THE AGE OF EXPLORATIONCHAPTER 33 (PGS. 375-387)

“THOUGHT OF THE DAY...”

•Imagine this: You are a sailor and have been sailing the blue, open waters for what seems to be “forever.” Finally, you see land and begin to anchor onshore. What are your feelings as you step into this “New World?”

WHAT WAS THE AGE OF EXPLORATION?

•A time period when Europeans began to explore the rest of the world.

• Improvements in mapmaking, shipbuilding, and navigation made this possible.

•Blue water sailing, not just coastal boats.

•Policy of mercantilism drives the exploration.

WHAT WAS MERCANTILISM?

•Policy that said that there was a limited amount of money in the world.

•Each country needs to grab what they can before it is gone.

•Colonies and markets were needed to keep everything in the system.

THE EXPLORERS OF PORTUGAL

BARTOLOMEU DIAS

•Sailed around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.

•Found a route to Indian Ocean.

•Trade can go from Europe to Asia by sea.

VASCO DA GAMA

•Landed in India in 1498.

•Discovered an important trade route from Europe to India and the East Indies.

VASCO DA GAMA’S ROUTE

THE EXPLORERS OF SPAIN

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

•Believed a shorter route to Asia could be found by sailing westward instead of around Africa.

•He found the Americas instead. Oops.

FERDINAND MAGELLAN

•His crew made the first around the world voyage.

•Proved for certain that the world was round.

•Magellan was killed in the Philippines, but his crew made it home.

RESULTS OF EXPLORATION

• European countries gained wealth, land, and new Christian converts.

• However, millions of people living in the Americas died as a result of colonization.

• The Inca and Aztec Empires were destroyed due to disease and better weapons.

• West Africans suffered greatly when they were brought to the Americas to work as slaves.