Age of ExplorationAge of ExplorationChapter 4Chapter 4

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Christopher_Columbus3.jpg

Multiple PerspectivesTurn to Page 105 in your text books

From whose perspective is this story about first contact between Renaissance Europe and Taino told?

In what ways might the story be different if it was told from the point of view of one of the men on Columbus’ ships?

What do you think Columbus is doing in this painting?

Desire to Explore

Columbus and his crew travelled to South America on his three ships: Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria

All of his ships were used and Columbus had no idea how they would hold up on the rough seas on his estimated 9000 km journey

At this time the ocean was still a frightening thing because it has never been travelled on before

Curiosity and adventure were what fueled him to explore

It was during the Renaissance that the European Monarchs started to support these explorations

Exploring to Expand Trade

Trade grew in Europe because the people started to crave luxury goods

People started to invest their money into new business ventures

The economic Worldview encouraged growth and expansion

Trade with the EastThe rich spent lots of money on luxury goods and spices from the east

Spices were expensive because they were hard to get and they had to travel a great distance to reach European consumers

Arab merchants got the spices from Arab India and spice islands in the far East, then sold them to Europeans

They transported the spices down the Mediterranean sea to trading ports like Constantinople and Alexandria where Italian merchants purchased them

The spices were then transported back to Venice and sold to various European merchants

The increasing price in spices made other Europeans wonder how they could get involved in the valuable trade

The security of the trade routes was another problem (aside from the prices)

Conflicts and power shifts made the seas dangerous to travel, so new routes were needed

Conflict Effect

The collapse of the Mongol empire

Trade routes to and from China were no longer

secure

The conquest of Christian Constantinople by the Muslim Turks in 1453

Trade between Europe and the East was threatened

Why Try East

Europeans thought that an sea trade route was the solution to the problems with trade

Exploring to Expand the Gold SupplyEuropean economy depended on the exchange of goods and resources for money

They didn’t have money that we have today

Instead of currency, traders purchased items with gold and silver coins

The problem was that European mines were running out of gold and silver, so they needed a new source so their economy could continue to grow

Exploring to Expand Christianity

Religion had a huge impact on a person’s worldview

The idea of spreading Christianity helped shape the worldview of exploring

Renaissance explorers and monarchs all believed they were following Jesus’ wishes in bringing Christianity to all the people

Jared

Kailee Taylor Breanna Mike Kayd

TJ Denver Dawson Evan Darwin

Jayden Torian Darby Robbie Hannah

Jordon Lyndsie Janson Jacob Emmett

Mr. Barlow’s desk SMARTboard

Recruiting for war was another reason for exploring

European explorers were frequently accompanied by missionaries

Means

Read page 114

What is a “means”?

Where did the Renaissance Worldview come from?

Europeans borrowed ideas about philosophy, mathematics, science and art from the ancient Greeks and Romans as well as the Muslim cultures

Expanding the Known World

Europeans didn’t know much about the lands beyond their communities

They did have books by explorers like Marco Polo, but they were misinformed and lacked proper representations

Technology

In order for exploration to be possible, Renaissance Europe needed better technology

ships that could travel across the ocean

navigational instruments

maps

CompassUsed for finding the direction a ship is

travelling

Probably developed in China about

1700 years ago, used by Muslim

travellers in navigation

Astrolabe

Used the North Star or Sun to calculate

latitude, the distance north or

south of the Equator

Probably invented by the ancient Greeks, further

developed by Arab mathematicians and astronomers

Cross Staff

Used to measure the altitude of the

Pole star above the horizon to

determine latitude

Invented around 1342 for astronomy

and first used around 1514 for

navigation

Back staff

Used to measure the altitude of the Sun to determine

latitude

Developed in 1594 as an improvement over the cross staff

European ExpansionRenaissance Europe had the motivation and the means to explore

They were in competition to establish trade routes for spices and other valuable goods

Italian city-states were always trying to get richer and more powerful by expanding their territory

Age of Exploration Song

Your song should answer the following questions

How did the Age of Exploration begin?

Who were the leading players?

Why did they want to explore?

What made exploration possible?

They had an “expansionist” worldview

Expansionism: refers to the actions and attitudes of a state or country whose goal is to increase its power and territory.

Going East

Portugal was the first country to get involved organized exploration

Prince Henry sent an expedition south along the west coast of Africa in search of gold

The Portuguese also became involved in the slave trade of Africa

They forced slaves to work on sugar plantations

During this time, million of Africans were transported to be slaves in the Americas

Millions died on route from the terrible conditions on the slave ships or from being overworked before they even arrived

Going West

Christopher Columbus went west because he was convinced that it was a shorter route to Asia

They sailed west for 33 days and landed in Central America

He made 3 trips, on the 4th he died (bitter and poor)

He believed he was in Asia that he was in Asia up until his death

In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan sailed south, eventually finding the Phillipines

He was killed after getting involved in a local war

His ship, under the command of someone new, continued westward, back to spain with all the spices

Was the first recorded voyage to circumnavigate the world

Questions

Page 126 question 1a