The Voyages Of Exploration

The Overland Crisis (1453)

The capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire, which controlled trade routes and imposed heavy taxes on Christian traders, prompting European nations to seek direct sea routes to Asia.

The Three Gs

Motives for exploration: Gold (wealth), God (religious conversion), Glory (national and personal fame).

Caravel

A revolutionary Portuguese ship design capable of withstanding rough seas, featuring a combination of square and lateen sails for improved speed and maneuverability.

Compass

A navigational instrument that uses a magnetized needle to indicate magnetic north.

Astrolabe

An instrument for measuring the angle of celestial bodies above the horizon, essential for calculating latitude.

Portolan Charts

Accurate hand-drawn maps detailing coastlines, shallows, and ocean currents used by navigators.

Scurvy

A disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency, leading to symptoms like bleeding gums and extreme fatigue.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian navigator who mistakenly believed he reached Asia in 1492, landing instead in the Bahamas.

La Noche Triste

A night of severe losses for the Spanish during their retreat from Tenochtitlan, leading to significant casualties.

Justin Syla

The Spanish monarchs who sponsored Columbus' voyages and provided ships for exploration.

Atahualpa

The Inca emperor captured and executed by Pizarro after offering a massive ransom of gold and silver.

Triangular Trade

A system of trade where European ships transported goods to Africa, enslaved people to the Americas, and cash crops back to Europe.

The Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and cultures between the Old World and the New World following Columbus' voyages.

The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

An agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided the non-European world between the two nations.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish explorer who conquered the Inca Empire and executed Atahualpa.

Shift of Power to the Atlantic

The transition of global commercial wealth and power from Mediterranean nations to Atlantic nations after explorations.