Age of Exploration Flashcards
What were the reasons to explore (3)
New Trade Route: The imports Europeans brought from Asia were of great value so obviously its was of priority to find a faster route to get to this treasure
Why was there limited sea travel?
- Ships could not navigate properly and often ended up far from their destinations
- Sailors were afraid of the unknown and were therefore less likely to travel for a longer duration
Who kick-started the Age of Exploration?
The Portuguese and the Spanish
What were the reasons to explore? (2)
Marco Polo: The stories of Marco Polo a 14 century Italian explorer who travelled to China and made a recount of his stories and published them for the world to read
What were the reasons to explore? (1)
Influence of the Renaissance:
Many people decided to question their beliefs and were also eager to learn. The rediscovery of Geographia by Ptolemy changed the way people saw the world
What were the reasons to explore (4)
The Fall of Constantinople: The Great Silk Road was the main land route to countries such as China and India. So when Constantinople fell the main land route ultimately fell also
What were the reasons for exploration (5)
Desire for Empire: Many European rulers sponsored voyages to expand their existing territory
What were the reasons for Exploration (6)
Christianity: The Spreading of Christianity was largely propagated by the Pope who wanted to defeat the Muslims of West Asia
Cartographers
People who drew maps. They started using maps from Constantinople
Portolan charts
The Portuguese developped portolan maps which mapped coastlines and harbours, recording information like: depth, currents tides)
Quadrant and Astrolable
A tool helped to determine a ships latitude using the position of the stars and sun
Log and Line
This measured a ships speed using knots
Logbook
Where the ships speed was written and recorded
Line and Lead
Used to measure the depth of water especially near the coast
Caravel
The 15th century saw the introduction of a new kind of ship named a caravel. The build was big and sturdy allowing it to travel long voyages and in all kinds of winds.
The ships design combined the two best aspects of the Mediterranean and Atlantic ship.
Triangular lateen sails
These allowed ships to sail into wind and made them easier to manoeuvre near the bays and coastlines
Rudders
Rudder made the caravel easier to steer
Castle
Provided improved crew quarters and served as a defensive look out post
Caravel-built hulls
Caravel-built hulls with planks built edge to edge were far lighter, ergo:
- Ships could be bigger
- Have more masts
- And carry more people and supplies
Where did the captain/crewmates sleep and rest on the ship?
Captain- The captain had his own cabin usually below deck
The sailors- The sailors slept on deck or below deck in hammocks
What work did sailors do on the ship
Sailors:
- Raised the mass
- Cleaned the decks
- Made repairs
- Cooked
- Steered the ship
What type of bread did sailors eat on voyages:
Sailors ate a flat bread of flour water and salt named “Ship’s biscuit” on voyages
Harsh discipline given to sailors for disobedience:
-Hanging
-Beheading
and Kept in chains or flogged for breaking minor rules
Mutiny
Sailors rebelling against the captain
When and where did the first, main voyages of discovery take place
main voyages of discovery take place
Some of the first Voyages of Discovery took place during the 1400s in Portugal
Where was Portugal located
Portugal was ideally located at the edge of western-southern Europe and just above North Africa
Which person supported these voyages of discovery and what did he do to encourage them?
Prince Henry the navigator set up a navigation school in Sagres, which brought together experienced sailors, cartographers, astronomers and instrument makers
What many territories did Portugal discover:
- Azores
- The canary islands
- Cape Verde Islands
- The Gold Coast (Modern-day Sierra Leone)
What did Bartolomeu Dias do?
In 1487 Bartolomeu Dias rounded he Cape of Good Hope
What did Vasco da Gama do?
In 1497 Vasco da Gama founded a new route to India
When and where was Christopher Columbus born?
Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa Italy
What did he do as a young man?
As a young man Christopher Columbus sailed the Mediterranean on Merchant Ships
In what school did Christopher Columbus become a navigator
Christopher Columbus studied in The School of Navigation for 9 years
What pieces of work convinced Columbus that the east was just west of Europe
Marco Polos recounts and the maps made by Toscanelli convinced Christopher Columbus that the east lay just west of Europe
How far did he believe Cathay (China) and Chipangu (Japan) were from Europe?
He believed they were 4,500 k west of Europe
By how much was the map wrong by
The map was wrong by 10,000 km
What were Japan and China named in the time that Columbus lived
- Cathal, China
- Cipangu, Japan
Who did Columbus originally ask to sponsor him
The Portuguese, The English and The French
What country and who sponsored him:
- The country Spain sponsored him
- Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand
In exchange for sponsorship what did that Queen and King ask him to do
They asked him to claim any land that he came across as Spanish territory
What did Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand give him?
They gave him two caravels:
- Nina and the Pinta
Then one naos
-The Santa Maria
How many people for his crew did he recruit and where?
He recruited his 80 man crew from the Port of Palos
When did the crew leave Palos
The crew left Palos on the 3rd of August 1492
Where did the crew stop
The Crew stopped at Canary Islands to take on fresh supplies
Why did the crew get worried
The grew became increasingly worried as they had been sailing for many weeks for now and had still not seen land in sight
What did Columbus do to resolve this situation?
resolve this situation?
- Columbus threatened the crew with hanging if any mutinied against him
- He presented to them a faux logbook which showed a shorter distance travelled thus fooling them into thinking they had not travelled for long
Where and when did Columbus land and what did he name it?
On 12th October Columbus landed in San Salvador (modern day Bahamas). He mistakenly named the inhabitants of this land (his prior mistake of thinking his final destination was India) thus why the Caribbean’s is still known as the West Indies
When did Columbus return to his home-land and what did he gift?
Columbus returned to Spain in 1493 and was given a Hero’s welcome. He gifted to the royals of Spain:
- Parrots
- Exotic Fruit
- Money
- Slaves
- Maize
What was the reward for Columbus?
Columbus was appointed governor of his new founded territory
Who joined Columbus in the new territory:
Spanish settlers began to farm for sugar in the new territory
What occurred in 1499 to Christopher Columbus
In 1499 Christopher Columbus was disappointed as governer due to allegations of violence against the natives. The complaints were made by the Spanish settlers to the King and Queen of Spain
When did Columbus die
In 1506 Columbus died
John Cabot
In 1497 John Cabot claimed Newfoundland in Canada as territory for Henry VII and English King
Ferdinand Magellan
During the years 1519-1522 Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the globe to prove the Earth was not flat
Abel Tasman
In 1642 Abel Tasman was the first European to find Tasmania (south of Australia and new Zealand)
Conquistadors
Spanish conquerors
Difference between Conquistador and Explorer?
- Conquistadors travelled to foreign lands for the sole purpose of conquering, converting and profiting off foreign goods
- Explorers wished to discover the foreign lands they had set foot on
Where did the Aztecs come from?
The Aztecs came from modern-day south Mexico
By the 420s how much did their empire cove
By 1420 their empire covered central Mexico
By 1519 how many cities were there in the Aztec Empire
489
What ancient city used to be in Mexico City
Tenochtitlan was located on an island in the middle of a lake. About 250,000 people lived on Tenochtitlan
What did the Aztecs not own
They owned no steal or iron so most weapons were made out of Copper, Stone Wood
- What animals were not present in the continent of South America before the Europeans arrived 2. What animals did the Aztecs eat
- Horses, Cattles, Sheep, Pigs or Goats 2. Dogs, Turkeys and Guinea Pigs
Who was the sun god and why did the Aztecs pray to him?
Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec sun god, the Aztecs prayed to him as they believed if he grew weak then sun would not rise, hence the universes destruction. To Huitzilopochtli human blood was sacrificed
Where was Hernando Cortez from and what did he train as?
He was from Spain and trained as a soldier
Where did he gain experience?
He gained experience from the 1519 Cuban Conquest
When did Cortes land and with what things?
Cortes landed in 1519 with 11 ships 500 soldiers 13 horses
What did Cortes burn down and why?
Cortes burned down his ships to show his men there was no returning?
What did Cortes burn down and why?
Cortes burned down his ships to show his men there was no returning?
What did Cortes come in contact with?
Cortes came in contact with native tribes who were afraid of him due to is cannons and horses, however the natives decided to help him as they feared the strict rule of the Aztecs
What was given to Cortes?
A slave girl named Malinche was given to Cortes. She spoke several local languages and also later learned Spanish to act as his translator. She later bore him a child.
Where did Cortes march to and what did he do?
Cortes marched to Tenochtitlan with his men and greeted the Aztec King Montezume
Who did the Aztecs believe Cortes was?
Cortes was believed to be Quetzalcotl, a god the Aztecs would believe would return to Earth.
Why did they believe Cortes was a god?
They believed Cortes was a god due to his pale skin, horse and feather helmet
Why did they believe Cortes was a god?
They believed Cortes was a god due to his pale skin, horse and feather helmet
What did the Spanish start doing?
After the Aztecs started worshipping the Spanish, they started stealing gold. When they’re were protests the Spanish captured Montezuma and tried to rule through him.
What happened when the Aztecs revolted?
When the Aztecs revolted the Spaniards were driven out of the city. However Montezuma was killed in the violence.
What happened after?
After Cortes fled he re-grouped with the local men and his own men to form a 100,000 man group. They laid siege to the city for 3 months
What was constructed?
A small fleet of ships were constructed to get to the lake.
What happened after that?
After that the city fell and its people were massacred. Cortes was appointed governor of New Spain by the Spanish King. He built his capital on Tenochtitlan.
What lay to the south of the Aztecs
To the south of the Aztecs lay the Incas (an even more powerful and rich civilization)
What did the Incas control?
The Incas controlled huge amount of territory in the Andes mountain
Where were the Incas ruled from
The Incan empire was ruled from Cusco by a god king
What were the Incas
The Incas were sophisticated engineers and architects, and also fine artists .
How did they write
The Incas had no script but they kept record using knotted string
Where did roads run
Roads ran from every corner of their empire
What did they collect from their subjects
Tributes were collected from their subjects
What is colonisation
Colonisation is when a country takes over a territory and employs people there to control it
Influence of Smallpox, Measles and Influenza
- ## Whilst arriving to the American continent the Europeans introduced new diseases such as: Smallpox, Influenza and Measles. Since the Natives did not have an immune system to combat these diseases they succumbed to them.
Impacts of Colonisation on the Americas
- Decimation of native Population: When Hernan Cortes first arrived to the South American Continent the Native population was 25 million in 1605 it had fallen to 3 million
- Destruction of Culture
- The Spread of Christianty
- Massive Growth in Slave Trade
What was the Slavery Triangle
There was no employment of Catholics as slaves therefore something called the Slavery Triangle was developed. Africans were shipped to the American continent then they were forced to slave on the sugar, tobacco, coffee and cotton plantations. The goods mde here were shipped back to Europe
Impacts of Colonisation on Europe
- Europeans saw the wealth Spain was gaining from colonising countries and decided they should create their own
- Conflicts aroused from the scrambling of territory Britain and Spain 1585-1604
- Huge deposits of gold and silver from the Andes were shipped back to Spain
- The Columbus Exchange: Animals and food were exchanged between both continents: Horse, Cattle, Sheep, new technologies (steel), new farming methods reached America and potatoes, chillies, avocado, chocolate, tomatoes and tobacco reached Europe
What were the Impacts of colonisation for Portugal:
- Trade made Portugal wealthy
- Portugal established a large empire in Asia and Africa
- Portugal gained control of the Spice Trade
- Imports of spice into Europe increased
