Crusades introduced Europeans to luxuries from Asia

Mongol Empire and Silk Road

1400’s Europeans wanted spices as uses for:

Flavoring, medicines, perfumes

Prince Henry- first navigator to discover islands to the west and southwest of Portugal.

1415 discovery of African coastlines

Belief in faster route to Asia by travelling around the African Coast

Henry collected scientists, cartographers and others to redesign ships, make maps and train captains and crews for the voyage.

Following Henry’s death in 1460, Portugal continued the quest until 1488 where Bartholomeu Dias rounded the tip of South Africa

This was named the Cape of Good Hope

1497- led four ships around the Cape of Good hope, but wanted to go farther.

Reached Calicut on the W. Coast of India

Lost many ships and sailors on the journey home, but in the end, it was profitable.

Goal: Reach the East Indies (Indonesia)

No sponsorship by Portugal, finally King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain agreed to sponsorship.

Set off, Aug. 3, 1492 on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria- land spotted on Oct. 12.

Quest for new lands led to the Pope setting a Line of Demarcation, which divided everything non-European between Portugal and Spain.

Portugal- trading rights to east of line, Spain trading rights to west of line

These terms were agreed to in the Treaty de Tourdesillas.

Spaniard (1519) left in search of a fast route to the Pacific.

Reached South America and searched for a way across to the Pacific.

1520 they found a passage (Strait of Magellan) in southern tip of S.A. that led them to the Pacific.

Upon reaching the tip, everyone wanted to turn around and head home.

Magellan believed that the trip would last 3 weeks through Pacific

He underestimated the size, and the journey home took over 4 months and only 1 ship and 18 sailors survived.

They became first to circumnavigate (sail around) the world.