Causes and Key Figures of the Age of Exploration

Causes of exploration

Factors driving exploration include the need for spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, cloves), curiosity, new technology, the influence of the Crusades introducing luxury goods from Asia to Europeans, and the Renaissance which drove curiosity.

Ferdinand and Isabella

Spanish monarchs who backed Columbus to gain power and spread Catholicism.

Need for spices

Motivated explorers to find more routes and lands.

New technologies

Advancements in navigation, including the caravel, compass, and improved maps, made exploration easier.

Spice trade control

The spice trade was controlled by Arab merchants and traders, and Europeans lacked knowledge on how to obtain the spices they desired, which boosted exploration.

Diaz

First European explorer to sail around the southern tip of Africa.

Da Gama

Set sail to regions of India with four ships, around the Cape of Good Hope, reaching the great spice port of Calicut, providing a highly profitable journey.

Magellan

Set sail to find a passage to the Pacific, discovered the Strait of Magellan, and renamed the Balboa sea to the Pacific.

Balboa

A Spanish adventurer who, aided by local Indians, formed a passage through tropical forests and founded the Balboa South Sea, later renamed to the Pacific.

Hernan

A Spanish conquistador who landed in Mexico with 450 soldiers, aiming for riches and the Aztec capital, ultimately capturing the Aztec ruler and demanding ransom.

Pizarro

A Spanish conquistador best known for leading the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru during the Age of Exploration, securing Spanish control over a vast territory.

Pizarro's actions

Led to the downfall of the Inca civilization and the establishment of Spanish colonial rule.

Europe

Includes Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands.

Americas

Divided into North, Central, and South.

Africa

Divided into West, South, and East.

Asia

Includes India, China, Spice Islands/Indonesia, and Japan.

Atlantic Ocean

One of the major oceans explored during the Age of Exploration.

Pacific Ocean

Another major ocean explored during the Age of Exploration.

Indian Ocean

A significant ocean for trade routes during the Age of Exploration.

Cape of Good Hope

A key point for navigation around Africa.

Strait of Magellan

A navigable sea route in southern Chile.

Amazon River

One of the major rivers in South America.

Mississippi River

A major river in North America.

Congo River

A major river in Africa.

St. Lawrence River

A significant river in North America.

1492

Year of Columbus's voyage.

1494

Year of the Treaty of Tordesillas.

1497-1499

Years of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India.

1519-1522

Years of Magellan's circumnavigation.

Gold

A valuable resource sought during the Age of Exploration.

Silver

Another valuable resource sought during the Age of Exploration.

Spices

Included cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and nutmeg.

Silk

A luxury item traded during the Age of Exploration.

Tea

A commodity traded during the Age of Exploration.

Slaves

A tragic aspect of trade during the Age of Exploration.

Land

A resource sought after during the Age of Exploration.

Resources

Natural materials sought during the Age of Exploration.

Trade routes

Paths established for commerce during the Age of Exploration.

Maps

Tools used for navigation and exploration.

Diaries

Personal accounts of explorers during their journeys.

Letters

Correspondence that documented exploration.

Religious artifacts

Items of religious significance encountered during exploration.

Christopher Columbus

An explorer known for his 1492 voyage.

Ferdinand Magellan

An explorer known for circumnavigating the globe.

Vasco da Gama

An explorer known for his voyage to India.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A key figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire.

Queen Isabella I of Spain

Patron of Columbus's voyages.

King Ferdinand II of Aragon

Co-ruler with Queen Isabella I.

Hernán Cortés

Conqueror of the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Conqueror of the Inca Empire.

Bartolomeu Dias

First European to sail around the southern tip of Africa.

John Cabot

An explorer who sailed under the English flag.

Jacques Cartier

A French explorer who claimed Canada.

Caravel

A type of ship used during the Age of Exploration.

Astrolabe

An instrument used for navigation.

Compass

A device that shows direction.

Printing press

A technology that revolutionized the spread of information.

Gunpowder

A technology that changed warfare.

Improved mapmaking

Advancements that aided navigation.

Navigation techniques

Methods developed for better sea travel.

Lateen sails

Triangular sails that improved sailing efficiency.

Rudders

Devices that help steer a ship.

Desire for wealth

A primary cause of exploration.

Spread of Christianity

A motivation for European exploration.

Competition between European powers

A driving force behind exploration.

New trade routes to Asia

Sought after during the Age of Exploration.

Technological advancements

Improvements that facilitated exploration.

Renaissance spirit of inquiry

An intellectual movement that encouraged exploration.

Marco Polo's travels

Inspiration for later explorers.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

Rise of European empires

A significant effect of exploration.

Slavery and the transatlantic slave trade

A tragic consequence of exploration.

Cultural exchange and diffusion

An effect of the Age of Exploration.

Economic growth in Europe

A result of new trade routes and resources.

Devastation of indigenous populations

A consequence of European colonization.

Global trade networks

Systems established for international commerce.

New foods and crops in Europe

Introduced through the Columbian Exchange.

Smallpox

A disease that devastated indigenous populations.

Measles

A disease that spread during the Age of Exploration.

Influenza

A disease that affected populations during exploration.

Typhus

A disease that was prevalent during the Age of Exploration.

Bubonic plague

A disease that continued to affect Europe.

Renaissance

A cultural movement from c. 1300-1600.

Florence

A key city during the Renaissance.

Rome

Another important city during the Renaissance.

Venice

A significant city-state during the Renaissance.

Italian city-states

Regions that were influential during the Renaissance.

Arno

A river in Italy significant during the Renaissance.

Tiber

Another important river in Italy.

Art

A major focus of the Renaissance.

Literature

Another key aspect of the Renaissance.

Philosophy

A field that flourished during the Renaissance.

Humanism

An intellectual movement emphasizing human potential.

Individualism

A concept that became prominent during the Renaissance.

Patronage

Support for artists and thinkers during the Renaissance.

Perspective

A technique used in Renaissance art.

Fresco

A method of mural painting used during the Renaissance.

Sculpture

An art form that thrived during the Renaissance.

Architecture

A field that saw significant advancements during the Renaissance.

Leonardo da Vinci

A renowned artist and thinker of the Renaissance.