaty
dividing the newly
discovered lands between the
two nations