WORLDS COLLIDE I
UNIT I
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
For a thousand years European trade had focused on imports of luxury goods from the East (Asia) attracted there for its
riches and spices and the tales of Marco Polo. Now with that route cut off by the Ottoman Turks in the Middle East,
Europeans took to the seas searching for a sea route to the riches of Asia
CRUSADES
Beginning in 1098, Europeans launched two centuries of military expeditions in an attempt to reclaim the Holy Land
from the Muslims during the Crusades that ultimately failed to reclaim these lands or stop Islamic expansion.
- the expeditions led to an increase in trade fueled by crusaders taste for Asian luxury goods experience in the
Middle East
- Crusades weakened nobles power (lost lives or fortunes) allowing monarchs to strengthen their power and
gain wealth  used this wealth to finance overseas voyages
- knowledge brought back from Crusades sparked a thirst for “forgotten knowledge” from the Greeks and
Romans which the Arabs had taken and advanced upon leading to the rebirth of Renaissance
RENAISSANCE
Following the turmoil of the Middle Ages, Europe emerged into the era known as the Renaissance. This period rekindled
an interest in the physical world or knowledge and wonder.
Renaissance – meaning “rebirth”, this cultural movement spanned from the late 14th through the 17th century, which
began in Italy and spread through Europe concentrating on three things:
1. urban society/merchant economy – European society/economy began to be dominated by city life and trade
2. humanism/individualism – European society began to strongly focus on greatness of man and what he could
accomplish
3. secular focus – the introduction of a more secular (worldly) view than the values that had been dominated by
religious authority and control of the Catholic Church during the Middle Age as Europe know thirsted for
knowledge of the physical world
EXPLORATION
In 1453, the Ottoman Turks conquered the Christian stronghold city of Constantinople ending the secure trading route to
the riches of the Middle East and Asia. Now Europeans were forced to search for new routes to claim the luxury goods
the so desperately desired.
“God, Glory, and Gold” – the three major reason for start of the Age of Exploration and why so many Europeans took
to the seas
God – spreading Christianity to the natives of distant lands
Glory – eternal fame and glory at being the first to discovery something and the sense of adventure that came
with exploring the unknown
Gold – being the first to find new land is one thing, but finding gold or luxury goods and spices could bring an
explorer and his nation wealth, riches and power
DISCOVERING THE NEW WORLD
By the end of the 15th century, the European nations along the Mediterranean Sea lost their trade and naval dominance to
those nations along the Atlantic Ocean.
- the Portuguese take the lead in European exploration in the mid to late 1400s discovering an eastern route to
Asia going around Africa
- one explorer returned to Portugal with a cargo worth sixty times the cost of the voyage!
Spanish – with the eastern route around Africa taken by the Portuguese the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus,
believed a western route could be taken and persuades the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to finance
an expedition west across the Atlantic, which departed in August of 1492
in October, Columbus reaches the Caribbean and exploring Cuba and the island of Hispaniola
(Haiti/Dominican Republic)
Worlds Collide I
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after three more voyages, Columbus reached the major islands of the Caribbean and a small section of
Central America  believing to be on the outskirts of India he calls these islands the Indies and the
natives Indians
Since it was believe that Columbus has discovered a short cut to Asia, the Portuguese feared their monopoly over
Asian trade routes might be jeopardized by Spanish exploration and new trade routes.
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) – treaty that sets up an imaginary line through the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern
part of South America that settled claims of unexplored territories
East of the line – Portuguese control  full control of the Eastern/Africa route
West of the line – Spanish control  full control of the Western/ soon to be American route
Amerigo Vespucci (1501) - an Italian merchant, explorer and cartographer (map maker) who helped show the
unrealized significance of Columbus’ voyage
after exploring the large land mass south of the Caribbean, he soon discovered that the land and
islands of the Caribbean were not the Indies but a whole new continent naming it the New World
 a German cartographer later publish a map using America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci
SPANISH CONQUEST OF AMERICA
Once Columbus trail blazed the route to the New World, other Spaniards known as conquistadors (conquerors) soon
followed and explored the interior of Mexico and conquered any resistance with relative ease in search of the Northwest
Passage  the believed northern water route through North America to the Pacific
Spanish Advantages to Natives
mobility – horses and ships allow the Spanish to move troops very quickly
economics – huge wealth was able to supply, ship, and equip massive armies with food, steel weapons, guns,
cannons  metal weapons and horses were new to the Aztec
disease – the Europeans brought the invisible killer of disease with them  while Europeans had built resistance
to diseases such as small pox the American natives had not
Conquistadors
Juan Ponce de Leon (1513) – sailing north from Puerto Rico, he discovers Florida on Easter Day (Feast of Flowers in
Spanish = La Florida)  motivation for this voyage is said to be the illusive Fountain of Youth
Hernando Cortéz (1519) –leads a force of 1,000 soldiers to Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) and conquered the powerful
Aztec Indians, led by their emperor Montezuma (Cortez was also able to gain Indian allies against the Aztec)
established a Spanish capital in the former Aztec capital  present day Mexico City
Hernando de Soto (1539) – explored the southeastern part of North America discovering and crossing parts of the
Appalachian Mountains the Mississippi River before returning to Mexico.
Francisco de Coronado (1540) – led an expedition north along the Colorado River into the heart of North America in
search of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola
Columbian Exchange – the exchange of native plants and animals between Europe and the Americas that takes place
during the Age of Exploration
Europe’s contributions to the Americas greatly impacts native populations who benefit from the
horse and wheat while also be devastated by foreign diseases that nearly wipe them out
America’s contributions will further fuel Europeans lust for luxury goods and contribute to the
growing global economy
European Contributions
horses
cattle
wheat
metal weapons
DISEASE
American Contributions
potatoes
cocoa
corn
tomatoes
tobacco