Lesson 12-4
Horrible Histories –Marvelous Marco Polo 25m
Explorers of the World – Marco Polo – 25m
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• TN SPI
– 6.6.2 Recognize the impact of individuals on world history – Marco Polo
– 6.6.1 Identify examples of groups impacting world history
– 6.5.13 Identify the impact of advances in technology on history (exploration during the
1400s)
– 6.2.2 Identify major trade routes – Silk Road
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• He often told of adventures to faraway places such as China.
• Marco had traveled to China and the
Indies ; the islands off the China coast.
• He told stories about meeting Kublai
Khan , China’s ruler, and seeing amazing things – white bears, black stones that burned, and a place where night lasted all winter and day lasted all summer.
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• People in his hometown of Venice, Italy laughed and called him Marco Millions because he told so many tales.
• Few Europeans had ever been to Asia, so they could not prove Marco was wrong.
• They thought his stories could not be true but many were.
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• Marco left his home in Venice, Italy in
1271 with his father Niccolo and his uncle
Maffeo.
• They were caravan traders who traveled the Silk Road and were interested in the riches of the east.
• Four years after beginning their journey, the Polos reached China.
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• Europeans carried on a busy trade with the people of Asia .
• Europeans wanted: gold, jewels, silk, perfumes, furs, jade, ivory, and especially spices . (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
• They used the spices to make their food taste better and to hide the bad taste of spoiled meat.
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• About 4,000 miles long, the Silk Road was a series of trade routes connecting the east to the west. (Asia to Europe)
• The trade route was traveled by caravan traders and bandits who made travel much more dangerous.
• The Silk Road was physically difficult for travel.
• Caravans needed their own defense forces so forts and walls were built along the Silk Road for protection.
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• When Genghis Khan unified the region as the Mongolian Empire, the Silk Road became an important path for communication .
• Travel across the Silk Road was safe for a time under Mongol control.
• Cultural diffusion - The movement of customs and ideas from one culture to another.
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• Marco’s father introduced his son to
China’s ruler, Kublai Khan .
• Kublai Khan asked Marco to explore his kingdom.
• Marco spent twenty-four years working for the Khan.
• Marco Polo returned home with his pockets full of jewels.
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• Kublai Khan was
China’s Mongol ruler.
• Marco described his palace as having walls covered with gold and silver.
• One hall was so big that
“a meal might be served for more than 6,000 men.”
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• Upon returning to Venice,
Marco became the captain of a Venetian ship.
• Venice and Genoa, two
Italian city-states, were involved in battle.
• Marco was captured and thrown into prison .
• While there his stories were written down.
• Two hundred years later,
The Travels of Marco Polo was published.
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• For most European traders travel to Asia and back was too hard and took too much time.
• In 1453 trade with the Far East was stopped by Muslim Turks after they captured the city of Constantinople.
• A new trade route to China would have to be found.
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• Kingdoms in Europe began to explore the possibility of a water route to Asia.
• They were not willing to give up the luxury goods they had become accustomed to.
• Portugal was the first to search for a faster water route to China by sailing around Africa .
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• It was long before Spain, England, and
Italy joined Portugal in the search of new lands.
• Why? Claiming new lands would:
– Increase their territory – establish colonies
– Increase their wealth – trade goods
– Spread their religion - Christianity
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