AGE OF EXPLORATION
EUROPE IN 1400’S
European population had increased
 Demand for Eastern goods is high
 Most valued items were spices
 Major source of spices was the Moluccas,
an island chain in present-day Indonesia
 Europeans will call them the Spice Islands
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MOLUCCA’S SPICES
PEPPER
 CLOVES
 NUTMEG
 CINNAMON
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MOTIVES FOR SEEKING SPICES
Explorers want to find new trade routes to
spices-Spice trade dominated by Italian
and Muslim traders (land routes)
 Europeans wanted to cut out the
“Middleman” in Spice trade
 Europeans wanted to convert nonChristians to Christianity
 Wanted to learn about new lands
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TECHNOLOGY
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CARTOGRAPHERS—created more accurate maps
and sea charts
ASTROLABE—find ship’s latitude at sea
MAGNETIC COMPASS—used to determine
direction
SEXTANT—used to determine altitude of the sun
or stars which could find latitude
CARAVEL—Portuguese ship design that used
square sails and lateen (triangular) sails
STERNPOST RUDDER—steering the ship
PORTUGUESE: LEADER IN AGE OF
EXPLORATION
Prince Henry (the Navigator) wanted to
find source of African gold, share in the
slave trade and start a crusade with the
Muslims in Africa—rumor was that
Prestor John had built Christian kingdom
in Africa
 Established school of navigation at Sagres
 Portuguese will discover Madeira, Azores,
Cape Verde and Canary Islands
 First to bring slaves from Africa to Europe
in 1441
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Portuguese Exploration cont.
By 1471 Portuguese in control of West
African trade in gold— (Gold Coast)
 1488 Bartholomeu Dias will be the first
to round the tip of southern Africa (Cape
of Storms)
 Returned to Portugal to report finding
route around Africa to King John II—
renamed Cape of Storms the Cape of
Good Hope
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In 1497 Vasco da Gama will be the first
to sail around Africa then all the way to
India
 Voyage was very profitable—starts the
Portuguese Empire in Asia
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SPANISH EXPLORATION
In 1492 Christopher Columbus (Italian)
will be given 3 ships by Isabella and
Ferdinand of Spain
 Believed he could sail West to reach
the East
 Problems included underestimation of the
circumference of the earth and no
knowledge of North and South America
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COLUMBUS’ VOYAGE
Set sail on August 3, 1492 and will reach
San Salvador (Bahamas) on October 12,
1492
 Believed he had reached the East Indies
but had “discovered” the West Indies
(New World)
 Columbus called the natives Indians
(why?)--first Europeans to be introduced
to tobacco
 Never found the vast amounts of gold or
spices
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PORTUGAL AND SPAIN DISPUTE
Spain and Portugal
disputed each others
claims
 Pope Alexander VI
settled dispute by
drawing up Line of
Demarcation
 Treaty of
Tordesillas moved
line further West
which gave Portugal
Brazil
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OTHER EXPLORERS
Pedro Cabral (Portugal) landed in Brazil and
claimed area for Portugal
 Amerigo Vespucci (Italian) will say that
Columbus had discovered a New World—
German mapmakers will name new lands
Americas
 Vasco de Balboa will cross the Isthmus of
Panama—discover South Seas (Pacific Ocean)
 Juan Ponce de Leon will seek the mythical
“Fountain of Youth”—explored Florida
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VOYAGE OF MAGELLAN
Ferdinand Magellan will be the leader
of the voyage that will be the first to
circumnavigate the earth
 Renamed the South Sea the Pacific Ocean
 Many sailors suffered from scurvy, a
disease caused by a lack of vitamin C
 Encountered islands that he called the
Philippines where he gets killed
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SEARCH FOR NORTHWEST
PASSAGE
Other European nations (England, France,
Dutch) will ignore Treaty of Tordesillas
 Explorers searching for Northwest Passage an
all water route through North America
 John Cabot (Italian) sailing for the English
explored the N. American coast from Delaware
to Newfoundland (basis for England’s claim to N.
America)
 Henry Hudson (English) sailing for the Dutch
explored river and bay that bears his name
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Giovanni de Verrazano (Italian) sailing
for the French explored the N. American
coast from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia
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Jacques Cartier (Frenchman) sailing for
the French sailed up the St. Lawrence
River claiming the area for France
PORTUGUESE EMPIRE
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Six months after Da Gama’s return the
Portuguese sent their fleet to India
Portuguese interested in obtaining spices
Arab (Muslim) traders tried to resist but
Portuguese had mounted cannons on ships
In 1509 Afonso de Albuquerque, Portugal’s
most able naval commander, began to establish
Portugal’s empire in Asia (small trading posts)
Will use brutal and ruthless methods to gain
control of area—wanted to control the strait of
Malacca, gateway to the Spice Islands—control
spice trade for over 100 years
Portuguese will face stiff competition for the
spice trade—France, England and the Dutch
were all seeking footholds in Asia
 Dutch will be the most successful—established
Dutch East India Company
 First multinational corporation—first to sell
stocks—could wage wars, sign treaties, coin
money, and imprison and execute
 Dutch will attack Portuguese ships at every
opportunity—eventually replaced the Portuguese
in controlling spice trade
 French and English will concentrate efforts
in India—will become rivals in Asia
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SPAINS CONQUEST OF THE AMERICAS
Spanish quickly settled the islands of the
Caribbean (Hispaniola, Cuba and Puerto
Rico)—Cuba became the jumping off
point for exploration of the New World
 Relationship with native population
changed—began to exploit the natives
 Spanish crown granted conquistadors,
conquerors the right to establish outposts
in the New World
 Motto became “God, glory and gold”
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CONQUEST OF THE AZTECS
Expeditions sent out by governor, Diego
Valasquez, from Cuba to explore Yucatan and
Gulf of Mexico
 Hernan Cortez was commissioned to explore,
trade, and search for Christian captives—one of
the first conquistadors or conquerors
 Set sail from Cuba on Feb. 18, 1519—several
artillery pieces, 16 horsemen, 500 or so infantry
 Upon landing Cortez founded city of Villa Rica de
la Vera Cruz—goal became conquest of Mexico
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Given young native woman named Malinche who will
serve as his translator, advisor and later his mistress
Learned that many conquered natives hated the Aztecs
because they practiced human sacrifice—main god was
Huitzilopochtli, who symbolized the sun blazing at high
noon
The sun, the source of all life, had to be kept moving in
its orbit if darkness was not to overtake the world
To keep it moving the Aztecs believed it must be fed
precious fluids----human blood
Aztec leader was Moctezuma (II)—thought Cortes was
Quetzalcoatl, Aztec god
Cortes and his men allowed to enter the
capital of Tenochtitlan
 Relationship quickly broke down and
Moctezuma was taken prisoner by Spanish
 Aztecs rose up against Spanish—
Moctezuma killed and Spanish forced to
flee the city
 Later returned with allies and destroyed
the city—Mexico City built and became
capital of New Spain
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Francisco Pizarro will be inspired
by Cortes
Will search for the Inca Civilization
in Peru (Andes Mountains)
Arrived in 1532 and the Inca were
just recovering from a civil war
Inca leader was Atahualpa who will
be taken prisoner and held for
ransom (13,420 pounds of gold and
26,000 pounds of silver)
Later murdered after paying ransom
Inca capital of Cuzco was taken—
Pizarro later killed by own men
OTHER SPANISH CONQUISTADORS
Francisco Coronado will lead expedition
in search of El Dorado—first Europeans to
see the Grand Canyon and the Great
Plains
 Hernando de Soto explored the
Southeastern United States in search of
gold—first Europeans to see the
Mississippi River
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REASONS FOR SPANISH SUCCESS
AGAINST NATIVE POPULATION
Superior military technology—horse, cannons,
muskets, and armor/metal helmets
 Division and discontent among Natives—Spanish
used hatred of conquered natives against Aztecs
and Incas
 Diseases severely weakened natives—small pox,
chicken pox, measles etc.
 Aztec and Inca convinced that the world was
ending—gods had abandoned them—some will
still resist
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Diseases
SPANISH EMPIRE OF THE
AMERICAS
Spanish empire stretched from California
to South America—divided in to 5
provinces—New Spain (Mexico) and
Peru were the most important
 Monarchy set up the Council of the
Indies to pass laws for the colonies
(located in Spain)
 Viceroys ruled colonies in the monarchs
name
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RCC played major role in the Spanish
colonies—converting natives to
Christianity was very important to
Spain
 Missionaries (Jesuits, Franciscans,
Dominicans) baptized natives whether
they wanted it or not
 RCC tried to change the culture of
Native Americans (Spanish language
and western clothing etc.)
 Served the government and regulated
activities of Spanish settlers
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Strict regulation of economies of colonies
 Colonies could only export items to
Spain and could buy only Spanish
goods (could not trade with other
European countries or colonies in the
Americas)
 Spanish introduced sugar cane to West
Indies (sugar, molasses, and rum)
 Grown on plantations (large estates run
by an owner or overseer) which required
many workers
 Cruel labor practices caused the death of
many natives
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Spanish government granted settlers
encomiendas (the right to demand labor
or tribute from Native Americans)
 Used system to enslave Native
Americans which caused population
decline (mines and plantations)
 Bartolome de las Casas, Dominican
priest condemned the treatment of
natives—pleaded for laws to protect them
 New Laws of the Indies passed in 1542
which allowed natives to grow crops and
own cattle
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Native Americans forced to become
peons, workers forced to labor for
landlord in order to pay off their debts
 Las Casas encouraged the importation of
Africans to fill labor shortage—1) immune
to tropical diseases 2) had skills in
farming, mining and metal working 3)
accustomed to working in heat
 Las Casas later regretted suggestion and
worked hard to help Africans
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NEW SOCIAL ORDER IN THE
SPANISH COLONIES
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Peninsulares—Spanish born in Spain will
dominate New Spain
Creoles—Spanish born in the New World—
parents were peninsulares
Mestizos—were of Native American and
Spanish ancestry
Mulattoes—were of African and Spanish
ancestry
Zamboes were of African and Native ancestry
Not many Spanish women came to New World
PORTUGUESE IN THE NEW WORLD
Settlers exploited the land
 Brazil wood exported
 Settlers turned to plantation agriculture
(sugar cane and cattle raising)
 Millions of Africans sent to Brazil—
more sent to Brazil than any other
colony in New World
 New culture developed which blended
Portuguese, African and Native American
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NORTH AMERICAN COLONIZATION
England, France and Dutch Netherlands
will take very little interest in North
America in the 1500s (lack of gold/silver)
 Unable to find Northwest Passage
 Dutch under the Dutch West India
Company will establish colony called New
Netherlands
 Peter Minuit is named governor—great
land purchase—Manhattan Island
 Dutch granted large estates to patroons,
wealthy landowners—eventually lost
colony to English (New York)
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French concentrated on
economic benefit of new lands
Furs were in demand in Europe
(beaver)
Also exploited fishing areas
First permanent settlement
established by Samuel de
Champlain at Quebec in 1608
Government did not
encourage settlement—only
Catholics allowed to come
to New France
DID NOT WANT THE LAND
Joliet and Marquette will map a route
from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi
River
 La Salle will reach the mouth of the
Mississippi River claiming the area for
France and naming it Louisiana
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ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IN THE
NEW WORLD
Established the first permanent colony at
Jamestown in 1607—English
government encouraged settlement
and population grew quickly
 Colonists came to escape religious
persecution and a chance for a better
life
 English settlers wanted the land—
constant strife between natives and
colonists
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Bitter rivalry developed between the
English and the French—war will erupt
and both sides used Native American
tribes to help them fight
 The Seven Years’ War or French and
Indian War was the most famous
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IMPACT OF COLONIZATION
Native Americans taught settlers
about planting and growing crops—
taught them how to hunt and trap
 Trappers adopted Native American
clothing and married native women
 Europeans cheated Native Americans
out of their land, introduced them to
alcoholic drinks and swindled them in
trades
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ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
(Triangular Trade)
Plantations (sugar, tobacco, and later
cotton) needed large supplies of workers to
make them profitable—Native American pop.
declined rapidly so Africans were brought in
 Slavery in the Americas based largely on
race and became hereditary—Africans were
viewed as naturally inferior by Europeans
 Became known as Atlantic Slave Trade—
estimated that between 9.5 to 11million Africans
imported
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African rulers and merchants were willing
to participate in slave trade (little difference
in selling to Westerners instead of Muslims)
 African slavers captured other Africans and
brought them to the coast where they were
purchased by Europeans (Europeans forbidden
to go inland to capture slaves themselves)
 Slaves exchanged for guns, gold and other
goods
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MIDDLE PASSAGE
The voyage of African slaves to the
Americas known as the Middle Passage
 It made up part of what is called the
Transatlantic Slave Triangle
 Characterized by sickening cruelty and
brutality—whippings and beatings were
common—seasickness and other diseases
devastated the slaves on their journey
(floating coffins)
 Estimated that 20% of slaves died on way
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African Diaspora
Resulted from the forced migration of
millions of slaves (West Africa) mostly to
North America and South America
 Diaspora of their culture, food traditions,
and languages
 Colonization resulted in a mixing of the
biota of Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas
 Plant and animal species indigenous to a
given place or region transferred
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Virgin Soil Epidemic
When a disease is first introduced to a
place or region in which it had not been
previously known, the people indigenous
to that place have little or no acquired
immunity to that disease
 Virgin soil-epidemics of diseases such as
small pox and measles among Native
Americans killed at least 90% of the
native population between 1500-1700
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Impact of Slavery
Destroyed culture of many African societies—lost
generations of the strongest and ablest African
men and women—many claim this is the reason
for under-development of Africa today
 Caused depopulation of areas of Western Africa
 Fueled conflict on the continent that still has
lasting effects today
 The stigma of slavery has been difficult to erase
in the modern world
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END OF SLAVERY
Between 1807-1820, most European
nations abolished the slave trade
 Slavery itself will not be abolished until a
few decades later (no new slaves were
legally imported from Africa)
 Those already enslaved in Europe and
New World continued to be enslaved
 In some cases freed slaves returned to
Africa (Liberia)
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MODERN SLAVERY
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There are more people in slavery now than in
any other time in history. (27 million)
The value of slaves has decreased.
Slavery still exist in the United States. (1 million)
Human trafficking has recently been described
as “the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the
world” (7 billion dollars a year)
The least known method of slavery is the most
widely used. (Bonded slavery—debt)
Average cost of a slave is $90.00
COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE
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Columbus started a vast global exchange
Plants, animals, people, technology and
disease were exchanged
New foods brought from Americas to Europe
included tomato, sweet potato, pumpkins,
squash, beans, pineapples and peppers—
tobacco and cacao (chocolate)
Corn and potato were the most important
Asia and Africa also shared in the Columbian
Exchange as new foods were introduced
Europe to Americas wheat, melons,
grapes, rice, barley, peaches, pears and
olives
 From Asia and Africa the Europeans
brought banana, sugar cane, coconut
palms and coffee bean
 Europeans brought the horse, cows, pigs,
goats, chickens, sheep and honey bee to
Americas
 Diseases brought to Americas included
small pox, influenza, measles, malaria
 Americas sent syphilis
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COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION
Economic changes caused inflation, a rapid rise
in prices linked to a sharp increase in the
amount of money available
 Causes—population grew and the demand
for goods and services rose—goods became
scarce so prices rose (law of supply/demand)
 Also caused by increased flow of silver and gold
into Europe from the Americas—more money in
circulation
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Expanded trade and the push for overseas
empires spurred the growth of
capitalism, the investment of money to
make a profit
 New business men called entrepreneurs,
people willing to take business risks in the
hope of making a profit expanded into
overseas ventures
 Risky business because of piracy and
shipwrecks
 Capitalists developed new ways to create
wealth
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From Arabs they adapted methods of
bookkeeping to show profits and loses
Developed insurance to reduce the risk of
financial disaster
Joint-stock companies allowed people to pool
large amounts of capital, money to invest into
overseas ventures
Partnerships formed so people would not lose
all their money in investment
Capitalists diversified their investments
Developed the putting out system or
domestic system (goods produced in the
countryside)
MERCANTILISM
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New economic system—stresses exporting more
than a country imports (don’t buy from enemies)
Wealth is measured in terms of commodities, especially
gold and silver, rather than in terms of productivity and
income-producing investments
Make country self-sufficient—colonies very
important to mother country 1) provide raw materials 2)
provided closed markets for mother country’s
manufactured goods 3) regulate economy 4) nations
imposed tariffs, taxes on imports