CHAPTER 2 • SECTION 1
Dividing Up the World Due to the surge in explorations, in 1493, Pope
NORTH
AMERICA
EUROPE
T
A
A I
AT L ANT IC
OCE AN AFRICA
More About . . .
Pope Alexander VI and the Line
of Demarcation
In August 1492, the Spaniard Rodrigo
Borgia became Pope Alexander VI. Widely
considered an immoral and ruthless pope,
Alexander had several children and used
his power to further their fortunes as well
as his own. He proclaimed the Line of
Demarcation in 1493, which clearly favored
Spain, to please the Spanish monarchs and
gain their support.
SOUTH
AMERICA
Line of Demarcation (1493)
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
The Line of Demarcation
between Spain and
Portugal was adjusted by
the Treaty of Tordesillas.
More About . . .
Asian Explorers
Alexander VI drew an imaginary line around the world to decide who would
control the lands that sailors were exploring. It was called the Line of Demarcation. Portugal could claim all non-Christian lands to the east of the line.
Spain could claim the non-Christian lands to the west.
Portugal’s King John II was unhappy—he believed the line favored
Spain. He demanded that the Spanish rulers meet with him to change
the pope’s decision. In June 1494, the two countries agreed to the
Treaty of Tordesillas (tawr•day•SEEL•yahs). This treaty moved the Line of
Demarcation more than 800 miles farther west. The change later allowed
Portugal to claim much of eastern South America, which later became the
Portuguese colony of Brazil. This agreement led to an increase in Spanish
and Portuguese voyages of exploration.
Europeans had three main goals during this age of exploration: first, they
wanted to spread Christianity beyond Europe. Many expeditions included
missionaries, or people sent to covert the native people to Christianity.
missionaries
Second, they wanted to expand their empires. Third, they wanted riches.
By increasing their wealth, European countries could gain power and security. An economic system called mercantilism was the way Europeans enriched
their treasuries. For example, colonies provided mines that produced gold
and silver. They also produced goods, such as crops, that could be traded for
gold and silver. Finally, they served as a market for the home country.
European Exploration of the Americas 1500–1550
Europeans in the 1400s and 1500s were
not the only explorers. From 1405 to
1433, a Chinese admiral named Zheng He
led seven trading voyages from China to
eastern Africa and possibly beyond. The first
expedition had over 27,000 men. The ships
themselves were also enormous—some
over 400 feet long, about four times as long
as the Santa María.
European Exploration of
the Americas 1500–1550
Connect Geography
History
COMPARE AND CONTRAST Have
students compare the exploration of the
Americas by Spain to that of other countries.
Ask them to give reasons that might explain
the greater extent of Spanish exploration.
(Possible Answers: Spain was first to claim
land in the Americas; conquest of Aztec and
Inca empires made Spanish explorers eager
to find other wealthy empires.)
Connect Geography
History
1. Region Which areas did the northern
European countries explore?
2. Make Inferences Why did so many
explorers stay close to the coastline?
30 Chapter 2
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
ANSWERS
1. Region North America
2. Make Inferences Possible Answers:
Explorers needed fresh water and
supplies. They wanted to make maps
of the coastline and record information
about resources.
Unit 1 Resource Book
• Connect Geography & History,
pp. 99–100
• Skillbuilder Practice, p. 93
30 • Chapter 2
Struggling Readers
English Learners
Use a Map
Key Academic Vocabulary
Have students study the map on this
page. Point out the map scale and key,
and ask students to find an example on
the map of each item in the key. Then
ask the following questions:
• Which nation explored both the coasts
and interior of the Americas? (Spain)
Have students read the section “Dividing
Up the World” and identify all the
words and phrases that indicate gain or
increase, such as: surge, increase, spread,
get richer, expand, increasing, gain,
swelled, provided, produced. As students
identify the words, help students give
antonyms for them.
• Who explored the farthest north, and
for what country? (Cartier; France)
CHAPTER 2 • SECTION 1
Europeans Explore New Lands After
Columbus’ first voyage, many explorers went
to sea. Amerigo Vespucci (vehs•POO•chee)
was one of the first. He was an Italian sailor
who set out in 1501 to find a sea route to
Asia. Vespucci realized, however, that the
land he saw on this voyage was not Asia. A
German mapmaker, impressed by Vespucci’s
account of the lands, named the continent
“America” after him.
Another famous explorer was the Spaniard Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Balboa heard
Native American reports of another sea and a province rich in gold. In 1513,
he led an expedition through the jungles of Panama and reached the Pacific
Ocean. Balboa claimed the ocean and all the lands around it for Spain.
But perhaps no explorer was more capable than the Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan. He proposed to reach Asia by sailing west around South
America. The Spanish king agreed to fund Magellan’s voyage. In 1519, Magellan set out from Spain with five ships and about 270 men. After a stormy
passage around South America, Magellan entered the Pacific Ocean. For
several months his crew crossed the Pacific, suffering great hardship.
Eventually, Magellan reached the Philippines, where he became involved
in a local battle and was killed. But his crew traveled on. In 1522, the one
remaining ship arrived back in Spain. The sailors in Magellan’s crew were
the first people to sail around the world.
ANALYZE CAUSES Explain why Europeans wanted to explore the Americas.
Conquering the Americas
More About . . .
Amerigo Vespucci
This is a 1596 engraving
of the historic voyage of
Amerigo VespuccI.
Teach
Conquering the Americas
Answer: find different
routes to Asia; increase
trade; spread Christianity;
gain wealth; look for
gold
KEY QUESTION Why did Native American civilizations fall so quickly?
When Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, Native Americans had been
living in the Americas for tens of thousands of years. In what is now Mexico
and Peru, complex civilizations had developed. But these civilizations were
unprepared for the Spanish attacks that began in the early 16th century.
The Invasion of Mexico While Magellan’s crew was sailing around the
world, the Spanish began their conquest of the Americas. Hernando Cortés
landed on the Mexican coast with 508 conquistadors in 1519. He already knew
that the Aztec Empire was not a single unified nation. Rather it was made
up of several hundred mini-states who fought one another and hated their
conquerors—the Aztecs.
The Spanish arrival shook the Aztec Empire, which ruled most of Mexico.
The Aztec emperor Montezuma II feared that Cortés was an Aztec god sent
to reclaim the throne. Montezuma sent Cortés precious gifts to get him to
leave. But the gifts only excited Spanish dreams of riches.
The Spaniards marched inland and formed pacts or treaties, called
alliances, with the native peoples who hated Aztec rule. After a few months,
European Exploration of the Americas 31
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
CONNECT
to Language Arts
CONNECT
Like Columbus, Vespucci made several
voyages to the New World. He, too, did not
at first realize that he had not reached Asia;
this realization came on his second trip.
Vespucci was also a skilled navigator who
made significant advancements in the field.
Without modern equipment, he calculated
the circumference of the earth and came
within 50 miles of today’s figure.
to World Languages
Dramatic Readings of Conquest
Literature
Nahuatl Words in Spanish and
English
Have groups of students research Aztec poetry
foreshadowing or describing the Spanish
conquest or Cortes’s letters to the Spanish
crown describing the Aztec civilization he found.
Have groups choose a piece to perform for the
class, either as a choral reading or with students
taking turns. Each group should designate
one student to introduce the piece and give
information on its author, intended audience,
and when it was written. Encourage students to
use visuals and props to enhance their readings.
Point out that many words in Nahuatl, the
language the Aztecs spoke, have come into
English through Mexican Spanish. Give the
following examples of words in English, Spanish,
and Nahuatl, respectively: tomato/tomate/
tomatl, coyote/coyote/coyotl, ocelot/ocelote/
ocelotl. Have students do online research to find
other words in Nahuatl that are used in English.
Ask students to share the words they find as
well as any other information on Nahuatl,
which is still spoken today in south-central
Mexico.
Talk About It
• Where had complex civilizations developed in
the Americas? (Mexico and Peru)
• Why did Montezuma II fear Cortés? (He
thought Cortés had been sent by an Aztec god
to reclaim the throne.)
• Sequence What knowledge about the Aztecs
did Cortés have before he met Montezuma
II? (Possible Answers: that they were not one
single nation; that many nations hated their
conquerors, the Aztecs)
More About . . .
Hernando Cortés
Cortés was born in Spain to a noble but
poor family. In 1504, at the age of 19,
he sailed to the Americas to seek his
fortune. Although he became a wealthy
landowner in Cuba, he was not satisfied. His
opportunity came when he was chosen to
lead an expedition to Mexico. Strong-willed,
shrewd, and cruel, Cortés succeeded against
great odds.
Teacher’s Edition • 31