Global exploration-part 1! Flashcards
What did merchants in medieval Europe face if they wanted to trade directly with India or China?
In medieval Europe, if a merchant wanted to trade directly with India or China, they faced a perilous overland journey lasting years. For this reason, few ever attempted it.
What happened to goods from the Far East when they reached Europe?
Goods from the Far East did reach Europe, but only after being passed from hand to hand along the network of routes known as the ‘Silk Road’ through Central Asia. There was no direct trade; and this made such goods extremely expensive. By the time it arrived in Northern Europe, Chinese silk could be worn by only the wealthiest members of the nobility, and black pepper from India was an untold luxury.
Who was Christopher Columbus, and what was his plan?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian sailor from Genoa with one big idea: finding a direct, seaborne route to trade with East Asia. Contrary to popular myth, it was commonly understood in medieval Europe that the Earth was round. By this logic, Columbus believed the Indian Ocean could be reached by sailing due west across the Atlantic. He was supported by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, who gave Columbus the money he required for a crew and 3 ships. On 6 September 1492, Columbus set sail from the Canary Islands, led by his flagship the Santa Maria. Columbus calculated that Japan lay just 2400 miles away, and would take four weeks to reach. In fact, Japan was 7000 miles away from Europe, and a whole continent unknown to Europeans lay in between. Four weeks into the journey, Columbus and his men were running out of fresh water and about to turn back. But on 12 October 1492, a member of Columbus’s crew sighted land.
What did Columbus find when he reached the Caribbean?
It was the small Caribbean island of Guanahani. It was inhabited by peaceful indigenous people called the Taícno, who did not wear clothes, and spent their lives farming, fishing, and smoking rolled-up leaves of a then-unknown plant called tobacco.
What did Columbus find when he reached Hispaniola?
Columbus sailed on to the nearby island of Hispaniola, where he found indigenous people wearing small items of gold jewellery.
What did Columbus bring back to Spain?
Columbus sailed back to Spain, bringing with him evidence of his discovery to show Ferdinand and Isabella: gold jewelry, chili peppers, sweet potatoes, parrots, and nine captured indigenous people.
How did Columbus’s discovery affect Spain?
Columbus’s results offered signs of a new land, and his hopes of finding greater reserves of gold, entranced the Spanish court.
