Bellwork
• Europeans essentially lived in isolation for
hundreds of years. Suddenly, the Crusades
opened them up to a whole new world. In
your thoughts, do you think Europeans are
going to want to start exploring and if so,
where do they want to go?
World History
Section 5, Unit 3
Age of Exploration
Objectives
• Describe how the Renaissance influenced a
spirit of adventure and curiosity in
Europeans.
• Discuss early exploration done by
Europeans.
• Analyze the role of Portugal in establishing
a world trade network.
Exploration
• Prior to 1400, Europeans were not entirely
isolated from the rest of the world.
• Europeans had went on Crusades prior to
this, while explorer Marco Polo reached the
courts of Kublai Khan in 1275.
• However, for the most part, Europeans did
not have the desire or ability to explore.
– This all changed in the 1400s.
Exploration
• Due to the Renaissance, improvements in
technology, and desire to spread
Christianity, Europeans began to explore.
• The desire for wealth, however, was the
main reason for exploration.
• Europeans had hoped to trade for spices
and other luxury goods from Asia.
Exploration
• After the Europeans were
introduced to Asian goods
via the Crusades,
Europeans continued to
demand spices such as
nutmeg, ginger,
cinnamon, and pepper.
• Because demand of these
goods was the greater than
the supply, European
merchants could charge
high prices and make
profits.
Exploration
• The Muslims and the Italians controlled trade
of most goods.
• Muslims sold Asian goods to Italians who then
traded throughout the Mediterranean to
various ports.
• However, other European traders did not like
this arrangement because paying high prices
for resources cut into their own profits.
– European traders sought to bypass the Italian
merchants.
Exploration
• Other than wealth, spreading Christianity
fueled exploration.
• The Crusades left many Christians feeling
that they had a sacred duty to continue
fighting Muslims and convert nonChristians throughout the world.
Exploration
• However, it would be the
advances in technology
that would make it
possible for Europeans
to achieve these goals.
• During the 1200s,
European ships were
unable to sail against the
winds.
• However, in the 1400s,
shipbuilders designed a
new vessel– the caravel.
Exploration
• The caravel was capable
and sailing against the
winds due to it’s
triangular sails.
• Europeans also
improved navigational
techniques.
• European sailors began
using an astrolabe- an
invention the Muslims
perfected- to determine
their location, rather
than a compass that
only told them
directions, rather than
location.
An astrolabe used the stars to help a sea captain
pinpoint how far north or south of the equator
they were.
Portugal
• A leader in developing
all these innovations
was Portugal.
• Portugal is a small
nation at the tip of the
European Peninsula
and was the first to
establish trading posts
along the west coast of
Africa.
Portugal
• Portugal took the lead due to support from
its government.
• Prince Henry, the son of Portugal’s king,
was a major supporter.
• Henry had come into contact with the
riches of Africa early in his life and was
determined to reach the sources of the
wealth.
Portugal
• In 1419, Henry established a navigation
school to help map makers, instrument
makers, shipbuilders, captains, and more to
perfect their trades.
• Within a few years, Portuguese ships were
sailing down the west coast of Africa and by
the time Henry died in 1460, the Portuguese
established trading posts.
Portugal
• Portugal traded with
Africans for profitable
items, such as gold
and ivory and even
began trading African
slaves.
• However, they soon set
their eyes on a new
goal: creating a sea
route to Asia.
Prince Henry
Portugal
• The Portuguese believed
that to reach Asia, they
would have to sail around
the southern tip of Africa.
• In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias
sailed down to the tip, but
was hit by hard winds.
• When it was finished, he
discovered that he was on
the other side of the
continent.
Portugal
• Dias explored the southeast coast of Africa
and had considered sailing to India, but his
crew were exhausted and supplies were low.
• With this, he chose to return home.
• However, Dias’ trip only pushed the
Portuguese to press harder for Asia.
Portugal
• In 1498, Vasco da Gama
reached the port of
Calicut, in India.
• Da Gama were amazed
by the amount of spices
and precious gems and
he filled his ships with
all the goods he could.
• He returned to Portugal
in 1499 and the
Portuguese welcomed
him.
• His 27,000 mile voyage
gave Portugal a route to
Asia.
Portugal
• With da Gama’s voyage, Europeans finally
had a route to Asia.
• However, they opened up a violent era in
the east.
• European nations scrambled to establish
profitable trading posts and, in doing so,
battled with the regions local population
and each other.
Portugal
• In 1510, Portugal established a strong
trading network in the Indian Ocean at the
port city of Goa in India.
• Afterwards, they moved farther east to
Indonesia and then attacked the city of
Malacca in the Malay Peninsula.
• After taking the city, they seized control of
the Strait of Malacca and gave them control
of new spice trade.
Portugal
• In taking over so much of the eastern trade,
Portugal, along with other European
nations, crushed Muslim-Asian trade.
• They were able to bring new goods to
Europe at a fraction of what it cost for
Muslims to do so and made it so that
Europeans could finally afford the goods.
Competition
• With Portugal’s success, other European
nations began to challenge their trade empire.
• In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan lead a Spanish
expedition to the Philippines and claimed the
islands and settled them in 1565.
Portuguese Trading
Posts
Competition
• Around 1600, the
English and Dutch
began to challenge
Portugal.
• The Dutch– a people of
the Netherlands of
Northern Europe–
became a trading
powerhouse.
• By 1600, they had the
largest fleet in the
world– 20,00 vessels.
Logo of the Dutch East India
Trading Company
Competition
• Together, the English and Dutch crippled
the Portuguese in the area and then began
to battle each other for dominance.
• Each nation formed an East India Company
to establish direct trade in Asia.
• These companies had the power to mint
money, make treaties, and raise armies.
Competition
• However, the Dutch
East India Company
was richer and more
powerful than
England’s company.
• Eventually, the
Dutch drove out the
English and
established their
dominance in the
region.
Notice on the map who has strong trading networks in the East.
Expansion
• While the Europeans were battling for
control, their influence did not affect most
of Asia.
• Many Asian nations rejected outreach or
their peoples simply did not open
themselves up to Western Culture.
Expansion
• However, while the East was a new region
for the Europeans to explore, the Europeans
would soon stumble onto an even greater
find as their hunger for more riches would
lead to them explore unknown waters.
Questions
• If you have any questions, please ask now.
Next Lesson
• In the next lesson, we are going to discuss
the Europeans in the Americas.
Review
1. How did Prince Henry help improve navigation?
2. How did the Portuguese reach Asia? What was
their route?
3. Why did the Europeans want to go to Asia?
Describe 2 (two) reasons why they went east.
4. What two technological advances helped
Europeans reach Asia?
5. How did the Europeans go about gaining territory
in Asia?
6. What was the effect of European trade in Asia on
(1) Asian peoples and (2) Muslim-Asian trade?
7. What were East India Companies and what kind of
powers did they have?