Finding a Route to Asia

By Sea

Motives

• Several Motives for Portugal• Financial Support• Technology necessary for exploration• And• They wanted to find New Lands

Travel by Sea

• To go by Sea

• Still dangerous even with new technology

Description of Sea Travel

• “Those which survived could hardly be recognized as human. They had lost flesh and hair, the nails had gone from hands and feet…They spoke of heat so incredible that it was a marvel that ships and crews were not burnt”

– Sailor, quoted in World Civilizations, edited by Edward McNall Burns, et al.

Still sailed

• Even though the dangers existed sailors continued to explore

• They continued to set up trading posts all along the trade routes

Bartolomeu Dias

• Explored from Portugal southward along the African coast

• Sail in 1488• Storm blew ships around the

southern tip of Africa• This became know as the

Results

• Dias wanted to continue voyage

• His men did not

• Supplies were very low

• Dias decided to return to portugal

Vasco da Gama

• Sent on expedition by King Manuel of Portugal

• Sent around the Cape of Good Hope• Left from Lisbon in July 1497• Arrived in southwest India the

following year• Portugal won European race for sea

route to Asia

Reaching Port

• When he reached Indian port Muslim traders met him

• Surprised that the traders could speak in Portuguese

• Found that People of India had been trading with Muslims and Italian merchants who could speak Portuguese

• Made two more trips to India• Governed a small colony

Results

• Major implications• Start of Atlantic slave trade• As they explored negotiated for gold,

ivory, and slaaves• Slave trade devastated African

communities• Increased warfare among African

Kingdoms• Broke up families• Sent many slaves to Europe, Islands in the

Atlantic• Endured brutal living conditions

More Results

• Other nations watched new trade routes developed

• In time they sent voyages out to find their own water routes to Asia