European Exploration and
Colonization
(European Empires)
Essential Question: Why was exploration
and colonization important in the
development of Europe and the world?
SS6b: Trace the empires of Portugal, Spain, England, and
France in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Words to Know
Empire: group of territories or nations under a
single ruler or government
Imperialism: the practice of a larger country
growing stronger by taking over smaller
countries that have important natural resources.
Words to Know
Colonize: to send a group of settlers of a nation
to establish political control over the land and
the indigenous (native) people of that area
Movie: Avatar
How many of you have seen this movie? How is it an example of
exploration and colonization?
Empire building
• After the 14th century,
Europe’s most
powerful countries
competed to see who
could get the most
colonies (colony).
• They wanted to build
their Empire by taking
over other parts of the
world (Imperialism).
Remember Spices and Goods from
Asia???
 How did the Europeans know about
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the spices and goods in Asia?
The Crusades (1096-1272)
Military expeditions sent by the
Popes of the Roman Catholic Church
to capture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the
Muslim Turks.
Not successful, but had a few
positive results
Western Europeans learned to:
Create better maps
Build better ships
Exposed Europeans to spices & goods
from Asia
 Travels of Marco Polo
Trade Routes to Asia
1400’s—major trade routes from Asia to Europe went
Through 2 Italian cities (Venice and Genoa)
 Italian merchants marked up the
prices on the jewels, fragrances,
woods and finished goods & sold
them throughout Europe.
Portugal, Spain, France, and England
Resented the huge profits made by
Italians. Since the Italians controlled the trade routes
Through the Mediterranean Sea they began to look for other
routes to Asia and the Spice Islands—water route to Asia!
Spain and Portugal: Treaty of
Tordesillas
Portugal and Spain
claimed territories in
the New World before
any other European
powers.
Since both nations
were Catholic, the
Pope drew a line on
the map showing
which territories
would belong to
Portugal and which
ones belonged to
Spain
Who is going to get most of the New World?
Portugal Leads the Way!
Established the earliest of the modern European colonial empires.
 Prince Henry the Navigator
•
school of navigation
•
sent more than 50 expeditions down
the west coast of Africa
 Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern
tip of Africa called The Cape of Good Hope
and the Indian Ocean
 Vasco da Gama and other Explorers, later
sailed around the cape and continued to
India
Portugal Leads the Way!
For decades, the Portuguese continued to explore east Asia
where they established forts & trading posts.
 By 1571, a string of outposts connected Portugal to Africa,
India, South Pacific Islands, and Japan
Portugal grew wealthy from these trade routes, but…
 Its most profitable colony was Brazil in South America.
Brazil was a Portuguese colony until 1822.
Use the European Empires Student Map to
record the different routes
Portugal’s Explorations: Color the route of the
Portuguese
Empire of Portugal: color the land area
and complete the key
Spain’s Empire
Spanish explorers were searching for a trade route
through or around North & South America to Asia
Wanted to find a quicker route to the gold & spices in
Asia
Christopher Columbus (Italian)
given $ by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
…find a quick route to through the Atlantic to Asia.
He discovers the Bahamas, but thought he was in Asia…
called the land “West Indies”. Found 2 new continents.
Exploration of these areas brought great wealth to Spain.
Spain’s Empire
Huge empire that spanned
the globe
Spanish conquistadors
conquered the Inca and
Aztec civilizations in the
1500s (South America)
--Looking for gold &
spices
--Used missionaries to
convert natives to
Christianity
Claimed huge areas of
North & South America &
ruled over them for 300
years
Spain’s Explorations: Color the route of
the Spanish
Empire of Spain: color the land area
and complete the key
England’s Empire
England used to be one of
three countries (England,
Scotland, & Wales)
1700s, the three united and
became Great Britain
British empire was the largest
in history
--At its peak, Great Britain
controlled: Canada,
Australia, India, much of
Africa, and numerous
islands
England’s Empire
North America came under
British control in the 1700s
--Lost American colonies
in 1776
--Maintained control over
Canada until 20th century
• Colonized Australia in
1788
--used it as a penal
(prison) colony to relieve
over crowed jails in
England
England’s Explorations: Color the
route of the English
British Empire: color in the lard area
and complete the key
France’s Empire
Established other colonies
in the 16th-17th centuries:
--Islands in the
Caribbean, the Indian
Ocean, the South
Pacific, the North
Pacific, & the North
Atlantic
France also maintained
influence in Canada, South
America, Southeast Asia, &
Northwest Africa
Many French explorers were searching for the Northwest Passage. Founded Quebec, the
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Established fur trading posts in the New World.
France’s Explorations: Color the route
of the French
Empire of France: color the land area
and complete the key
Remember Definition of an Empire?
Empire: group of territories or nations under a single ruler or
government
Can you think of an Empire?
Star Wars (Galactic Empire)
Star Trek (Romulan Empire)
Roman Empire
The countries of Portugal, Spain, England, and France
led the exploration and colonization movement and
built individual empires across the Americas, Africa,
Asia, and Australia.
European Empires Map Activity
Turn your maps over to the other side. Record the
different empires on your map.