1.3 European Exploration in the Americas

Why did Europe’s population tank during 1200-1450?

1. Black Plague

2. Little Ice Age (great global cooling)

What helped Europeans stabilize?

1. Climate Warmed

2. Improved Agricultural Productivity

3. More Food = More Babies

4. Desire for Asian Luxury Goods

5. The Renaissance (constituted a cultural rebirth in various European states

6. Political Unification (went hand-in-hand with the cultural rebirth; also strengthened the government)

Why did Europeans want to explore?

God, Gold, and Glory

What were the Economic Motives of European Exploration

1. Demand for Eastern Luxury Goods

2. Improved Banking Systems

• Helped Facilitate trade

3. Portugal was First

• Established trading posts all around African coast and throughout Indian Ocean

• Instead of colonies, built trading post empire

Who was the first to successfully establish a Portugal presence in the East?

Vasco De Gama

What were the religious motives of European exploration?

1. Dominant Belief System: Christianity

• Specifically Roman Catholic Christianity

  • Played a significant role in creating European common culture

2. Simony: Buying and selling of important church positions

3. Sale of Indulgences: The exchange of money for forgiveness of sins

4. Catholic Christianity v. Protestant Christianity: No separation of church and state; led to political feuds and power struggles

5. Spain’s Kingdoms Combine: Marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon; Led the Spanish Inquisition

Who was Martin Luther?

Wrote a complaints on the documents of the church in the 95 thesis

What did Martin Luther’s exposing of the church lead to?

Protestant Reformation

Why was the spread of Christianity a motive for maritime exploration?

They wanted to prove that their version of Christianity was superior

What did the Spanish Inquisition do?

• Eliminated religious dissent in Spain

• Expelled 200K Jews from Spain

What were the Political motives of European exploration?

1. Competition for Colonial Possessions: wanted to shift balance of power in their favor (Spain was winning…)

2. New Political Reality: The Nation-State - Political entity that governs a single, unified people; promotes comp. to become the most powerful

3. Spain v. Portugal (regarding colonial claims in the Americas): because they were both Catholic States, pope settled dispute; drew line of demarcation to settle New World territory questions

What was the treaty of tordesillas?

Established Portugal's claim to a part of Brasil, and Spain's claim to the rest of America