Age of ExplorationEurope Looks Beyond the Horizon

Why Explore By Sea?Overland route had many drawbacks. Costly traveling from the East to Europe Disrupted by the breakup of the Mongol

Empire and the Black Death. Europe’s recovery increased its demand

for goods. (its all economics)

Search for MoluccasGroup of islands within present day Indonesia. Europeans called them the Spice Islands

Spices grew here that the Europeans used to do various jobs.

Portugal Leads OffPrince Henry the Navigator

Why Easier way to reach Asia, How? Find the source of riches of the Muslim

traders. Convert the locals from Islam/tribal

religion to Christianity

Portugal Sails EastAs the 1400s continued, the Portuguese sailed/mapped further and further east. Bartholomeu Dias (1488) rounded the

southern tip of Africa Vasco da Gama (1497) followed around

the Cape and sailed to Calicut in western India.

Spain Enters the GameChristopher Columbus (Gerona) convinced Spain to finance the venture The crown wanted wealth and prestige

after expelling some of its most affluent citizens.

3 August 1492 Columbus sailed with the Nina (Caravel) Pinta (Caravel) and Santa Maria (Carrack)

Catholics Divide the World in HalfPope Alexander VI answered the plea from Ferdinand and Isabella to support their claim to the New World. The Pope created a Line of Demarcation and

west of it was Spain’s while east of it is Portugal. Later confirmed at the Treaty of Tordesillas that

was signed between 1494Note this pushed all of the other sea power nations to rapidly build their own fleets to challenge Iberia.

Other bits of triviaMartin Waldseemuller (german Cartographer) named America after Amerigo Vespucci in 1507.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed Panama and called the vast body of water the South Sea.

Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet sailed around the world starting 1519, and returning in 1522.