Exploration, Enlightenment
and
Great Thinkers
Vocabulary Words and Key Figures
will be highlighted in Pink!
Getting Ready to Explore
• 1400s to 1500s was a
time of great change,
exploration and
discovery for the world.
• Largely took place in
Western Europe.
• Silk Road became
dangerous and
expensive, but many
kingdoms still wanted
access to Asian goods.
New Technology
• Many had the desire to
explore, but it was not safe
due to the lack of
technology until the 1400s.
– Used an astrolabe and
compass to determine
latitude and North.
– Began using triangular sails
which allowed better
movement in the wind.
– Built ships that were smaller
so they could go faster and
were easier to sail
Strong Nations
• Although the new
technology was
available, it was still
expensive and
dangerous.
• Governments were
stronger due to the rise
of towns and trade.
– Taxes from trade were
used to create armies.
Strong Kingdoms
• By the end of the 1400s
there were 4 strong
kingdoms:
–
–
–
–
Portugal
Spain
France
England
• All had Atlantic harbors
and wanted to find a
trade route to Asia.
Portugal
• Portugal was able to
explore first because
other kingdoms were
fighting in wars.
• “Henry the Navigator”
began exploring Africa
and mapping its coast.
– Sugar cane was
discovered and became
very profitable.
Vasco da Gama
• While exploring along
the coast of Africa,
rounded the tip of
Africa and sailed across
the Indian Ocean
landing in India.
– Discovered a new route
to Asia.
Christopher Columbus
• An Italian navigator, who
thought he would get to
Asia by crossing the Atlantic
Ocean.
– Spain sponsored Columbus’s
voyages
• Sailed three ships and
eventually landed in the
Caribbean and claimed the
land for Spain.
– Sailed three more times to
the region, but never knew he
wasn’t in Asia.
– Other Europeans realized he
found two large continents.
Ferdinand Magellan
• Wanted to find a route
to Asia, but passing
through the Americas.
• Found a way around
South America- Strait of
Magellan.
– Named the Pacific Ocean
because it was so clam.
• Reached the
Philippines, but was
killed by local people.
Riches from Discovery
• Spain and Portugal’s
successful discovery of
routes to Asia made
them wealthy.
– This made other
countries (England and
France) want wealth and
success too.
• How did Spain and
Portugal become so
rich?
Mercantilism
• Mercantilism- the idea
that a country gains
power by building up its
supply of gold and
silver.
– Best way to do this is
through imports and
exports.
• The more you export
the more money you
make.
Colonialism
• Increase trade lead to
more money.
• Set up colonies.
Colony- a settlement of
people living in a new
territory controlled by
their home country.
– Colonists should produce
goods that the country
does not have at home.
European Trade
• Mercantilism
encouraged trade posts
in Asia and North
America.
• Commerce- buying and
selling of goods in large
amounts over long
distances.
– Start of how business is
done today.
European Trade in Asia
A Global Exchange
Global Exchange of Goods
• After the Age of
Exploration, the
economies of the world
became connected.
• Lead to the exchange of
goods, technology,
ideas and disease.
• Increase of movement
of people to new lands.
Review
• Exploration of the New World
The Scientific Revolution
• Science began as a way to
solve every day problems.
– Math, Astronomy,
Medicine
• With the discovery of new
land and a more global
world, people became
more interested in
science and the exchange
of ideas.
– Believed that advances
could only come from
math and experiments.
Theory
• Theory- an explanation
of how or why
something happens.
• Based on what is
observed.
• May not be correct, but
makes sense.
• Many early scientific
discoveries were based
on theory.
Copernicus
• Wrote a book called On
the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres
• Disagreed with the idea
that the earth was the
center of the universe.
• Believed that the Sun,
not the Earth, was the
center of the universe,
and the planets moved
around the sun.
Galileo
• Made great advances in
Science.
– Created a telescope to help
support Copernicus’ ideas.
• Other planets have moons
– Developed a thermometer
to measure temperature
changes.
• Was criticized by the
Catholic Church for his
beliefs, and retracted
them although they
spread through most of
Europe.
Isaac Newton
• Wrote a book, Principia,
which stated his laws on
the universe and earth.
– Supported Copernicus
and Galileo’s ideas
• Most known for his
Universal Law of
Gravitation.
– Force of gravity holds
the entire solar system
together
Review
• The Scientific Revolution
Enlightenment
• European thinkers were
impressed by the ideas
of Scientific Revolution.
• Many thought that
reason and scientific
ideas could be applied
humans and govern life.
• Believed that reason
was better than faith
and tradition to guide
human life.
Natural Law
• Great thinkers of the
time believed in Natural
Law.
• Natural Law- law that
applied to everyone and
could be understood by
reason.
• This law was important
to understanding
government and
people.
Thomas Hobbes
• Wrote about English
government and
society.
• Wrote the book
Leviathan.
• Believed the best form
of government was a
Monarchy- government
ruled by a King or
Queen who inherits
power by birth.
Hobbes’ Beliefs
• Humans were naturally
selfish, violent, and
could not be trusted to
make their own
decisions.
• Believed that a King had
ultimate power and
could control the
people.
John Locke
• Felt that natural law
affirmed peoples’ rights
to make the
government answer to
them.
• People had natural
rights. The right to life,
liberty and to own
property.
Locke’s Beliefs
• Citizens should be
guaranteed natural rights,
and it is the government’s
job to protect them.
• All governments were
based on a social
contract- agreement
between rulers and
people.
• If the government broke
the social contract the
people could revoltattempt to overthrow the
government.
Montesquieu
• French thinker who
believed England had
the best government.
• Separation of Powerthe government’s
power should be
equally divided among
three branches.
Montesquieu’s Government
• Government should have
3 branches.
– Legislative: to make laws
– Executive: to enforce laws
– Judicial: to interpret laws
and judge if they were
broken.
• Prevents the government
from getting too powerful
and threatening people’s
rights.
Voltaire
• Felt the Catholic Church
and governments
worked together to
keep knowledge from
people.
• Opposed the
government supporting
one religion.
Voltaire’s Beliefs
• People should be free
to choose their own
beliefs.
• Government should not
choose one religion for
its citizens to practice.
Rousseau
• Around 1700, some
started to criticize the
Enlightenment.
• Rousseau believed that
supporters of the
Enlightenment relied
too much on reason.
Rousseau’s Contract
• People should pay more
attention to their
feelings.
• Humans were naturally
good, but civilized life
corrupted them.
• To improve oneself,
people should live a
simple life close to
nature.
Women and the Enlightenment
• The Enlightenment
changed how many
viewed women’s roles.
• Previously felt women
needed to be controlled
and protected.
• Argued that all women
have reason, and
therefore should have
rights.
Government Power
• During the Enlightenment
great thinkers believed
government power
should be limited.
• However, powerful Kings
and Queens ruled most of
Europe and did not like
these ideas.
• Absolutism- monarchs
held absolute, or total
power by divine right.
– Rulers answered to God,
not the people.
Review
• Enlightenment
What does this mean?
• At this time, citizens
started to demand rights
and control over their
lives.
• The discovery of new
land, scientific advances
and change in thought of
the role of government
allows for people to take
more control in their daily
lives.