History Essay Facts
Questions
 Explain
the motives for the
European explorations
 Explain the technologies that
made the European explorations
possible
Motives for European Exploration
 Resources

Sugar
• Portugal found the sugar on islands
• Portuguese mariners began working with Italian
businesses to establish sugar plantations.

Asian spices
Motives for European Exploration

Trade

Silk Roads became dangerous due to the collapse
and chaos of the Mongol empire, which had
previously kept order on the Silk Roads, and also
because of the bubonic plague .
• So European merchants began searching for water routes

Wanted cheaper Asian goods such as spices
• To do this, they began seeking water routes to Asia to cut out
the middle man and extra costs.
• New found water routes then led to access to gold, ivory, and
slaves from Africa, also
Motives for European Exploration
 Missionary


Spread the gospel of Christianity
Some missionaries were peaceful, others
violent.
• Peaceful

Franciscan and Dominican travels to India, China, and
Central Asia
• Violent

Crusades against Muslims in Palestine, the
Mediterranean, and Iberia
Technologies that made European
Exploration possible
 Instruments

Cross and Back Staffs
• Used to determine the latitude by measuring the
angle of the sun or pole star above the horizon

Magnetic Compasses
• Used to determine direction

Instruments like these helped mariners to
collect data for mapping for future trips and to
allow more accuracy and efficiency for
navigation on the seas
Technologies that made European
Exploration possible
 Ships

Sails
• Triangular Lateen

Catch wind from the side and from behind
• Square

Catch wind blowing from behind
• With both sails, the European ships could tack,
which would advance against the wind by sailing
across it

Sternpost rudders
• Increased maneuverability
Technologies that made European
Exploration possible
 Ships

(Continued)
Ships strong enough to withstand adverse
conditions
• Caravels


About 30 meters long, with axled rudder and had a
maximum carrying capacity of 130 tons
Example: Santa Maria
• Carracks


Large, massive ribbed skeletons with two to three
enclosed decks that carried 1000 tons with sternpost
rudders
Example: Nina and Pinta
Technologies that made European
Exploration possible
 Winds

and Currents
“Volta do mar”
• Means return through the sea


Learned to understand the patterns to take
advantage of the sea currents and winds
Took longer routes because it was faster and
safer and they used two different sails for
different currents and winds
Results for Motivation and
Technological Advances
 European
motivation led to these new
technologies which led to increased
mobility on the seas which made
European exploration possible, later on
European colonization possible, and
eventually led to the rise of the West.
Reasons and Results of the
Crusades
 Explain
the various reasons different people
were motivated to participate in the Crusades
and the results of the Crusades
Reasons

Christians and Muslims fought for control of
Jerusalem

The Italian city-states were searching for
commercial gains

The Christian pilgrims began experiencing
harassment and danger due to the decline of the
Byzantine empire

Serfs were relieved of taxes and set free to fight
Results: Failures

Jerusalem fell into Muslim hands

Decline in the Pope's influence led to a
widening gap between the Eastern Orthodox
Church and the Roman Catholic Church

A large conversion of Christians to Islam
Results: Successes

Serfs left their lands and found new
opportunities

Muslim forces were weakened though
victorious

Italian city-states became wealthy

Overall trade and exploration were
enhanced
Explain the Renaissance in
terms of crisis and recovery
Crisis
Bubonic Plague:
• Started in southwest China in 1330s
• Spread by the Mongols, merchants, and travelers along the silk road
• Killed thousands of people and took over a century for the population to recover
• Caused massive labor shortages
• Workers demanded higher wages while political authorities and employers
responded by freezing wages and forbidding workers to leave their homes in
search for better conditions.
• Reinstated serfdom
Crisis
Hundred years war: (1337-1453)
• Fought primarily in the country sides of France
• Marauders (ecorcheurs) pillaged and looted anyone weaker than themselves in
particular the peasants
• These peasants had very little freedom causing revolts against the Marauders
• Nobles took revenge by massacring thousands of peasants
Recovery
France
•rebuilt the state by demanding taxes and asserted the authority of the central
government to the nobility
• built a standing army, using mercenaries
Spain
•Combined two wealthy families through marriage
Italy
•Gained wealth through crusades with trade
•Birth place of the Renaissance
Renaissance
• Explosion of artistic and intellectual creativity
• Brought focus to artwork, literature, architecture, religion and sculptures
• Printing Press brought these treasures of the Renaissance not only to
museums and libraries but to people in everyday life
Explain the impact of the Silk
Roads on economics, disease,
and religion
Economics
• The Silk Road was intended for strictly economic purpose. It evolved into a
way to spread religion and unfortunately disease.
• New technologies allowed Byzantines and Romans to refine elements and
sell them in the market place along the Silk Road.
• Central China sold horses and jade along the Silk Road
• Silk and spices were also sold along the Silk Road in China
Religion
Buddhism:
• Starts in India but spreads to China
• Dunhuang was the last stopping point before the split of the desert into North
and South. Because of this, there were cave temples, libraries and people
supported missionaries.
Hinduism:
• Spread over the sea lane from India to Malaya
Christianity:
• Paul began missionary journey at Antioch
• Roman Roads linked with the Silk Roads causing the spread of religion
• Christianity also spread over sea lanes
Manichaeism:
• Combination of Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Buddhism
• Prophet was Mani who picked and chose what he liked from other religions
• Missionaries used roads to spread religion
Disease
Bubonic Plague:
• Starts in Southwest China and spreads west
• New alternative routes
•Example: Muslims bypass the plague by taking the sea lanes
• Age of the European Explorations
Antonine Plague:
• Small pox or measles
• Brought by the return of Roman soldiers