European Discovery of the Americas

Question 1

Feudal System

Answer 1

• king w/no $ pays army w/land & peasants on land
• land has no value except farming
• army protects peasants, peasants feed army
• army does not want to leave land for war
• king needs $ from exploration to pay for private army

Question 2

Reasons for Exploration

Answer 2

• foreign spices, caffeine, silk
• transportation marks up price
• cut out middle men

Question 3

Portuguese Exploration

Answer 3

• Henry the Navigator = “addiction to foreign spices will kill us”
• buying goods = funding foreign army
• idea to fund own army to fight back
• Henry’s brother = King of Portugal is on board for $
• sailboats = new technology, sailing to Africa, finding gold ivory & wood

Question 4

Spice Islands

Answer 4

• group of islands by Indonesia

- mace, nutmeg, cloves, pepper

Question 5

Vasco da Gama

Answer 5

• reaches India for Portugal 1499
• India will not trade w/him, he has lame goods
• buys stuff in India, sells in Portugal for 40x more