Age Of Exploration

Portugal

• Called the “pioneers of exploration” • Took advantage of their geographical position,

and started exploring • Prince Henry the Navigator created a

navigational school and sponsored expeditions– west coast of Africa and beyond (gold, pepper)

• Era of Portuguese naval leadership is short-country is too small and weak to control overseas empires

Spain

• Late 15th century—Spain is competing with Portugal in the race for a world empire

• Gold, God, and glory are reasons for expansion• Christopher Columbus persuades King Ferdinand and

Queen Isabella to fund a shortcut to the Indies—going west—

• Leads to the discovery of the American continents• Spain will move rapidly– by the 1540’s Spain controls

most of northern S. America, all of central America, much of the Caribbean, and south and southwest present day United States

France Founded a Vast Empire

• Explorers- Verrazano, Cartier, De Champlain, LaSalle, Joliet.

• Looking for a northwest passage through North America to Asia. It would prove to be very profitable.

• Present- day Canada becomes a valuable asset to France- cooperation with natives and fur trade

• The French learn of a great river- The Mississippi. A central highway for an inland empire

• New France- The French claim a huge territory in North America, however, it becomes thinly settled and allows only Catholics.

English Settlements• England is late for exploring (Wars of the Roses)• Joint stock companies (similar to the Dutch)• Roanoke- 1580’s Present-day North Carolina. Set up by Sir Walter

Raleigh (Outer banks) Colony was a failure- food was too scarce.• Jamestown- 1606, King James gives a charter to find a colony

between present-day North Carolina and New York.• Colonists set up on a swampy peninsula named Jamestown, in

honor of King James.• First few years the colony proves to be a disaster. 7/10 people die

from hunger, disease, or fighting with natives.• One advantage- much revenue in tobacco is sent back to England.

However, it takes many people to tend to the tobacco. Leads to indentured servants.

• Jamestown becomes a financial disaster for London investors.

New England Colonies

• 1620, a group called the Pilgrims, found a second colony- Plymouth, Mass

• Seeking religious freedoms instead of wealth.• 1629- a group a religious dissenters (Puritans)

set up a colony.• First governor of Mass.-John Winthrop• Other colonies- Marylanda place for

persecuted Catholics Georgia people in debt and convicts who are given a second chance

Worldwide contact brings hazards and benefits

• Columbian Exchange- massive exchange of goods, plants, animals, and diseases that took place b/t east and west hemisphere after Columbus

• Epidemics- Before the Spanish came, such diseases were unknown to the New World- Native Americans are not immune to such diseases.

• Rapidly spreading diseases ( small pox) wipe out villages in a matter of months.

• Impact of corn and potatoes- The main part of the Inca’s diet becomes a very important item to the rest of the world- Asia, Africa, Europe

Squash Avocado Black Pepper

Sweet Potatoes

Turkey Pumpkin Tobacco

Cocoa (chocolate)

Pineapple

Syphilis POTATO

Peanut TOMATO Vanilla CORN

Olive COFFEE BEAN Banana Rice

Onion Turnip Honeybee Barley

Grape Peach SUGAR Oats

Tea Pear Wheat HORSE

Cattle Sheep Pigs SMALLPOX

Flu Typhus Measles Malaria

Whooping Cough

Liquor

GUNS

Cycle of ConquestCycle of Conquest & & ColonizationColonization

Cycle of ConquestCycle of Conquest & & ColonizationColonization

Explorers Conquistadores

Mission

arie

s

PermanentSettlers

OfficialEuropeanColony!

Slave Trade (Middle Passage)

• Slave trade begins with African rulers’ dependence on gunpowder. 1500, Africa trades slaves.

• Devastates some African societies.• The growth of the slave trade is directly

connected to the expansion of European colonies in the New World.-- Slaves needed to work mines and plantations.

• Conditions are extremely harsh for slaves on the trip across the ocean. Its been said 1 out of 2 died on the way.

““Middle Passage”Middle Passage”

Words to Know

• Joint stock company- buy stock in a company, the more shares they own, the more profit they can gain

• Mercantilism- overseas trade between a country and its colonies and accumulation of precious metals by requiring colonies to trade only with their motherland country

• Commercial Revolution- era where Europeans economies change because of exploration