The Age of Exploration
2
The Historical Setting for Exploration
• Europe wanted trade• World divided into
independent spheres• Limited previous
contact with the Americas had occurred
• VikingsVikings
3
Renaissance Ideas That Influenced Exploration
• Most educated men believed that the world was round
• There were certainly stories of other lands, but they were not focused on the Western Hemisphere
4
Economic Developments
• Trade routes expanded• Europeans developed a
taste for Asian goods• The development of
banking
The Royal Exchange, London
5
New TechnologyShips
• Caravels• Ship technology• Armaments
6
New TechnologyNavigation
• Astrolabe• Compass• Practical knowledge of
winds and currents
Astrolabe
7
CartographyEarly and Medieval Maps
Jerusalem maps
Mappa Mundi
Ptolemaic map
8
Late Medieval and Renaissance Cartography
Portolan map Fra Mauro’s map
9
Cartography and Projection
• Hipparchus and Ptolemy
• Mercator
Mercator map of Europe, 16th century
10
Motives for Exploration
SEARCH FOR RESOURCES AND LAND
Oceanic ResourcesWheat
Sugar
