THE AGE OF EXPLORATION

THE PERIOD OF EUROPEAN EXPANSION

BACKGROUND- 15TH CENTURY - Forces driving expansion RISE OF NATIONALISM AMONG THE NEW

NATION-STATES OF EUROPE– POWERFUL NEW NATION-STATES WITH

ASSERTIVE MONARCHS– DESIRE TO ENHANCE NATIONAL

PRESTIGE (NATIONALISM)– NATIONAL WEALTH AND TERRITORY– PRESTIGE FOR MONARCHS

– INTENSIFYING INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AMONG THE POWERFUL NATION-STATES OF EUROPE

Spain, Britain, France, Netherlands

EXPANSION OF TRADE AND BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN EUROPE

DESIRE TO FIND NEW TRADE ROUTES TO THE EAST – – INCREASE PROFITS – DRIVEN BY THE SPICE TRADE

RENAISSANCE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE

A MORE UNIFED SPAIN – – MARRIAGE OF FERDINAND AND

ISABELLA IN 1469

RECONQUISTA – COMPLETED - 1492

POSSIBILITY OF PERSONAL WEALTH, FAME, AND SOCIAL PRESTIGE

DESIRE TO SPREAD CHRISTIANITY

QUEST FOR NEW GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE

NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT IMPACTED EUROPEAN EXPANSION

IMPROVED SHIP DESIGN-(CARAVEL) – FASTER, SAFER

THE PRINTING PRESS

MORE RELIABLE AND ACCURATE MAGNETIC COMPASS

INVENTION OF THE CLOCK

– ALLOWED FOR NEW NAVIGATIONAL METHODS- EVENTUALLY LONGITUDE

ASTROLABE- LATITUDE

MORE ACCURATE MAPS

GUN POWDER AND NEW WEAPONS– CANNONS AND MUSKETS

CARAVEL-FASTER SHIPS

PRINTING PRESS- SPREAD INFORMATION

ASTROLABE- LATITUDE MEASUREMENTS

NEW WEAPONS

IMPROVED COMPASS

NATION- STATES INVOLVED IN EXPLORATION

PORTUGAL

AREAS OF INTEREST: -WEST AFRICA-PARTS OF ASIA-SOUTH AMERICA (Brazil)

EMPHASIS WAS ON TRADE-GOLD -SLAVE TRADE-WEST AFRICA-NEW PRODUCTS AND SPICES

PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR OF PORTUGAL

National policies supported exploration and trade

Portugal had a long tradition of navigation and trade

Large fleet of merchant ships

Strong navigational skills and experience

SLAVE TRADE – WEST AFRICA

African slaves were brought to the New World to primarily work in agriculture– Plantations – Farms

Portugal was the major slave trading European nation

Slave ships- Middle Passage

SPAIN

AREAS OF INTEREST: – CARIBBEAN ISLANDS– CENTRAL AMERICA– SOUTH AMERICA

(EXCEPT FOR BRAZIL)– MEXICO – SOUTHWEST NORTH AMERICA– PHILIPPINES

FERDINAND AND ISABELLA OF SPAIN SUPPORTED EXPLORATION AND EXPANSION

SPAIN’S MAJOR EMPHASIS ACCUMULATION OF GOLD AND SILVER-

Mercantilist economy policies

EXPANSION OF TRADE

FARMING - SUGAR PLANTATIONS

MINING

SOME SLAVE TRADE –– Spain outlawed the slave trade in the

1700’s

SPREAD CHRISTIANITY– MISSIONARIES

(Jesuit, Dominican, Franciscan)

ACQUISITION OF LAND– NATIONAL AND PERSONAL

ENHANCED PERSONAL PRESTIGE AND SOCIAL STANDING– STRICT SOCIAL HIERARCHY IN SPAIN DROVE MANY

TO SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR SOCIAL STANDINGSPAIN REMAINED MORE FEUDAL IN MANY

RESPECTS

THE DIVISION OF TERRITORIES:LINE OF DEMARCATION1493

OFFICIAL AGREEMENT THAT DIVIDED THE TERRITORIES CLAIMED BY SPAIN AND PORTUGAL IN THE NEW WORLD

IMAGINARY LINE DRAWN BY POPE ALEXANDER VI

LANDS EAST OF THE LINE-PORTUGAL

LANDS WEST OF THE LINE-SPAIN

LINE OF DEMARCATION (1493) ORIGINALLY DIVIDED THE TERRITORIES. IT WAS MODIFIED TO GIVE MORE LAND TO PORTUGAL Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

ENGLAND

MAJOR AREAS OF INTERST: – EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA– CANADA– INDIA AND PARTS OF EAST ASIA

ENGALND’S MAJOR EMPHASIS

EXPANSION OF TERRITORY TRADE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDDLE

CLASS FLEEING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

MAJOR EUROPEAN EXPLORERS VASCO DA GAMA-

– first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope MAGELLAN- 1521-1522

– -first voyage to circumnavigate the globe COLUMBUS- 1492

– first European voyage to arrive in the New World- Caribbean and Central America

CORTES- 1519-1520– conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico

PIZARRO- 1530’S– conquest of the Incan Empire in Peru

BALBOA-– first to see the Pacific- crossed Panama

PONCE DE LEON-– explored Florida

CORONADO-– first European to see the Grand Canyon and explore the

southern part of the US (N America)

VASCO DA GAMA- PORTUGUESE

MAGELLAN-PORTUGUESE

MAGELLAN DID NOT SURVIVE THE VOYAGE– KILLED IN THE

PHILIPPINES

OF THE 270 MEN WHO BEGAN THE VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE, ONLY 18 FINISHED AND RETURNED TO EUROPE

COLUMBUS- ITALIAN EXPLORER LED 4 VOYAGES TO THE NEW WORLDfinanced by Spain

4 VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS

CORTES- SPANISH – CONQUERED THE AZTECS IN MEXICO

PIZARRO- SPANISH

PIZARRO-CONQUEST OF THE INCAN EMPIRE IN PERU

INCAN EMPIRE IN PERUTHE ANCIENT INCAN CITY OF MACHU PICCHU

BALBOA

CROSSED THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA

FIRST EUROPEAN TO CROSS FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC

CORONADO EXPLORED THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST (GRAND CANYON)

LABOR AND INDUSTRY IN THE NEW WORLD

ENCOMIENDATRIBUTE LABOR SYSTEM – NATIVE PEOPLES WERE REQUIRED TO GIVE LABOR TO THE EUROPEAN SETTLERS

MINING

SILVER MINES AT POTOSI (BOLIVIA)VAST AMOUNTS OF

GOLD AND SILVER WERE SENT TO SPAIN FROM THE NEW WORLD

PRIMARY LABOR FORCE WAS THE INDEGENOUS POPULATION

SUGAR BECAME A MAJOR EXPORT CROPNATIVE PEOPLES AND AFRICAN SLAVES WORKED THE FARMS AND PLANTATIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

15TH AND 16TH CENTURY ECONOMIC MODEL

MERCANTILISM

ECONOMIC MODEL BASED ON THE ACCUMULATION OF GOLD AND SILVER (PRECIOUS METALS)

GOLD AND SILVER WERE THE MEASURE OF WEALTH- – NOT BUSINESS OR PRODUCTION

THE PURPOSE OF THE ECONOMY WAS TO SERVE THE STATE – OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH ABSOLUTISM

TRADE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON EXPORTING AND SELLING GOODS IN THE NEW COLONIES

COLONIES WERE SEEN AS – A SOURCE OF RAW MATERIALS– MARKETS FOR EUROPEAN GOODS

THE IMPACT OF EUROPEAN EXPANSION –

AGE OF EXPLORAITON

ECONOMIC

RAPID ECONOMIC GROWTH AND AN INCREASE IN BUSINESS ACTIVITY

VAST AMOUNTS OF GOLD AND SILVER FLOODED INTO EUROPE– PRICES OF GOODS ROSE DUE TO

INLFATION AND MERCANTILIST ECONOMIC POLICIES

– TOO MUCH GOLD AND SILVER DROVE DOWN THE VALUE OF THE CURRENCY

MORE OPPORTUNITES FOR THE RISING MIDDLE CLASS

MAJORITY OF EUROPEANS (PEASANT CLASS) SAW LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING

CAPITALISM SLOWLY BEGAN TO EMERGE BY THE 1700’S

POLITICAL

WESTERN EUROPE BEGAN TO DOMINATE THE GLOBE– NEW LANDS WERE CLAIMED AND

COLONIZED– WESTERN POLITICAL MODELS WERE

INSTALLED

THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE NATION-STATES OF EUROPE INTENSIFIED

INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS GREW

SOCIETAL

SOCIAL VALUES BECAME MORE FOCUSED ON MATERIAL WEALTH AND SOCIAL STANDING

GROWING SECULAR TREND

RISING MIDDLE CLASS BENIFITTED THE MOST FROM NEW ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES

POWER AND WEALTH IN THE COLONIES CAME TO BE CONCENTRATED IN THE HANDS OF A FEW (EUROPEANS)– STRICT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

HIERARCHY– SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES HAVE

CONTINUED TO PLAGUE THESE REGIONS AS A RESULT OF THIS TREND

– THIS TREND HAS CONTINUED THROUGOUT SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

RELIGIOUS CHRISTIANITY SPREAD ACROSS THE

GLOBE– THE AMERICAS– PARTS OF ASIA

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES WORKED TO CONVERT NATIVE POPULATIONS– THE JESUITS WERE VERY ACTIVE– STARTED MISSIONS– ESTABLISHED SCHOOLS

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BECAME DOMINANT IN MANY COLONIAL REGIONS

VERY OFTEN CONVERSIONS WERE FORCED AND OR COERCED; HOWEVER, MANY TRULY CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY

CHRISTIANITY OFTEN BLENDED WITH TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES– SYNCRETICISM

GLOBAL

MILLIONS OF AFRICANS WERE IMPORTED TO THE NEW WORLD AS SLAVES

ANIMALS FROM EUROPE WERE BROUGHT TO THE AMERICAS– HORSES AND CATTLE

NEW PLANTS AND CROPS WERE EXCHANGED– TOMATOES– POTATOES– CORN– ETC.

INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS

NATIVE POPULATIONS IN THE NEW WORLD WERE DECIMATED – ESTIMATED THAT FROM 1500-1600

THE POPULATION DROPPED FROM 20 MILLION TO 2 MILLIONDISEASE AND MALNUTRITIONWAR AND CONFLICTHARSH LABOR

INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS MIXED WITH EUROPEANS AND AFRICANS – NEW CULTURAL AND RACIAL

GROUPS EMERGED– BLENDING OF CULTURES

LANGUAGERELIGIONCUSTOMSMUSICART

THE AGE OF EXPLORATION WAS IN MANY WAYS A REFLECTION THE

IDEALS AND VALUES OF THE RENAISSANCE