Presentation Transcript

1. Core Lesson 1

   World Travel and Trade
2. Trade with China Before 1500, there were few connections between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Most Europeans, Africans, and Asians did not know that the Americas existed.
3. Marco Polo Travels to China Most travelers to distant places were often merchants. A merchant is someone who buys and sells goods to earn money. In 1271 Marco Polo began a trading journey to China. He was only 17 years old when he left Italy with his father and uncle. Polo’s journey to China took three years.
4. merchant Marco Polo
5. Marco Polo Travels to China Polo stayed in China for 16 years and worked for China’s ruler, Kublai Khan. Polo saw many inventions in China such as, paper, printing, and gunpowder. When Polo returned to Venice, he told about his travels in a book. His stories of China and traveling on the Silk Road fascinated people.
6. paper gunpowder printing Kublai Khan: ruler of China
7. The Silk Road It was not one road, but several trade routes connecting China to Europe. Merchants traveled the routes to China to buy silk, spices, and other goods. The Chinese made silk and wealthy Europeans were willing to pay high price for it. Merchants became rich by bringing goods from Asia to Europe on the Silk Road.
8. Chinese Sailors Explore More than 100 years after Marco Polo visited China, the Chinese explored the world. The ruler of China sent Admiral Zheng He on a series of voyages in 1405 with many ships longer than football fields and hundreds of sailors. Zheng sailed throughout Southeast Asia and to the east coast of Africa. He traded goods such as silk and gold and even brought a giraffe back from Africa.
9. Chinese Halt Exploration In 1434, a new ruler stopped Chinese exploration. He believed China did not need to be in contact with countries. Zheng He’s amazing voyages came to a stop.
10. Zheng He
11. African Trading Kingdoms Trade also took place in Africa and several kingdoms in West Africa grew strong. A kingdom is a place ruled by a king or queen. Ghana was the first trading kingdom. They were rich in gold, but did not have enough salt, which was kept used to keep food from spoiling. Merchants from Arabia brought salt to Ghana by crossing the Sahara desert.
12. Ghana had plenty of gold, but needed more salt.
13. African Trading Kingdoms Crossing the Sahara desert was dangerous, so merchants would travel in large caravans using camels to carry their goods. A caravan is a group of people and animals who travel together. After reaching Ghana, Arab merchants traded their salt for gold.
14. African Trading Kingdoms Arab merchants taught people in Ghana about their religion, Islam. Many people in Ghana become Muslims or followers of Islam. By 1240, the nearby Kingdom of Mali had taken control of Ghana and Mali’s cities became new centers for trade. One of its largest and most important cities was Timbuktu.
15. Mansa Musa Mali’s greatest king was the Muslim ruler, Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa traveled to many cities to set up trade agreements. When he returned to Mali, he brought scholars and artists from Arabia and they made Timbuktu a center for learning, art, and trade. Mali grew weaker after Musa’s rule and Songhai took over much of Mali.