The Age of Discovery

1. Europe and the New World The Age of Discovery

2. Background • The Europeans were not ignorant of the outside world • Marco Polo travelled to China and opened up the spice trade • Christian knights went to the middle east to combat Islam • Moors in Spain • By the Renaissance, Europe was actively trading with much of the known world • However, North and South America and the Islands in the Pacific were unknown to Europeans because none were accessible by land • However, as time passed, European society became more advanced. • New ship building technology allowed the Europeans to venture further than ever before • Also, the 15th century was far different than the Medieval Period, people were not dominated by Catholic dogma and modern business practices were developing (banks and merchant traders in Italy)

4. The Caravel: Portuguese ship, gave birth to the age of discovery

5. The Contributions of Portugal • The Portuguese developed the first European ships capable of long oceanic travel • They were first based on the designs of fishing boats, but were steadily improved • Prince Henry (The Navigator) made this all happen • Wishing to gain access to the spice trade, Prince Henry Established a school in Portugal dedicated to Ship Building, Navigation and Map Making • Prince Henry sponsored voyages down the coast of West Africa– were the Portuguese were made rich trading for Gold and Slaves • Vasco Da Gama, led an expedition around South Africa into India – further opening European access to the spices and fabrics of Asia

8. Christopher Columbus • Born in Genoa Italy as Cristoforo Colombo, in 1451, Columbus was a self-educated and ambitious man who was fascinated with navigation and exploration • He understood that the Earth was spherical (but so did most educated Europeans by this point) • But we wildly underestimated the size of the planet – he believed that the distance from the canary islands to Japan to be approx 3700 km (in fact, it is almost 20,000 km!) • Columbus planned a voyage to prove his theories correct and travelled Europe looking for sponsorship • After being rejected several times, Queen Isabella of Spain finally sponsored him • With three ships, a vast crew and provisions, Columbus set sail west into the unexplored Atlantic ocean in 1492

9. The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria

10. The Impact of Columbus • Columbus landed on the Island of Hispaniola (present day Dominican Republic and Haiti) • He soon realized he had discovered something completely unknown to Europeans (a new World) • He took what he could (people, animals, plants) as evidence of his discovery and set back to Europe • A massive chain reaction followed, Columbus was sent out again to further explore the New World • England and France to a Northern Route discovered North America • Spain took a southern route and discovered South America • Motivated by the loss of power and prestige from the reformation, the Pope issued a “Papal Bull” and demanded that all new peoples were to be ruled by Christian Kings • Finally, the new economic theory of Mercantilism developed (the wealth of the world was fixed, in order to generate wealth, you had to discover new sources or take from someone else) • These new discoveries and Mercantilism soon led to bitter rivalries between European powers

11. Summary • The Portuguese were the first European oceanic explorers • The opened up trade routes to India and Africa • Columbus’ voyage was based in mathematical error • The New World was discovered by accident but all of Europe wanted to exploit its wealth • Papal Bull dehumanized the people of the New World • The Theory of Mercantilism helped create the system of exploitation

12. Homework • Read all the Columbus articles on the Web Page • Prepare to debate the question:“Was Columbus a Hero or a Villain?”