Chapter 1Section 1

Exploration

Introduction

 During the Renaissance, increased trade and new technology led the Europeans to explore overseas.

Main Idea:

Beginning in the 1400’s, Europe entered a new era of intellectual and technological advancements known as the Renaissance.

 

Expanding Horizons

In 1095, Pope Urban II called for Christians to free their religions holy places in the Middle East from the Muslims.

The Crusades brought the Europeans in contact with the Arabs and trading soon began.

Europeans began to buy luxury goods (spices, sugar, melons, tapestries, and silk) that the Arabs obtained from the East.

Soon city-states such as Venice, Pisa, and Genoa became wealthy by trading goods with the Middle Eastern countries. They charged high prices.

Exploration By the 1300’s Europeans wanted to find a new

route to Asia, to bypass the Italians and the Arabs, no new technology yet.

By the 1400’s, things began to change. Kings and Queens started to tax and with the new income, they raised armies to protect the trade routes.

By the mid-1400, four strong states emerged: Portugal, Spain, England, and France. Soon these countries began to expand trade to Asia.

Scientific Advances Technology enabled the Europeans to explore

more areas of the world.

There were two crucial advancements in navigational instruments and ships, which could travel a long distance.

The Renaissance was a time of the arts, and a rebirth in the interest in Greece and Rome. Many of the works of ancient scholars, poets, geographers, and mathematicians were discovered.

Navigation

Astrolabe

By studying Arab texts, Europeans discovered the astrolabe- a navigational instrument developed by the Greeks and refined by the Arabs. An astrolabe- uses the position of the sun to determine direction, latitude, and local time.

Compass

Europeans also acquired the compass from the Arabs who got it from the Chinese. A compass- shows the direction of magnetic north.

Ships

Lateen Sails

The Europeans would not be able to travel unless they had ships capable of traveling long distances.

By the 1400’s, Europeans shipwrights began to outfit ships with triangular shaped lateen sails (Arab invention). These sails allowed the ships to sail against the wind.

Caravel

By the 1400’s, the caravel was developed. It was a small vessel capable of carrying 130 tons of cargo. It could sail in very little water and could dock easily in shallow ports.

Portuguese Exploration

The Portuguese were the first too search for a sea route to Asia.

In 1419, Prince Henry (Henry the Navigator) set up a center for astronomical and geographical studies. He invited mapmakers, astronomers, and shipbuilders from throughout the Mediterranean to come to study and plan voyages for the purpose of exploration.

In 1420, Portuguese explorers began mapping African’s coast.

Portuguese Explorers

Bartholimeu Dias

In 1488, A Portuguese ship commanded by Bartholimeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa.

Vasco da Gama

In 1498, Vasco da Gama rounded Africa and reached India.

Slavery and Sugar

Slavery existed in African society. Most of the slaves had been captured in war. The Africans would ransom them back to their people or absorb them into their own society.

When the Arab traders came to West Africa, things changed, when the Arabs would trade horses, cotton, and other goods for slaves. Sugar growers from Spain and Portugal sought out slaves.

 

Exploring AmericaSpain Claims

America: Columbus

Christopher Columbus predicted “ the end of Spain and the beginning if India is not far apart.”

For six years, Columbus tried to persuade different rulers to fund expeditions.

Ferdinand and Isabella

In 1492-Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decided to finance his journey.

Columbus’ Journey August 1492-Columbus leaves with three ships,

the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria. He sails westward.

October 1492- Columbus lands in the Bahamas or current day San Salvador Island. He discovered the Tiano People, he called them “Indians”.

January 1493- He journeyed further into the Caribbean looking for gold. He found Cuba and Hispanola.

Result of Columbus’ Discovery

March 1493- Columbus returns to Spain with gold, parrots, spices, and Native Americans.

Spain agreed to finance more expeditions because it was now in competition with Portugal. Portugal had claimed it had found an Atlantic route to Asia. To resolve the competition, the two nations appealed to Pope Alexander VI.

1943- The Pope establishes a line of demarcation, an imaginary line running down the middle of the Atlantic. Spain would control everything west of the line, Portugal would control everything to the east.

Treaty of Tordesilla

1494- Treaty of Tordesilla- the demarcation line was approved by both countries. The treaty confirmed Portugal’s right to control the route from Africa to India. It also confirmed Spain’s claim to most of the America’s.

Columbus Part 2

1494- Columbus headed back across the Atlantic with 17 ships and over 1,200 Spanish colonists. But many of these colonists went back to Spain because they said that Columbus misled them about gold.

Columbus then went to Hispanola and mined some gold and enslaved the Tiano People to plant crops.

1496- Columbus returned to Spain. His brother Bartholemew, found Santo Domingo south of Hispanola.

America

1499- An Italian by the name of Amerigo Vespucci tried to reach Asia.

1501- Vespucci traveled to Portugal. He then went to South America and figured out that it could not be a part of Asia.

1507- A German mapmaker proposed that the new continent be named America for “Amerigo”, the discoverer.

Later Spanish Exploration

Juan Ponce de Leon, the Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico, sailed North to Florida. He went to find the fabled “fountain of youth”. He found a land full of blooming wildflowers and fragrant plants. He claimed the land for Spain and named it “Florida”= “land of flowers”.

SpainJuan Ponce De

Leon Juan Ponce de Leon, the

Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico, sailed North to Florida. He went to find the fabled “fountain of youth”. He found a land full of blooming wildflowers and fragrant plants. He claimed the land for Spain and named it “Florida”= “land of flowers”.

Magellan 1520- Ferdinand Magellan- was

a Portuguese explorer, but worked for Spain, discovered the strait later named for him. (Southern tip of South America. Magellan said that the waters were so calm that he named it “Mare Pacificum”, latin for “peaceful sea” ( Pacific Ocean).

Magellan was killed on the Philippine Islands. His crew continued the journey and arrived in Spain in 1522. They became the first known group to circumnavigate, sail around the globe.

Cortes and the Aztecs

1519- Hernan Cortes, a Spainard, sailed from Cuba to explore the Yucatan Peninsula, with 11 ships, 550 men, and 16 horses.

The Spanish quickly killed 200 warriors. The natives gave them a peace offering of 20 women. Cortes used one, Malinche, who would translate for Cortes. He had her baptized and called her Dona Marina.

Cortes recruited the Aztec’s enemies, the Tlaxcalan, to join him against the Aztecs..

Cortes and the Aztecs The Aztecs were amazed by the Spanish horses

and their “shooting sparks” (Spanish cannons).

The Aztec leader Montezuma, was very worried. He believed in the prophecy that Quetzalcoatl, a fair-skinned bearded deity would someday conquer the Aztecs.

Montezuma tried to ambush Cortes and the Tlaxcalan. The Spanish would strike first killing over 6,000 Cholulans. Montezuma, fearing Cortes, let him in Tenochtitlan peacefully.

Defeat of the Aztecs The city of Tenochtitlan impressed the Spanish. It

was larger than most European cities, 200,000 residents and an elaborate canal system. There was a huge pyramid in the center with a rack filled with human skulls.

Cortes would take Montezuma hostage. Cortes ordered that “all human sacrifices should stop”.

Cortes ordered that all Aztec statues must be removed and replaced with crosses and images of the Virgin Mary

Small Pox Soon small pox broke out in the area

decimating the Aztecs.

“ While the Spainards were in Tlaxcala, a great plague broke out here in Tenochtitlan… Sore erupted on our faces, our breasts, our bellies, we were covered with agonizing sores from head to foot. The illness was so dreadful that no one could walk or move.” -from The Broken Spears: The Aztec account of the Conquest of Mexico.

The End of the Aztecs

In 1521-Cortes destroyed Tenochtitlan. Modern day Mexico City would be built here. Cortes then sent many conquistadores out to conquer the rest of Central America.

Conquistadores

Pizarro

1526- Spanish Explorer, Francisco Pizarro reached Peru. Six years later, he returned with an infantry and plundered the wealthy Incan Empire.

Coronado

1540- Francisco Vasquez de Coronado- traveled to the Colorado River in the Great Plains because he heard about gold. But instead of gold, he found plains, and shaggy cows (buffalo).

More ConquistadoresDe Soto

1540- Hernando de Soto-led an expedition to what is today North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas. The Spanish raided many villages and killed many Indians. De Soto died, and further exploration was halted.

Onate

Because no gold was found, settlement by the Spanish was slow.

1598-Juan de Onate- went to the north of the Rio Grande. The survivors of the journey organized a feast to give “thanks to God”. This is known as the “Spanish Thanksgiving” and it is still celebrated each April in El. Paso, Texas. The Spanish called the territory New Mexico.

Presidios

The Spanish would build forts called “presidios” for protection and trade.

In the 1600’s and 1700’s, Spanish priests built missions and spread Christianity to the Navajo and Pueblo villages.

1769- Franciscan priest Juniperro Serra, took control of California by establishing a chain of missions from San Diego to San Francisco.

Spanish American Society

The Spanish operated under the “encomienda system” Each Spanish conqueror was given a reward or encomiendero or (commission) and could control a group of villages. The villagers paid taxes to the commissioner and gave them a part of their harvest. The commissioner was supposed to protect them and convert them over to Christianity.

Encomienda New Spain had a highly structured society

based on birth, income, and education. 

Peninsulares (born in Spain, Spanish Parents)

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Criollos (born in the colonies, Spanish Parents)

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Mestizos (Spanish/Native Parents)

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Mullattoes (Spanish, Black Parents)

New France

1524- King Francis I sent Giovanni de Verrazano to find the Northwest Passage, hoped for French control of a northern passage to the Pacific (no luck).

French Exploration

Cartier

1534- Jacques Cartier- made three trips to North America exploring and mapping the St. Lawrence Seaway ( Montreal).

De Champlain

1602-King Henry IV authorized a group of French merchants to establish a colony. Samuel de Champlain would help them. 1608- de Champlain claimed Quebec capital of New France.

Fur Trade

The colonists wanted to make money from the fur trade because they did not settle in one place. New France grew slowly. Most of the fur traders lived amongst the Native Americans and traded.

Jesuit missionaries, “black robes” lived amongst the French.

1663- King Louis XIV made New France a royal colony and sent 4,000 settlers by 1670’s the colony had expanded to 7,000 and by 1760-60,000.

Joliet & Marquette

1673-Louis Joliet and a Jesuit priest, Jacques Marquette, searched for a waterway, which the Algonquian called “big river”. They discovered the “Mississippi River”.

Robert de La Salle 1682-Robert de la Salle- followed the Mississippi

all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, he was the first European to do so. He claimed the region for France and named the territory Louisiana in honor of King Louis.

1699- Biloxi was the first permanent French settlement. Mobile and New Orleans followed. The French in Louisiana discovered that they could grow the following crops: sugar, rice, indigo. They needed abundant labor, so they imported slaves from Africa.