European Exploration

and Colonization

Unit 2 Notes

What factors encouraged the European Age of Exploration?

Explain how religion, natural resources, and a

market for goods contributed to European

exploration and colonization.

Explain how Prince Henry the navigator

impacted European exploration.

It is a gray and windy morning in 1430. You are standing on a dock in the European country of Portugal staring out at the dark and mysterious Atlantic Ocean. You, like most people at the time, have no idea what lies beyond the horizon. Now you may find out. You have been asked to go on a voyage of exploration…

You’ve heard all the terrifying stories of sea monsters and shipwrecks. You’ve heard the warnings that the currents along parts of western Africa are “so terrible that no ship having once passed… will ever be able to return.” You also have heard that riches await those who help explore and claim new lands. Now, as the captain calls for you to come aboard, you must decide.

Would you go? …

…The large hold of your ship could carry back gold, jewels, and other valuable items found in distant

lands…

…Raging waves could destroy your ship and leave you at the mercy of the sea…

According to legend, beyond this point in an area known as the

"Green Sea of Darkness," the sun was so close to the Earth that a

person’s skin would burn black, the sea boiled, ships caught on fire,

and monsters hid waiting to smash the ships and eat the sailors. It

took fourteen voyages over a period of 12 years until a ship finally

reached the equator.

The CrusadesThe crusades were a series of holy wars called

by popes

Military expeditions sent by the

Catholic Church to capture the Holy

Land from the Muslim Turks

Not successful, but had a few positive

results:

-Europeans learned to draw better maps

and build better ships

-Exposed Europeans to spices & goods

from the East

Motivations for

Exploration

THREE G’S

GOD

GOLD

GLORY

Why did the Europeans Go Exploring?

What’s my motivation?

The 3 G’s…

GOLD

New trade routes opened up opportunities

for wealth

GOD

Missionaries spread Christianity

GLORY

Explorers were considered heroes;

countries competed for colonies

Many sought to convert other populations to Christianity

GOD (Spread of Christianity)

• The Crusades pushed Christians to feel it was their duty to

spread their religion and convert people to Christianity

(and not to be Muslim)

• **How did “religion” contribute to European exploration

and colonization?

GOLD! (WEALTH!)

Italians

sell it

to Europe

for

MORE $$$

Europe buys

it for a

higher price

Muslims sold

Spices to Italians

for lots of $

New spices in Europe (introduced during the Crusades) = demand for the spices

Europeans wanted to cut out the middle man! (Italy and the powerful Ottoman Empire controlled trade between Europe and the east)

Europeans try to find new trade routes because they want new sources of wealth

**How did the market for

goods contribute to European

exploration?

GLORY !

BEING “The FIRST!”

COMPETITION FOR NATURAL RESOURCES

First to: Find a spice?

Find an area!

Create a trading port!

Control a COUNTRY!

**How did natural resources contribute to

European exploration?

But First TECHNOLOGY HELPS!

They needed better transportation.

Caravel: stronger, sturdier ship with triangular sails

(adopted from Arabs) made travel easier

65 feet long = more space for food/people

Able to explore close to shore

Larger sails for easier

movement and power

(made it possible to sail

against the wind)

New Maritime Technologies

Hartman Astrolabe (1532) –Developed by the Greeks and

perfected by the Arabs; used to determine latitude (sail by stars)

Better/More Accurate Maps [Portulan]

Sextant

Mariner’s Compass – Chinese invention; magnetically tracked direction

And They’re off…

Trade Routes

1400s—major trade routes from the

East to Europe went through 2 Italian

cities (Venice & Genoa)

-Italian merchants marked up the prices

on the goods & sold them throughout

Europe

Other European countries resented the

huge profits made by Italians & began

to look for other routes to the East…

And They’re off…

Trade Routes

Europeans created new trade routes to

bring products from Europe to India,

China, & the Spice Islands

Contributed to the expansion of the

empires of Portugal, Spain, England,

and France…

STOP HERE!

Portugal’s Empire

15th century: led the world in sea

exploration and explored the western

coast of Africa

Portuguese wanted to find a trade route

around Africa to Asia

Believed they could make a lot of money as

traders if they could get Asian goods for a

cheaper price

Also wanted to spread Christianity along

Africa’s west coast

Portugal’s Empire

For the next 300 years, Portuguese sailors

continued to explore East Africa where they

established forts & trading posts

By 1571, a string of outposts connected Portugal to

Africa, India, South Pacific Islands, & Japan

Portugal grew wealthy from these trade routes,

but…

Its most profitable colony was Brazil

Prince Henry the Navigator

EARLY LEADER OF THE AGE OF

EXPLORATION Portuguese Prince -Son of the Portuguese king

Sent more than 50 expeditions down the west coast

of Africa

-Wanted to establish Portuguese colonies & break

the Muslim hold on trade routes

Created a naval school that taught students

navigation, astronomy, & cartography (map making

Institute of Sagres

Prince Henry the Navigator

Unable to make money trading gold, so

he tried creating sugar cane plantations

--Sugar cane was a very profitable crop,

but required lots of labor

Henry imported slaves from Africa to

work the sugar plantation --This was successful & was later copied in the New

World – The 1st to bring African slaves to the the

Americas

--Encouraged a slave trade that lasted another

400 years…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsyEGQmcmzE&feature=player_embedded

Spain’s Empire

Spanish explorers were searching for a

trade route through or around North

& South America to Asia

Wanted to find a quicker route to the gold

& spices in Asia

Christopher Columbus

1490s—CC, an Italian, was given ships

& sailors by the Spanish monarchy

--They wanted him to try to find a quick

route through the Atlantic Ocean to Asia

He discovered the Bahamas, but

thought he was in Asia… “East Indies”

--Later, it was realized that he discovered 2

new continents!

Exploration of these areas brought great

wealth to Spain

Christopher Columbus

Spain’s Empire

Huge empire that spanned the globe

Spanish conquistadors conquered the

Inca and Aztec civilizations in the 1500s

(South America)

--Looking for gold & spices

--Used missionaries to convert natives to

Christianity

Claimed huge areas of North & South

America & ruled over them for 300 years

France’s Empire

French possessed colonies around the

world from 1600 to 1900

Also dominated much of the European

continent

--By 1812, France controlled much of

Germany, Italy, & France

France’s Empire

Established other colonies in the 16th-17th centuries:

--Islands in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the South

Pacific, the North Pacific, & the North Atlantic

France also maintained influence in Canada, North

America, South America, Southeast Asia, & Northwest

Africa

The famous French explorers included Jacques Cartier,

Jacques Marquette and Samuel de Champlain

The French explorer Samuel de Champlain searched Canada for a northwest passage to Asia

The French would soon carve out a large colony along the Mississippi River from Canada to New Orleans

England’s Empire

England used to be one of three

countries (England, Scotland, & Wales)

1700s, the three united and became

Great Britain

British empire was the largest in history

--At its peak, Great Britain controlled:

Atlantic coast of North America (13

colonies), Canada, Australia, India, much

of Africa, and numerous islands

England’s Empire

North America came under British control in the 1700s

--Lost American colonies in 1776

--Maintained control over Canada until 20th century

Great Britain colonized Australia in 1788

--Used it as a penal (prison) colony to relieve

overcrowded jails in England

The English explorer James Cook was the first

European to make contact with Australia

Unlike other European nations whose kings paid for colonies, the English colonies

were paid for by citizens who

formed joint-stock companies

English colonies formed along the Atlantic Coast of North America by

colonists motivated either by religion

or wealth

Effects of European Exploration &

Colonization

New colonies were founded along the coasts

of Africa and North and South Americas

New trade routes

They converted conquered peoples to

Christianity

Europeans carried diseases with them that

killed native people

Africans and conquered peoples became

slaves to Europeans

Columbian Exchange

Effects of the Age of Exploration Pt. 2More Information Section…

God: Europeans spread Christianity

Gold: Europeans got money from their colonies

Glory: Europeans got land, natural resources, & power

The Columbian Exchange - widespread exchange of crops,

animals, diseases, culture, and ideas between the Eastern

(Old World) and Western (New World) hemispheres

Which do

you think

had the

most

significant

impact?

The Effects of the European

Age of Exploration on the

Americas1) Which 2

countries had

the largest

empire in North

America?

2) Which country

had the largest

empire in

Central and

South America?

3) Which country

had it’s empire

in Brazil?

The Effects of the European Age

of Exploration on Africa

1) Which 2

European

empires had

the most

colonies in

Africa?

2) Which 2

empire had

the fewest?

Empires of Portugal, Spain,

England, & France

Click here for the Empires video clip.