Chapter 4:

Presented By:

Ebale, Marilou C.BEED – II

These lands, had become new and exciting “discoveries” for the Europeans from the reasons such

as trade, Christianization and civilizing the “uncivilized”.

To the west, for quite a long time, the Philippines and the rest of the world was Tierra Incognita(Unknown Lands).

The colonizing was led by the Portugal and Spain, rival each other for the possession of rich

colonies in America, Asia and Africa using their great navals with naval supremacy, daring and

imaginative explorers, and Spanish pope who had power to defined the territorial rights to Spain.

Using both the “sword and the cross” Spanish conquistadores and missionaries succeeded in

establishing colonies in the Americas without much resistance.

In the 16th century, Europe was experiencing some changes because of the growth ofindustry and commerce, the advances in science, the improvement in the science ofnavigation, and the invention of machines and marine instruments.

Many Europeans to admire the wonders of the east. Due to the stories told by thecrusaders.

Some Europeans were already trading with Asian countries. Oriental spices, silk, fruits,attar of roses, Persian rugs, perfumes and precious stones were easily sold in Europeanmarket at big profits.

The Venetians enjoyed this monopoly at the start. Soon after, the Portuguese, theSpaniards, and other people of Europe began to trade with oriental countries.

This made Commercial rivalry and it led to European expeditions to Asia.

THERE ARE THREE TRADE ROUTES :

1. Northern Route:

o Which passed through Central Asia by land, then to the cities of Samarkand and Bokhara, then

around the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, and finally to Constantinople in the Mediterranean.

2.Central Route:

o Which started from Malacca in the Malay peninsula, then to the Indian ocean and the Indian

ports, then to the Persian Gulf to Baghdad and Constantinople, finally to Cairo in the

Mediterranean.

3. Southern Route:

o Which also started from Malacca, then the Indian ocean and to the ports of India, then to the

Red Sea, and finally to Cairo in the Mediterranean.

In 1453, the Turks captured the city of Constantinople and closed the northern and centralroutes but they let the venetians used the southern route with the condition of payingmoney. Therefore, they monopolize and compelled Portugal and Spain to look for anotherroute in going to Asia.

Portugal was the first to send expeditions to the East.

Prince Henry, who was one of the most famous Portuguese navigators was alsocalled, “The Navigator” sent an expedition to the Azores, near the coast ofAfrica in 1421 due to his desire to make Portugal a sea power.

After developing of the islands of Madeira and the Azores as PortugueseColonies, he led expeditions himself to western Africa using the instruments fornavigation that he developed, like:

Astrolabe Windrose Compass

Caravel

In 1487, the Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Diaz discovered the “Cape of Good Hope” and continuing his voyages reached Calicut, India.

It recorded as the first time that a European reached the East by sailing around the southernmost tip of the continent of Africa.

Spain, upon learning of this successful voyage, sent an expedition to what is now North America.

Christopher Columbus discovered North America in 1492 while sailing from Spain but he thought that Asia.

Later on, a explorer Amerigo Vespucci was sent by the Spanish king and queen to explore what Columbus had found.

The geographers at the time thought that Amerigo found a “New World” so they named this land “America”.

In 1500, Vicente Pinzon discovered what is now Brazil.

In 1513, Nuñez de Balboa crossed what is now Panama and discovered the “Pacific Ocean”.