Motives for European Exploration

1. Motives for European Exploration The Three G’s

2. Gold: Economy • Europeans need a direct route to Africa and Asia to make more $$$ • Muslims controlled land routes to Asia & interior of Africa • cut out middleman = $$ • Resources • Spices from Asia prevented meats from spoiling • Gold & ivory from Africa would bring wealth & power to Europeans • Land to cultivate & slaves to work land

3. God: Religion Every time Europeans wanted to trade with China or India they had to pass through Ottoman trading posts; this meant that they had to give money to the Muslims. If money = power, who was getting powerful in this deal? By Columbus’ time (1492) the last of the Muslim Strongholds in Spain had been defeated,this led to a Shift in European focus… Pre 1517 - The focus of Europe was fighting the Muslims After 1517 - Their focus is on spreading Christianity to new lands… you can’t let the heretics get to them first! New Testament commands Christians to spread the Gospel

4. Glory: For the glory of the king! The way to make the country more powerful was to increase it’s wealth. You do this by getting as much as you can. If you didn’t get the wealth someone else would! They would win and you would lose! The more wealth a country had = more powerin war! Victoryover your enemies was everything!

5. What allowed the Europeans to cross oceans? 1. By the 1400s Portugal is building good ships, and making accurate sea charts. 2. With the use of the compassand astrolabe, the Portuguese are able to navigate well. 3. Improved weapons gave Europeans an advantage: cannons & guns 4. Combining old designs together the Portuguese were able to make a small, fast, and maneuverable ship design called the carrack or caravel.

6. Early Chinese ships had triangle sails, allowing them to cut through wind currents… Viking ships had square sails to capture the wind… The Portuguese combined the 2 sail designs to come up with their own design. This design was later changed by the Spanish. The Galleon…