Exploring the Americas: 1400 - 1625

1. Exploring the Americas: 1400 - 1625 Early Exploration

2. Viking Voyages • 100’s of years B4 Columbus • Scandinavians called Vikings sailed west reaching NA • 800’s and 900’s CE visited Iceland and Greenland • Established settlements • 1000 CE- Leif Eriksson (son of Eric the Red) attempted to create settlement in “Vinland” • Now Newfoundland

3. Growth of Trade • Traders could make a fortune selling these goods • Rich Europeans wanted these spices, perfumes, silks and stones • Cost was high because of “middlemen” • Travel over land was expensive and dangerous • Thieves waited along “Silk Road” • Began to look for all-water route to bypass Arab merchants and thieves by road • 2 Options • Around Africa • Sailing West to get East • Earth is a sphere

4. Slowly but Surely • Neither had been done B4; no one even seen open ocean or coastline of Africa • Portugal leads the charge • Prince Henry the Navigator • Sets up school for navigators and sailors • Info they share greatly helps his ship captains • Armed w/ info and $$$ from Henry set out to explore Africa and possible water route to Asia • 1445- Dinis Dias reaches “Western Bulge” • 1470’s- cross Equator • 1488- Bartolommeo Dias sails around southern tip… turns around b/c crew scared • 1498- Vasco da Gama sails around tip all the way to India

5. Early Ideas of Exploration • By 1400’s- few believe world is flat • But… • Did not know there was land b/t Europe and East Asia • Most estimate over 10,000 miles to sail from Europe to East Asia • No ship could carry enough food and water to make such long journey

6. Cristoforo Colombo • Disagreed w/ distance estimates; thought less than half that • Italian guy but… • Was turned down by Italy • Approached several other countries to find backers for trip ($$$) • All turned him down until… • King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain

7. Friday, August 3, 1492 • Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria set sail • After not seeing land for 3 weeks… • Crew gets scared and begs to turn back • Continue on for 2 months and 8 days B4 signs begin to appear • By moonlight around 2 am on October 12th the Pinta’s spotter cries, “Tierra, Tierra!” (Land, Land!)

8. 1st Impressions in Americas • Landed on small island in Bahamas (believed he was in Indies) • He explored for months but… • He found no spices, rugs, silks • Claimed land for Spain • Named it San Salvador • Natives approached them bearing gifts • Columbus gave them bells, beads, and bits of cloth

9. Communicating with Natives • With hand gestures, natives spoke of other islands • Columbus moved on • Found many new plants and animals never B4 seen by them • Reaches Cuba… • Always expecting to see India trading post… DUH!

10. “Gold in ‘dem dare hills!” • Locals told him gold could be found in Cubanacan • middle of Cuba • he thought they said, “El Gran Khan” • the Great Khan • Columbus tells Spain there to visit China’s emperor Kublai Khan to get gold

11. Hispaniola • December 1492- • They land on present-day Haiti / Dominican Republic • He names Hispaniola (Spanish Isle) • Finds natives here have great amount of gold, but they could not find source

12. Santa Maria Wrecks • Hits bottom of coast… is abandoned • Columbus orders crew to stay on island • Built fort with timbers and remnants of ship • He leaves on the Niña for Spain • Believes triumphant!!!

13. March 15th, 1493 • Columbus returns to Spain w/ crowds waiting to honor him • People stared at Natives, birds, animals, and plants he brought back • Ferdinand and Isabella name him Viceroy, or Lord to the Indies • No one sure where new territories were, but Columbus claimed for Spain

14. Territories Divided • Portugal claimed all land west of Africa was theirs’ • Big Problems NOW • Pope Alexander VI divides ocean at 400 miles west of Azore Islands • West of line… Spain • East of line… Portugal • Lined named… Line of Demarcation

15. Treaty of Tordesillas • 1494- • line moved in agreement to new “Treaty” 700 miles further west when realized how much more land there was • Columbus makes 3 more trips claiming land for Spain

16. Columbus Kicks the Bucket • He gains some wealth, but not much • Most power later taken away by King • Died almost forgotten in 1506 • He never accepted the fact that he was not in India

17. Exploring America • 1499- Amerigo Vespucci began mapping SA coastline • Concluded this was new continent not Asia • By 1500’s European map makers begin calling land America • Vasco Núñez de Balboa • Governor of Panama to Spain • Heard stories of “great waters” beyond mts. • 1513- forms a party to hike through the jungles • After weeks, sees Pacific Ocean • 1st European to do so!!!

18. Sailing Around the World • Spanish wanted to find sea route through or around SA to Asia • 1519- hire Ferdinand Magellan, actually Portuguese though • 5 ships • Sail across Atlantic then down east coast of SA • November 1520 finds and sails through a narrow strait (now bares his name) • Names the ocean on other side Pacific, meaning peaceful • Expects trip across Pacific just a few weeks • Lasted 4 months • Crew ran out of food • Ate sawdust, rats, and leather to survive • Magellan dies in the Philippines • Crew continued • Trip took 3 years • Only 1 of 5 ships • Only 18 of 200+ crew members • 1st to circumnavigate, or sail around the world