REVIEW SHEET AGE OF EXPLORATION
Key Terms:
-Caravel
-Compass
-Astrolabe
-Conquistador: Spanish conqueror/explorer
-Northwest Passage: A north-west path or route to Asia from Europe that traders/explorers were looking for
-Circumnavigate: to sail completely around, to circle.
Key Concepts:
1. Why Explore?
a. Glory—personal/country
b. God
c. Gold
2. Use of Technology: new inventions help spur the discovering of new lands.
a. Caravel- new ship
b. Compass
c. Astrolabe—navigate by stars
3. KEY PEOPLE:
Marco Polo:
Prince Henry the Navigator---- Established school for training captains and use of
new technologies to find a water trade route to Asia.
Bartolome Dias and Vasco De Gama— established sea trade route around Africa to
Asia.
Cortes and the Aztecs---Spanish Conquistador that conquered the Aztecs; they thought
he was a god; used vassals to help defeat the Aztecs
Pizzaro and the Incas---Killed the leader of Incas and conquered the entire empire
Christopher Columbus—Found the New World
Magellan---Circumnavigated the globe
Henry Hudson---discovered Hudson River
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
WHY do people explore?
What were the causes of the Age of Exploration?
What were the results of the Age of Exploration?
I.
WHY EXPLORE?
A. The need to find new places? CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT
B. EUROPEANS:
1. GLORY—
a. Personal
b. God
c. Country
2. MONEY
a. Lots of money to be made
3. POWER
a. country could expand its borders
b. country could have more resources from more land
c. expanded trade routes—more money, more glory more POWER
II.
MIDDLE AGES AND THE CRUSADES.
A. Middle Ages in Europe
1. In Europe during the Middle or Dark Ages there was little trade, no learning or
science. Europe and its people were isolated.
B. Crusades
1. Fight by Europeans for the Holy Lands in the Middle East.
2. Exposes Europe to NEW goods (spices, silk, fruit, rugs, tapestries), Science/Math,
Learning.
3. ITALY: Crusades and ships start in Italy to Asia. They become exposed to these new
riches from Asia first and come to dominate trade in the Mediterranean. They start
trading with Europe---MAKE LOTS OF MONEY.
4. Starts the Renaissance.
III.
THE RENAISSANCE
A. Renaissance is French for REBIRTH
B. Rebirth of Arts and Science in Europe. Started and focused in Italy.
C. The rest of Europe copies Italy. They want the trades and riches that Italy has. THEY WANT
THE TRADE ROUTES!!
IV.
PRINCE HENRY the NAVIGATOR
A. Prince Henry dreamed of reaching Asia by sailing around Africa.
B. Started a school for navigators and ship captains
C. Used new technologies
D. Found a sea route around the Cape of Good Hope (tip of Africa).
V.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
A. CaravelA ship that was larger and better equipped to deal with the deeper waters of the ocean
B. CompassAn invention that helped sailors navigate when at sea.
C. AstrolabeA device that measures distances between stars to give exact locations when at sea.
VI.
COLUMBUS REACHES AMERICA
A. With the help of Spain, in 1492 the New World is discovered
B. Thought he landed in India, was really Central America, Caribbean
C. Spain becomes largest Empire in world/richest.
VII.
NORTHWEST PASSAGE:
What was it? A north-west path or route to Asia from Europe
Who looked for it? France, Netherlands, England
What was the result of looking for this passage? North America explored
and colonies established in North America
VIII. Columbian Exchange: The exchange of goods (food, animals, resources), ideas, disease between
the Old and New World.
IX. Results of Exploration:
a. Native Americans:
-Slavery
-Disease
-End of Civilizations
b. Europeans settle the Americas:
-Spanish settle Central South America
-France, England, Netherlands settle North America
-colonies in the new world for European countries