EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Searching for New Trade Routes

• Before the age of Exploration, people believed that Europe, Asia, and Africa were the only 3 continents on the globe

• Most educated people in the early 1400s believed the world was round

• They described the Ocean Sea as the area between Europe and Asia

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

But what were they missing???

Searching for New Trade Routes

• In the early 1400s, trade between Europe and Asia was very profitable

• However, the trip from Europe to Asia could be as long as 1,500 miles across land

• This took a very long time and was also very dangerous

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Merchant Trade Route

Reasons for Exploration

• People began to wonder if they could reach Asia if they sailed West around the world

• Explorers from all competing countries were now looking for a Northwest Passage (an East to West trade route to Asia)

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

From the star, where would and East to West route go?

Searching for New Trade Routes

• Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, was one of the first explorers to believe that he could reach Asia by sailing West around the world

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Searching for New Trade Routes

• Spain decided to sponsor Columbus’s Trip to Asia by sailing West

• In 1492, Columbus set sail to try to find a Northwest Passage to Asia

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Searching for New Trade Routes

• Columbus reached land on October 12, 1492, he believed he was in Asia, but had really landed in the Bahamas

• Columbus has discovered the New World on accident!

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Searching for New Trade Routes

• Columbian Exchange: the transfer of ideas, plants, animals, people, disease, and technological innovations that happened after and because Columbus discovered the New World.

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

New WorldCorn

PotatoesBeansCocoaGoldSilver

Tobacco

Old WorldWheatSugarHorsesCows

SmallpoxMeaslesInfluenza

Searching for New Trade Routes

• Columbus voyage led to many other explorers, from many other European countries, seeking out and claiming land in the New World

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Early map of the New World

Reasons for Exploration

• The period of Exploration was from 1400-1625

• Rally cry for exploration was for “Gold, Glory, and God”• Gold: race to expand European

trade to increase wealth • Glory: competition for recognition

and power among European countries

• God: Desire for religious freedom and missionary work in the New World

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Reasons for Colonization

• As people began to Explore the New Land, it led to them thoughts of colonization

• Colonization: Mass amounts of people from a specific country migrating to a new place to settle colonies with their own economies and societies

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

Reasons for Colonization

• There were 4 basic motives for colonization• Religious• Economic• Political • Social

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

In groups you will practice taking Cornell notes while reading information about these 4 reasons for colonization