Age of exploration !
Age of Exploration
Age of exploration !
 The age of exploration was also
known as age of discovery.
 Began in the early 15th century and
continued into the early 17th century.
 Was seen as a bridge between the
medieval age and modern age.
Columbus’ request
 Columbus went to the King of Portugal and
asked for three ships and a year to find a
western trade route to the east.
 But the king didn’t allow him to do this.
 So Columbus went to the Queen Isabella of
Castile and asked her for three ships and a year
to use them.
Columbus’ request continued…
 The queen in turn, referred him to a
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committee.
They gave him the same answer as the king of
Portugal.
But Columbus wouldn’t give up there.
After two years in Spanish courts negotiating,
Columbus was finally successful in 1492.
Half of the financing for his voyage came from
a private Italian Investor.
Columbus’ Voyages
 Between 1492 and 1503
Christopher Columbus make 4
round trips to the Americas.
 These trips marked the
beginning of the European
exploration of the Americas
Columbus in the Americas
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On the evening of August 3 1492
Columbus set out with three ships the
Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Santa
Clara.
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On October ,12 ,1492, land was
sighted, Columbus called the island San
Salvador. ( Now called the Bahamas)
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He encountered the indigenous people
of the Lucayan, Taino and Arawak, they
were all peaceful.
Columbus’ Arrested
 On Columbus’ third voyage to the Americas
he was arrested for being a tyrant.
 He was arrested and sent back to Spain in
chains.
 When he got back to Spain Isabella of Castile
was waiting for him. She showed sympathy to
him and saved him from imprisonment.
Columbus’ final Voyage
 After being released, Columbus wasn’t able to go on
another voyage until May of 1502.
 He wanted to find China, which would restore him
reputation.
 The voyage was plagued with extreme storms.
 He eventually had to turn and go back to Hispaniola.
Columbus' attempt to
return to Hispaniola
 Columbus attempted to return to
Hispaniola
 He was sick, and losing his eyesight
and his ship was rotting.
 The vessel ran aground just off the
coast of Jamaica where they sought
refuge.
 They stayed there a year until they
where rescued.
Columbus’ Remaining Days
 In 1504, Isabella of Castile died and
Columbus lost all of his support.
 The king reinstates him but refuses to
return any of his titles
 Columbus died in May of 1506,
unaware that he had discovered a new
world.
Exploration
 Even after Columbus’ death, the English,
Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Dutch
continued to look for a passage to India so
they would be able to trade easily.
The French in Canada
 While Exploring Canada the French
discovered that the native people had
beautiful fur, so the French traded with
the native and had the fur sent back to
France where they made a huge profit
on the hats they made from beaver fur.
Imperialism
 The policy of forcefully extending a
nation’s authority by territorial gain
or by the establishment of economic
and political dominance over other
nations.
 Imperialism refers to conquest and
dominance of one nation over
another nation or nations. This
definition is normally used in the
reference of the expansionist and
colonist activities that the European
nations carried out after the discovery
of trade routes to Asia, Africa and the
New World (present day American
continent).
The Vikings
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The Vikings came from Denmark,
Norway and Sweden.
We refer to the area where these
countries are located as Scandinavia.
They lived along the coast or close to
rivers that flowed to the sea.
They came and explored North
America around 1000 A. D. from
Greenland.
The Vikings came to North America
about 500 hundred years before
Christopher Columbus.
Exploring Vinland
 Leif Ericsson, in the year 1000 or
1001 sailed southwest from
Greenland to the islands of the coast
of northern Canada and then to the
shores of Newfoundland.
 The Vikings liked the land so much
they stayed the whole winter before
sailing back to Greenland.
 Leif Ericsson named the Saint
Lawrence region Vinland because
there was many wild grapes there.
Vinland continued…
 He also established a settlement
in L'Anse aux Meadows which
served as an exploration point.
 Later on he collected timber and
other riches of the land and sailed
back to Greenland.
L'Anse aux meadows
 Leif Eriksson set up a settlement at
L'Anse aux meadows which served as
a base for his exploration during his
time in North America
 The settlement at L'Anse aux
meadows is still there today.
 Some things archeologists dug up
were; a small stone oil lamp, a bone
needle, a small brass ring, and a
bronze ring-headed cloak pin used by
Norse men and women of the
eleventh century
Helluland and Markland
 Leif Eriksson discovered
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Helluland and Markland.
Helluland was probably Baffin
Island.
Eriksson was greeted with the
sight of numerous large flat
stones, which met and stopped
where large great mountains of
ice began.
Helluland means flat stone land.
Markland was probably Labrador
Island.
Markland means wood Island. It
was named this because it was full
of forests.
Thorfinn Karlsefni
 Thorfinn Karlsefni led over 100 settlers in three
ships to settle in Vinland.
 They spent several summers at the site exploring the
surrounding land, chopping timber, and trading for
goods they could sell in Greenland.
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During this time the first white child was born in
North America, Snorri Karlsefnisson.
 The Viking stories also talk about conflicts with the
natives.
Freydis Eriksdottir
 The sister of Leif Eriksson, Freydís
wanted the prestige and wealth
associated with a Vinland journey. She
made a deal with two Icelandic men,
Helgi and Finnbogi, that they should
go together to Vinland and share all
profits half-and-half.
 They agreed to bring the same
number of men but secretly Freydis
took more.
Freydis Eriksdottir continued…
 In Vinland, Freydís betrays her
partners, has them and their men
attacked when sleeping and killed. She
personally executes the five women in
their group since no-one else would
do the deed.
 Freydís wanted to conceal her
treachery and threatened to kill
anyone who would tell of the killings.
 She went back to Greenland after a
year's stay and told the story that
Helgi and Finnbogi had chosen to
remain in Vinland.
Breaking Portugal's monopoly on
trade with Asia.
 When Dutch merchants were excluded
from the lucrative trade in Asia by the
Portuguese around 1590, several
Amsterdam merchants decided to break
that monopoly.
 They then organized a shipping voyage in
1595. Other merchants soon followed this
example.
 In the next 5 years 15 fleets of 65 ships
sailed to the far East giving the Dutch the
monopoly of trade in the far east.
John Cabot
 John Cabot was born in1450, in Italy
 In 1496, Cabot was commissioned by England,
to find a way to India that was shorter then the
current route.
 His idea was to find a way to the Indies by
going north which would make the trip shorter
John Cabot Voyage
 In 1497, Cabot sailed off from Bristol on
the Matthew, looking for China, but
instead he landed Newfoundland.
 When he landed in Newfoundland he
claimed it in the name of King Henry VII.
 Then Cabot discovered the Grand Banks
where he saw millions of fish in the
shallow waters.
Cabot's other accomplishments
 He was the first European since the
Vikings to explore the mainland of
North America and the first one to
search for the Northwest Passage.
 Even though he didn’t find the
northwest passage he was still famous
for trying.