Age of Exploration

Aim/Goals: Would you have been an explorer in the 16th (1500-1599) century?

Do Now: Would you be an astronaut (someone who goes into space)? Explain in a few sentences.

Homework: You have just won a free trip to travel with any of the early explorers or with an astronaut of today. Explain in two paragraphs, which trip would you go on. Include why you refused the other trip.

WOULD YOU BE AN ASTRONAUT?

GOD, GOLD AND GLORY

GOD

Europeans wanted to spread Christianity, as a good thing.

After the Reformation, competition was on the rise.

Jesuits (Roman Catholics) were on the move trying to get more people to and back to the Roman Catholic Church.

GOLD

Gold was a hot item that explorers were looking for, but remember it is wealth, not just gold that explorers were after.

GLORY

The idea of “glory” came out of the Renaissance ideal of humanism, and the focus on individual achievement.

With the idea of the printing press, the idea of gaining fame for one’s actions was more possible.

Also, individual kings wanted glory for their kingdoms, competition spreads.

Activity #1:

Turn to page 68 of the NYSTROM Atlas. Use Map “B”, “Western European Exploration by Sea,” to complete the following chart by adding the name of the explorer, the years of the voyage, the sponsoring country, and the explorers contribution to the empty box. Please use the first box as an example.

EXPLORER YEAR (S) OF THE VOYAGE

SPONSORING COUNTRY CONTRIBUTION

Da Gama 1497-1498 PORTUGAL FIRST EUROPEAN ROUTE TO INDIES BY SEA

1577-1580

COLUMBUS

CREW WAS FIRST TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD

Activity #2:

You are in groups of three for a reason. Ach one of you will be assigned

Document #2, 3, and 4. You are to read the quote and then in the

chart provided, you are to fill in a risk and a benefit of being an explorer in the 16th century. Remember the benefits are either God, Gold or Glory---you need to apply the correct one to your document.

Vasco da Gama

Document #2 The following accounts come from a member of Vasco da Gama’s

sailing crew at the end of a 10 month voyage to India.“All our people suffer from their gums which grew over their

teeth so that they could not eat. Their legs swelled and other parts of their bodies also; and these swellings spread until they suffered and died. At the end of our long voyage, however, da Gama acquired (to get) a cargo (shipment) of spices that later sold for profit of three thousand percent. The demand for spice from the Middle East and Asia was so great that a man could become fantastically wealthy by sailing the seas.”

a. In the chart provided explain one risk (problem; danger) the explorers took.

b. In the chart provided explain one reward that the explorers could receive.

RISKS OF EXPLORING IN THE 1500S

BENEFITS OF EXPLORING IN THE 1500S

MAGELLAN

Document #3 The following account comes from a sailor aboard the voyage of

Magellan, who circumnavigated (to go around) the world.“We remained the final three months and twenty days

without taking any provisions (food) or other refreshments and ate only old biscuits that had been reduced to powder, full of cruds and stinking from the mess that the rats had made on it. We drank water that was yellow and stinking. On our return trip from Spain, however, the royal family, as well as the people, hailed us the bravest and the most daring sailors the world has ever known.”

a. In the chart provided explain what problems Magellan’s expedition (trip) faced.

b. In the chart provided explain one positive (good) result of Magellan’s voyage.

RISKS OF EXPLORING IN THE 1500S

BENEFITS OF EXPLORING IN THE 1500S

WHO AM I? HINT: YOU HAVE A DAY OFF INOCTOBER BECAUSE OF ME.

Document #4 The following account is from a sailor aboard Columbus’ first voyage in

search of the new world. “By the third month of the voyage, the men complained to

Columbus about his failure to reach the promised destination. As discontent (to be unhappy) and anger began to boil over, Columbus offered a little money, then a large amount of money to the first man who spotted land from the ship. When there was no land to be seen, Columbus often hid in his cabin. Just when a mutiny (rebellion) seemed to be inevitable (to be expected), land was spotted. The men let out a great cheer, partly because the long voyage was over and partly because we knew we were doing God a service by bringing His words to these strange lands.”

a. In the chart provided place the word “MUTINY” under risks. Explain in the box why Columbus’ crew would want to commit mutiny.

b. In the chart provided, what seems to motivate Columbus and his crew?

RISKS OF EXPLORING IN THE 1500S

BENEFITS OF EXPLORING IN THE 1500S

PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

Vasco da Gama

Francis Drake

WHO AM I? HINT: YOU HAVE A DAY OFF INOCTOBER BECAUSE OF ME.

MAGELLAN