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Early European ExplorersUS HistoryMr. Cole

+Early European Explorers Main Idea:

As Europeans searched for sea routes to Asia, Christopher Columbus reached the Americas.

Why It Matters Now Columbus’s journey permanently linked the

Americas to the rest of the world.

Key Terms & Names:

Navigator Caravel Christopher Columbus

a Navigator plans the course of a ship by using instruments to find its position.

Prince Henry the Navigator (15th Century)

Began a school of navigation

Lived in Sagres, Southwest Portugal.

The voyages he funded led to the age of exploration

The three G’s:• Gold• God• Glory

+ A Water Route to Asia

The caravel- a ship with both Triangle sails & square sails

• Square sails carried the ship forward when the wind was at the back.

• Triangle sails allowed it to sail into the wind.

+ A Water Route to Asia

Jan. 1488, the Portuguese explorer

Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa.

Ten years later- Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama sailed around the cape of good hope of Africa through the Indian Ocean, becoming the first to complete an all-water route to Asia. • Used the route by Dias.• Could now trade with Asia without having to go

through Islamic SW Asia, or The Italian controlled Mediterranean.

• Potruguese King named it the Cape of Good Hope

+Columbus’s PlanChristopher Columbus (1451-1506) an Italian sailor who thought he knew a faster way to reach Asia.

Europeans know the earth was round, so he sailed west thinking it would be a short journey.

2 Miscalculations:1. Thought Asia stretched farther east

than it really did.2. Underestimated the distance around

the globe.

Asked the Portuguese king to fund the voyage, but did not receive their support.

Turned to Portugal’s rival: Spain

+Help From Spanish RulersKing Ferdinand & Queen IsabellaSupported the voyage because they wanted a share of trade with Asia’s riches.

Queen Isabella, a devout catholic also

supported the spread of Christianity.

Problems:• Doubts about the voyages calculations.• Already in a costly war to drive Muslims out of Spain.• Asking for a high profit for his services.

• Demanded title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea• A percentage of any wealth he brought from Asia• Wanted to be ruler of the lands he found

+ Help From Spanish RulersBy January 1492, Spanish monarchs conquered the last Muslim stronghold and could now finance Columbus’ voyage.

Finally reached an agreement, and assembled the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María.

After struggling to find a crew, 90 men agreed and loaded the ship with a years worth of food, fresh water firewood and other

necessities.

+ Setting SailThe three ships set sail on August 3, 1492

By October 10 the crew was beginning to lose faith.

Columbus kept two logs..

October 12, a sailor of the Pinta spotted land in the early hours of the morning, met land by noon. ~”Tierra, tierra!”

Headed to the canary islands off

the coast of Africa.

Planned on using the trade winds that blew west.

+Reaching the AmericasColumbus thought he reached the Indies, islands of southeast Asia.

He and his men were greeted by the Taino people, but Columbus mistakenly called them Indians.

Claimed and named the Island San Salvador.

+Reaching the Americas

Eager to reach Japan, He left San Salvador with Taino as guides.

For three months traveled through the Caribbean.

Finally landed on an island he named Española (Hispaniola)

There Columbus found gold and was convinced he found Asia.

Returned home leaving 39 of his men on Hispaniola.

Problems before he even left: Stealing and violence.

By the time he returned 10 months later, the Taino killed everyone.

+Reaching the Americas

In January 1493, returned to Spain, believing he had found a new route to Asia…

…No one knew he had landed near continents entirely unknown to Europeans.

+ An Expanding HorizonMade three more voyages back to the Americas.

Never brought back the treasures he promised the Spanish rulers.

Also failed to spread Christianity to new people..In fact, Isabella learned he and his crew mistreated and enslaved the Natives.

He died in 1506, Believing he had reached Asia and bitter he never received the fame or fortune he thought he deserved.

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Information brought back from his voyages changed the way Europeans looked at the world.

The ocean had always been seen as a barrier, now the ocean became a bridge connecting Europe with Africa and the Americas.

Began an era of great wealth and power for Spain. As spains wealth grew, England, France and other countries

began sending voyages to the Americas.