The Age of Exploration

1. The Age of Exploration It all began with “Prince Henry the Navigator.” What About Henry? • Born in 4 March 1394 in Porto, Kingdom of Portugal • 3rd son of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster • Died 13 November 1460 • Place of death-Sagres, Kingdom of the Algarve

2. Henry as “The Navigator” • Henry never journeyed the sea • Henry organized expeditions of sailors to explore the western coast of Africa. • In 1416, Henry founded the School of Navigation in Sagres, at the southwestern tip of Portugal.

6. Henry as “The Navigator” Continued • Astronomers, geographers, and mathematicians study and teach new methods of navigation and traveling the seas • Expeditions were planned using the latest maps, tools, and information about wind currents in the Atlantic Ocean

7. Who Were the explorers? Gil Eanes Born in Lagos, the Kingdom of Portugal and was the first person to sail beyond Cape Bojador • Eanes joined Henry’s expeditions in 1433 • Henry wanted Eanes to round the Cape of Bojador • Eventually driven towards the Canary Islands • Captured natives while there and took them back to Sagres • Sailed beyond Cape Bojador in 1434 and brought plants back to Prince Henry to prove the voyage was a success

8. …and it all started with Portugal Gil Eanes’ discovery of a safe passage around Cape Bojador marked the beginning of the Portuguese exploration of Africa.

9. Who Were the Explorers?...Continued Alvise Cadamasto Born and Died in Venice, Italy (1432-18 July 1488) Discovered the Cape Verde Islands • Cadamasto was recruited by Prince Henry to sail south along the coast of Western Africa on 22 March 1455 • Arrived in Senegal which had been explored by the Portuguese • Proceeded towards Gambia • While in Gambia, Cadamasto observed the different races, manners and customs of the people • The Natives of Gambia were very hostile and Cadamasto returned to Portugal • Cadamasto returned again in 1456 under Henry’s patronage and was driven further out to sea by uncontrollable winds • Discovered the Cape Verde Islands in 1456

10. 80 Years of Portuguese Exploration • Island of Porto Santo was (Madeira) was discovered in 1419 by Joao Goncalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeria • Both navigators were sent by Prince Henry to explore the African coast • Zarco and Teixeria were shipwrecked on the island of Madeira • They returned to Portugal and Prince Henry ordered them to return and colonize the islands for Portugal. Joao Goncalves Zarco Tristao Vaz Teixeria

11. How Madeira Grew and Helped Portugal • Chief producer of wheat in the • 16th century (1700’s) • 2) This helped Madeira’s economy • and population grow • Sugar Cane was grown when the prices for wheat began to fall • Expansion of Madeira was helped by the growth of Sugar Cane • Traders and settlers came to Madeira • In the 17th century (1800’s) vineyards began to produce wine

12. The Azores Islands • Discovered in 1431 by Portuguese seamen • Today is 907 miles from Lisbon (Capital of Portugal) • Consists of 9 different islands divided into 3 different parts (Eastern, Central and Western Islands) • Azores are an Archipelago: A wide stretch of water with many scattered islands

13. …Continuing with Vasco Da Gama • Born c. 1460 in Sines, Portugal • Born into a noble family as the son of Estevao da Gama • Joined the Navy when he was older and learned navigation • Commissioned by King Manuel of Portugal to find a route directly to India from Portugal • Portugal was now one of most powerful maritime countries in Europe • In 1487 Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope • Showed that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were connected

14. The Voyages of Vasco da Gama • Da Gama wanted to prove Christopher Columbus wrong (Columbus thought that he had found a route to India when in fact he had found a route to the Americas). • In 1502, da Gama led 10 ships on another journey to India. • Along the East coast of Africa, da Gama and his crew terrorized Muslim ports. • Next, they moved to Calicut and killed 38 people in the trade ports. • After forming an alliance with the ruler of Cochin, da Gama and his crew left for Portugal on February 20, 1503 and returned to Portugal on October 11th.

15. Christopher Columbus-Where was He Going? • Columbus asked for permission from Monarchs in Spain and Portugal to sail to the far east to look for trade routes to the west. • In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain granted his request. • Columbus promised to bring back gold, spices, and silk from Asia. • Columbus also promised to spread Christianity and to explore China. • He also requested to be the Governor of the lands he discovered.

16. Columbus and the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria • Columbus set sail on August 3, 1492 and hit land on October 12, 1492. • Thinking that it was Asia, Columbus named it San Salvador. • Still looking for China, Columbus went on to Cuba. • Columbus still never found the “riches” he was looking for.

17. Columbus’s Remaining Voyages • On November 3, 1493, Columbus thought he had found the islands of Japan. • The islands were Dominica, Guadeloupe and Jamaica. • Columbus still found no riches and continued on his quest for Spain. • On July 31, 1498, Columbus discovered Trinidad and Tobago, Grenadaand Margarita. • He also reached the South American mainland.

18. The End of the Voyage and Columbus’s Legacy • By 1502, Columbus would discover the following places (see map). • Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States each year on the 2nd Monday in October. • His major contribution and what he is often remembered for is that he was the first to visit, settle ,and stay in these lands for a period of time.

19. Ferdinand Magellan • Born c. 1480 in Sabrosa, Portugal • Died April 27, 1521 in Mactan, Philippines. • Magellan, who was Portuguese but served Spain, led the first European voyage to circumnavigate the globe. • Portugal was no longer willing to employ him after he was falsely accused of trading with the Moors. • Magellan moved to Seville, Spain in 1517 to offer his navigational services to King Charles V • Magellan’s voyages proved once and for all that the Earth was Round.

20. Magellan…The Final Years • Voyage to circumnavigate the globe began on September 20, 1519. • October 1520, the fleet of ships entered what is today called the “Strait of Magellan.” • The voyage through the Strait of Magellan took about one month. • One of the ship masters fled and sailed home to Spain.

21. Circling the Globe…Finally

22. Major Explorers and their Accomplishments: • Gil Eanes – first to sail around Cape Bojador • Alvise Cadamasto – first to make contact with the natives of sub-Saharan Africa • Bartolemeu Dias – first to sail around the southern tip of Africa (the Cape of Good Hope) • Vasco da Gama –first to discover a sea route to east Asia • Christoforo Columbo – first European to reach land in the Western Hemisphere

23. Major Explorers and their Accomplishments: • Amerigo Vespucci – First European credited with the understanding that lands in the Western Hemisphere were not a part of Asia, but rather “new” continents previously unknown to Europeans. • John and Sebastian Cabot – First Europeans (other that the Vikings) to explore North America • Giovanni da Verranzano – First European to explore the coast of North Carolina

24. Major Explorers and their Accomplishments: • Ferdinand Magellen – first to sail around the southern tip of South America; named the Pacific Ocean; 17 members of his crew became the first to sail completely around the world • Hernan Cortes – conquered Mexico for Spain by defeating the native Mayans. • Francisco Pizzaro – conquered western South America for Spain by defeating the native Incans.

25. Major Explorers and their Accomplishments: • Ponce de Leon – explored southeastern North America for Spain; named Florida • Jacques Cartier – explored northern North America; claimed Canada for France

26. Why did the Europeans want to explore in the first place? • They wanted to find a sea route to Asia so they could trade directly with Indian, Chinese, East African, and Pacific Island merchants. • They did not initially seek to discover new lands, but once those discoveries were made, they immediately began to find ways to exploit their discoveries. • Once they began to have success, they wanted to spread Christianity throughout the world.

27. Before the Age of Discovery… • Most people knew little of the world outside their own villages. • Little was known about geography; the best maps of the world were over 1,000 years old. • Trade between European and Asian civilizations was conducted over land and was controlled by Muslim civilizations in the Middle East.

28. Before the Age of Discovery… • Europeans did not know that: • the continents of North and South America existed • the Atlantic and Indian oceans met south of the African continent • the Pacific Ocean existed • it is possible to sail completely around the world • the earth is as large as it is

29. After the Age of Discovery… • Europeans established sea routes to Asia and trading posts along those routes, greatly enriching them. • Europeans made great advancements in shipbuilding, navigation, and map-making. • Europeans began to establish colonies on the continents and islands of the Western Hemisphere. • Europeans had thoroughly explored all the earth’s oceans and had determined the size of the earth. • The major European nations emerged as the richest, most advanced, and most powerful civilizations on earth.

30. After the Age of Discovery… • Native peoples in Africa, the Americas, and the Atlantic islands were terrorized, conquered, killed, enslaved, and/or forced to convert to Christianity. • As European colonization increased, native customs, languages, and religions vanished as the native people were gradually assimilated into the prevailing European cultures. • As much as 80% of the native populations of the Americas died as a result of European diseases (mainly smallpox).

32. European Advantages over Native Americans: Firearms – cannons, gunpowder, etc

33. European Advantages over Native Americans: Armor

34. European Advantages over Native Americans: Horses

35. European Advantages over Native Americans: Disease Resistance

36. In Summary… • By the late 1500s, the earth had been thoroughly explored and mapped by European sailors. European nations began competing to colonize the “New World” (North and South America and the islands of the western Atlantic), leading to our next unit: The Age of Colonization.