Early European Exploration

The BIG Ideas…Why did the Iberians (Portuguese and Spanish nations on the Iberian Peninsula)

begin exploring the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the 1400s?

What were the consequences of this exploration?

Reasons for European Exploration (especially by Spain and Portugal)

1. 1257/1492 C.E.Reconquista

Years that Muslims were defeated in Portugal and Spain

Wars create a sense of national identityNew Monarchs consolidated power and the

desire to convert people to Christianity was strong

2. Declining TradeAsian/North African cities were hit hard by

Plague – Trade routes disrupted

Luxury goods were scarce & expensive…a perfect time to make $$$ through trade!

Black Plague Buboe

3. Collapse of Pax MongolicaSilk Roads unsafe, so trade slows downDesire for Indian cotton, E. African gold, S.E.

Asian Spices, Chinese silks & porcelain remained strong

4. Fall of Constantinople1453 C.E.,

Ottoman Empire defeats the Byzantine Empire

Muslims in total control of trade routes

cuts off access to Slavs (slaves = cheap labor) from the Balkans

Jacked up prices on luxury goods

What Made European Exploration Possible?Improvements in maritime

and military technologies Compass, caravel ship,

astrolabe and sextant, gunpowder

Revival of urban life & tradeDesire for trade to acquire

Asian Luxury Products

Governments in Europe were willing to sponsor exploration with financial backing, in the hopes of making money

Portuguese ExplorationGeographically it was natural

to explore routes in the Atlantic Ocean

Henry the Navigator = opened a School of NavigationRepresents government support

of exploration to seek tradeStudy of navigation and

cartography (mapmaking) Improvements on magnetic

compass and astrolabeCreation of the caravel ship

1st Action of Portugal = Attack on Ceuta ( a rich North African city) in 1415

Interest in gold and slaves

Portuguese Exploration Portugal’s Goal = Go AROUND Africa to reach Asia As they moved down the Africa coast…

Portugal LEASED a West African trade port from Songhai and traded peacefully for gold, ivory, pepperWere NOT strong enough to dominate – had to pay for trading rightsExchanged guns, cannons, metal goods for African goldThey took over some tropical islands, where they began to grow sugar

1497-1498: Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa and reached India – he traded at the IOMS port of Calicut for spices (mostly pepper).

- This wide swing around West Africa to catch the current led to the discovery of South America (Brazil) in 1500

Changes in IOMS TradeBefore = no central control.Traders operated independently of governmentsPortuguese introduced use of organized gov’t

military force to the system Governments invested in the success of trading

operationsSugar was produced by slaves off the coast of

Europe/West Africa – slave trade from W. Africa picks up

A new “Atlantic System” of trade develops

Portuguese possessions at their height

Red = actual ownershipPink = areas of influenceBlue = area of first European Exploration

LESSON: EUROPEANS GAINED SMALL COASTAL ENCLAVES in the IOMS– THAT’S IT!

Spanish ExplorationSpain was worried about Portuguese successes

gaining trade through a route around Africa Spain’s monarchs purposefully sponsored

voyages by Christopher ColumbusThe Goal was NOT to find a “New World” or to

explore without purpose. The Goal was to get to Asia by going around the other wide of the globe.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Spain and Portugal drew an imaginary line down the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean – splitting the world’s territory in ½ between themselves. LOL (See “hubris” in the dictionary)

Spanish ConquestsChristopher Columbus’s discovery of the Caribbean allows Spain to being growing sugar

Spain also sent “conquistadors” to create colonies in the Americas

Aztecs – conquered in 1519Incas – conquered in 1532Mostly, diseases like smallpox helped the

small, weak government of Spain conquer these huge empires of millions of people

The Atlantic Trade SystemAfter Portugal and Spain’s explorations,

Europe FINALLY HAS A TRADING SYSTEM THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN! WOOHOOOO!

Other European nations like the Netherlands, England, and France soon get in on the game.

Trade Develops/Atlantic Slave Trade Begins

West African Kingdoms = Empire BuildingKongo, Benin, AshantiW. African Empires begin using male POWs from

African wars to sell to European in the Atlantic System.

Europeans traded guns for slavesSlave trade was controlled by Africans at firstAfter about 100 years, slaves were the #1 export.

This disrupted population patterns, b/c so many men were taken into slavery.