Exploration and Voyages of Discovery Flashcards
Explain how Expanding Trade Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-Conflict with Spain and the Netherlands meant England was in need of new trade opportunities. England’s income relied heavily on wool and cloth but these markets were shrinking.
-Reports from the Americas stated that there was a wide range of resource and raw materials ready to be traded and this was attractive to English merchants.
-As a result, Elizabeth I and rich nobles funded voyages of discovery in order to find new materials to trade.
-The success of the Spanish in South America led to an excitement about discovering the rest of the Americas in the hope of growing rich.
Explain how the Triangular Trade Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-It was during Elizabeth I’s reign that British merchants first began exploiting African people by forcing them into slavery, thus beginning the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
-John Hawkins had bought enslaved people from Africa in 1562, took them across the Atlantic and sold them to the Spanish colonists.
-With the money he gained from this, he bought ginger, animal hides, sugar and pearls. He then sold these in England, making a huge profit and then repeating this process.
-Nobles and merchants in England recognised Hawkins’ success and in turn set out on their own voyages of discovery.
Explain how Adventure Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-Young, rich Elizabethan men went on voyages of exploration in the hope that they would make their fortunes, just like the Spanish in South America.
-Publications about the treasures to be found in undiscovered lands inspired many to explore, despite many of these being false or exaggerated.
Explain how New Navigation Techniques Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-In the 15th century, navigation was based on complicated calculations on the position of the stars. The invention of quadrants and astrolabes encouraged more accurate calculations.
-This was essential for making successful voyages of discovery.
-By 1584, Thomas Harriot worked out a simpler way to use the sun to work out the true sailing direction of a ship, making voyages safer, more direct and faster.
-Navigation techniques began being published in books and were made more widely available than before.
-Books also contained details about other voyages which made it easier to follow discovered routes.
Explain how More Accurate Maps Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-Improved navigation and publication of voyage routes led to the production of more accurate maps.
-In 1569, Gerardus Mercator developed the Mercator map.
-This was the most accurate map of the ‘discovered’ world, using parallel and evenly spaced lines of longitude and latitude to place lands accurately on the map.
-This increased accessibility of printing made it easier for these maps to become widespread and consistent, making it much easier for explorers to go on voyages of discovery.
Explain how Larger, More Stable Ships Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-During Elizabeth I’s reign, ship design improved making loner journeys possible.
-Galleons were developed in the 16th century. These were much larger than traditional ships, meaning more could be stored.
-More supplies could be kept to sustain the crew for longer journeys. This made Galleons useful for trade and voyages of discovery.
-Galleons also had a lower bow and stern which made the ships more stable in stormy seas. This made longer journeys easier.
Explain how Faster, More Manoeuvrable Ships Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-Galleons used many different sail types on the same boat- each of them with a specific purpose and ultimately making the ship easier to manoeuvre.
-Traditional square sails were used for speed on the bowsprit, fore and main masts.
-Lateen (triangular) sails were used on the mizzen-mast, making the ship easier to manoeuvre.
-This enabled longer, faster and mare accurate voyages if discovery.
Explain how Ships With Better Fire Power Led to Elizabethans Undertaking Voyages of Discovery
-Ships needed defences because they were often attacked b pirates and needed to defend themselves.
-Galleons had gun decks running the length of the ship, meaning that canons could now be fired from the sides of the ship as well as the bow and stern.
-These defences made voyages of discovery safer and easier.
Explain why Relations Between England and Spain Led to Drake Undertaking his Circumnavigation of the Globe
-Drake had not set out with the aim of being the first Englishman to sail around the world. His main purpose was to raid Spanish colonies in the pacific.
-Relations with Spain were deteriorating at the time and this appears to have been upmost in the queen’s mind.
-By 1578, relations between England and Spain were poor and getting worse.
Explain why the Want for Revenge Led to Drake Undertaking his Circumnavigation of the Globe
-Drake also wanted revenge. In 1567-68, he had accompanied John Hawkins on a third trans-Atlantic expedition.
-This time, the Spanish, angered at English attempts to break Spain’s trading monopoly in the ‘New World’, were prepared for battle.
-The English were attacked at St Juan de Ulua. Their fleet was devastated and 325 of their sailors were killed.
-Forced to abandon some of his remaining men, Hawkins and Drake returned home with only 15 sailors.
Explain why Riches Led to Drake Undertaking his Circumnavigation of the Globe
-Although Drake and Elizabeth I had political reasons for the circumnavigation, there were still great profits to be made from the journey into the Americas.
-There were also plenty of people willing to invest in his expedition at court.
-Despite the long and difficult voyage, drake returned to England a rich and famous man. He also made his investors very rich.
-Some estimates put Drake’s treasure haul at £500,000,000 in today’s money.
Explain why Drake’s Circumnavigation was Significant for Anglo-Spanish Damaged Relations
-Drake was correct when he said that attacking Spain’s American colonies would anger Phillip II.
-The year following his circumnavigation, Elizabeth I knighted Drake on his ship, the Golden Hind. This sent a clear message to Phillip II.
-He regarded Drake as a pirate and Elizabeth I’s provocative actions as scandalous. It was one more event in deteriorating Anglo-Spanish relations.
Explain why Drake’s Circumnavigation was Significant for Encouraging Colonies in America
-Although there were already plans being made to establish English colonies in the Americas, by the early 1570s, they had come to nothing.
-In 1578, while Drake was undertaking his circumnavigation, Elizabeth I gave Sir Humfrey Gilbert permission to set out on a voyage of discovery to North America.
-It ended in disaster. Gilbert was bankrupted. Yet in 1583, he was prepared to set out again.
-Since Gilbert’s earlier failure, Drake had returned to England with wealth and reports that encouraged adventurers to continue trying to establish their own colonies there.
Explain why Drake’s Circumnavigation was Significant for Encouraging Exploration
-Drake and his crew survived in part by raiding Spanish ships and colonies up the coast of South America.
-How far north they travelled has been debated but it is believed that they made it as far north as Vancouver.
-They gathered a great deal of useful information about the Americas.
-They also kept thorough logs of their voyage that could be written up and shared with other English sailors.
Explain why Drake’s Circumnavigation was Significant for Showing England as a Great Sea-Faring Nation
-Drake’s voyage almost ended in disaster. He set out with five ships and by the time he had reached the Pacific in 1578, he only had one left: the Golden Hind.
-Despite this, Drake and his 56 surviving men managed to return to England in 1580 after circumnavigating the globe. They were only the second crew in history to have achieved such a feat.
-This was a great boost to English morale and established the reputation of English ships and sailors as being among the finest in the world.
-This was important at a time of growing fears that the Spanish could invade England at any time.
