2.2. Why was there an Age of Discovery and Exploration? Flashcards
What did Europeans do in the 15th century CE?
In the 15th century CE, Europeans began to make new discoveries about the world. Merchants found new trade routes and explorers set out on daring and dangerous expeditions.
What did they have hope for?
European merchants and explorers had always looked for new lands.
Some explorers wanted the excitement of discovering places that no European had ever seen before.
Other explorers wanted to find new trading partners and new goods to bring back and sell.
When did The Age of Discovery and Exploration begin? What caused it to begin?
The Age of Discovery and Exploration began in the 1400s. It was caused by some important changes in the world.
How did the ottoman empire grow over time?
In the early 1300s, several powerful tribes began to conquer the Middle East. One tribe, the Ottomans from north-east Turkey, began building an empire. Over the next 200 years, the Ottoman Empire grew until it stretched from the Euphrates River near the Arabian Gulf to the Danube River in Hungary.
What did the Ottomans do as their empire grew?
As their empire grew, the Ottomans took control of many of the key trading cities in the Middle East.
The Ottomans put taxes on all goods coming into and out of their empire. This made the goods more expensive.
What did the European traders do?
European traders did not want to pay the high taxes, so they looked for alternative routes to travel directly to India and the Far East to buy silk, spices, carpets and precious jewels to sell in Europe. Soon, traders from two of the most powerful countries in Europe, Spain and Portugal, set out to find a new way to the East by sea.
What did the traders discover as they looked for new routes?
While the traders were looking for a new route, they discovered some amazing places. A new age of exploration had begun.
What happened to the scholars in the middle east as the Ottomans began to take over more and more land?
As the Ottomans began to take over more and more land, many scholars in the Middle East decided to move away. The people who moved were some of the world’s best writers, musicians, astronomers, architects, artists, scientists and mathematicians.
Where did the Middle Eastern scholars settle? What did they do?
The Middle Eastern scholars settled in different parts of Europe, but most of them settled in Italy. They founded schools and colleges in Cities such as Florence and Padua. The Middle Eastern scholars brought with them manuscripts and books written in Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as their own knowledge.
When the European scholars read about the things that had been discovered in the ancient world, what did they realize?
When the European scholars read about the things that had been discovered in the ancient world, Europeans realised that many of their own ideas were wrong.
How did the new age of discovery in Europe begin?
European sculptors, artists, doctors and scientists began to look at the world in a new way and began to experiment and test new ideas to seek out answers. Also, new discoveries were made in science, medicine and technology.
