The Age of Exploration

1. The Age of Exploration M. W. Davis

2. Marco Polo 1270’s The Riches of Asia

3. Marco Polo Marco Polo was a merchant and explorer who traveled throughout the Far East and China for much of his life. When he finally returned to Italy, he brought with him jewels, silks, and other valuable goods. He also wrote a book filled with tales of his adventures and of the fabulous riches he had seen sparking an interest in the Europeans to explore.

4. Accomplishment/Discovery Marco Polo 1254-1324 Country: Italy Accomplishment/ Discovery: His stories were the basis for what much of Europe knew about Ancient China for many years.

5. Bartolomeu Dias 1488 Finding the Southern Tip of Africa

6. Bartolomeu Dias Bartolomeu Dias (1457-1500) was a great Portuguese navigator and explorer who explored Africa's coast. In 1488 he provided a great breakthrough for further expeditions. While sailing far south along the African coast with three ships under his command, Dias and his men were caught in a fierce storm. For 13 days the storm carried Dias’s ships toward the south and the east before blowing itself out. Feeling lucky to be alive, Dias and his crew turned north to return to Portugal. Soon his lookouts saw land once more, but something was wrong! Since the ships were now going north, the land should have been on the right. Instead, it was on the left side. The storm had blown them right around the southern tip of Africa, This was the first discovery of the southern tip of Africa. Could it lead to an “all-water“ route to the Indies?

7. Accomplishment/Discovery Bartolomeu Dias 1451-1500 Country: Portugal PORTUGAL AFRICA Accomplishment/ Discovery: First European to find the southern tip of Africa, a discovery that leads to finding the “all-water” route to the Indies

8. Vasco da Gama 1497 Discovering the ‘All-Water” Route to Asia

9. Vasco da Gama In 1497, nearly ten years after Dias’ discovery, Vasco da Gama picked up where he left off. With a fleet of four ships, da Gama rounded the southern tip of Africa and sailed across the Indian Ocean to reach the Indies. An all-water route to Asia had been found!

10. Accomplishment/Discovery Vasco da Gama 1460-1524 Country: Portugal Accomplishment/ Discovery: Discovered an “all-water” route from Europe to the Far East opening up future trade.

11. Christopher Columbus 1492 Discovering a New World

12. Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India (in order to trade for spices). They landed on an island that Columbus later renamed San Salvador. They were met by the local Taino Indians, many of whom were captured by Columbus' men and later sold into slavery. Columbus thought he had made it to Asia, and called this area the Indies, and called its inhabitants Indians. Actually, he was a long ways from Asia. He had landed on a land that was unknown to Europeans at that time.

13. Accomplishment/Discovery Christopher Columbus 1451-1506 Country: Spain Accomplishment/ Discovery: Discovered a “New World” unknown to Europe at the time.

14. John Cabot 1497 Discovering the Grand Banks

15. John Cabot News that Columbus had found a new route to Asia for Spain spread through Europe quickly. Other countries rushed to follow his lead. John Cabot, an Italian sailor living in England, believed there was an even shorter way to Asia. He would sail west as Columbus did, but he would take a route much further to the north. In 1497 Cabot and a crew of 18 men set out across the Atlantic. A month later he arrived in Newfoundland, believing he had reached some part of Asia. He hurried back to England with the news. The next year, Cabot set out with a fleet of four ships, but no one ever saw or heard of him again. Cabot’s voyage had not been wasted. He had found one of the world’s richest fishing areas, the Grand Banks.

16. Accomplishment/Discovery John Cabot 1450-1499 Country: England Accomplishment/ Discovery: Discovered one of the world’s richest fishing areas, the Grand Banks.” Fishing crews from England, Portugal, and France crossed the Atlantic each year to fish these waters.

17. Pedro Cabral 1500 The Discovery of Brazil (South America)

18. Pedro Cabral Pedro Cabral's 13 ships left on March 9, 1500, following the route of Vasco da Gama. On April 22, 1500, he sighted land (Brazil), claiming it for Portugal and naming it the "Island of the True Cross." It was later renamed once again, to Brazil. Cabral stayed in Brazil for 10 days and then continued on his way he reached the coast of India. Cabral returned to Portugal on June 23, 1501, with only four of the original 13 ships.

19. Accomplishment/Discovery Accomplishment/ Discovery: The explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral led the first exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal SOUTH AMERICA Pedro Cabral 1467-1520 Country: Portugal

20. Amerigo Vespucci 1501 The Naming of the “New World”

21. Amerigo Vespucci After Columbus historic voyage, other sailors also sailed to the west. One of these sailors was Amerigo Vespucci. He later wrote many letters, saying this land was really a new continent. He called it a “New World.” When a German mapmaker made a new map of the world, he included this new continent and named it America in Vespucci’s honor.

22. Accomplishment/Discovery Accomplishment/ Discovery: After his explorations in 1501-1502, he was one of the first explorers to come up with the idea that these places he had visited were not part of Asia (as Columbus thought) but rather were part of a "New World." The continents of North and South America were named in his honor. AmerigoVespucci 1454-1512 Country: Spain

23. Juan Ponce De Leon 1513 The Fountain of Youth

24. Juan Ponce De Leon Juan Ponce De Leon was the first European to set foot on the peninsula of Florida. In 1493, Ponce De Leon sailed from Spain to the New World as a crew member on one of Christopher Columbus’ ships. Rather than returning with Columbus, Ponce De Leon chose to remain behind in Santo Domingo. Here he was made the governor of a small province.

25. Searches for the Fountain of Youth Ponce De Leon next conquered a small island in the Bahamas. Ponce De Leon had heard many stories about a fountain of youth that would keep an individual young forever, giving them eternal life. As he searched for this fountain, he discovered a land covered in flowers. He named this new land "Florida," which means "covered in flowers" in Spanish.

26. Accomplishment/Discovery Juan Ponce De Leon 1474-1521 Country: Spain • Accomplishment/Discovery: • First European to set foot on land that would become the United States • Discovered Florida and claimed it for Spain

27. Vasco Nunez de Balboa 1513 The Discovery of the Pacific Ocean

28. Vasco Nunez de Balboa Balboa had sailed on earlier expeditions and finally reached Panama, and became governor there. Balboa conquered the Indians there, but he treated them so well that they were friendly. From some of the Indian chiefs he heard of a great sea that lay beyond the mountains.On September 1, 1513, Balboa set out to find this great sea. With him he took 190 Spaniards and 1,000 Indians. They had to hack through deep jungle. The going was always hard. At last, on September 25, Bal­boa climbed to the top of a bare hill and saw a vast sea in the distance. He named it the South Sea.

29. Accomplishment/Discovery Accomplishment/ Discovery: Discovered the Pacific Ocean which he named the “South Sea.” Vasco Nunez de Balboa 1475-1517 Country: Spain

30. Ferdinand Magellan 1519-1522 First Voyage Around the World

31. Ferdinand Magellan In 1519, a Portuguese sailor set sail from Seville, Spain, in an effort to sail around the globe. This expedition was funded by Spain. After Magellan and his 260 men and five ships reached South America, they began looking for a way through the continent to the other side. After several months, they finally discovered the southern tip of South America, which is now known as the Straits of Magellan. As Magellan traveled through these rough waters, one of his ships became separated and was forced to return to Spain. Another ship crashed on a rocky island. The three remaining ships traveled for several more months and finally made it to the Philippines. Here, Magellan became involved in a local dispute with a tribal king and was killed. His remaining crew of 18 men and one ship sailed back to Spain, arriving home after being gone for three years.

32. Accomplishment/Discovery Ferdinand Magellan 1480-1521 Country: Spain Accomplishment/Discovery: This voyage was important because it was the first time anyone had managed to sail around the entire globe. They proved once and for all that what Columbus had discovered was indeed a new world. They also discovered just how large the Earth really was.

33. Student Assessment: Age of Exploration Match the following 10 European Explorers with their accomplishment or discovery. ___ 1. Marco Polo ___ 2. Bartolomeu Dias ___ 3. Vasco da Gama ___ 4. Christopher Columbus ___ 5. John Cabot ___ 6. Pedro Cabral ___ 7. Amerigo Vespucci ___ 8. Juan Ponce De Leon ___ 9. Vasco Nunez de Balboa ___ 10. Ferdinand Magellan • He discovered the “all-water” route to Asia. • He directed the first successful voyage around the world. • Discovered a world unknown to the Europeans at that time. • His stories were the basis for what much of Europe knew about Ancient China for many years. • He discovered the southern tip of Africa. • He discovered the Pacific Ocean. • He was first European to set foot on land that would become the United States discovering Florida. • The continents of North and South America were named in his honor. • He led the first exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. • He discovered one of the world’s richest fishing areas, the Grand Banks.”

34. Student Assessment: Age of Exploration Match the following 10 European Explorers with their accomplishment or discovery. D 1. Marco Polo E 2. Bartolomeu Dias A 3. Vasco da Gama C 4. Christopher Columbus J 5. John Cabot I 6. Pedro Cabral H 7. Amerigo Vespucci G 8. Juan Ponce De Leon F 9. Vasco Nunez de Balboa B 10. Ferdinand Magellan • He discovered the “all-water” route to Asia. • He directed the first successful voyage around the world. • Discovered a world unknown to the Europeans at that time. • His stories were the basis for what much of Europe knew about Ancient China for many years. • He discovered the southern tip of Africa. • He discovered the Pacific Ocean. • He was first European to set foot on land that would become the United States discovering Florida. • The continents of North and South America were named in his honor. • He led the first exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. • He discovered one of the world’s richest fishing areas, the Grand Banks.”