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