7.2 Age of Exploration

Age of Exploration

The period from the 1400s to the 1600s, when European states explored overseas routes and expanded maritime trade and empire.

Mercantilism

An economic system in which states believed wealth and power depended on gaining gold and silver and exporting more than they imported.

Gold, God, and Glory

The three major motives for exploration: wealth, spreading Christianity, and gaining fame and power.

Ottoman Empire

A powerful empire that took control of Constantinople in 1453 and controlled major overland trade routes between Europe and Asia.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who sponsored early voyages and supported advances in navigation and shipbuilding.

Caravel

A small, fast, maneuverable ship with lateen sails, ideal for exploration.

Carrack

A larger ship with more cargo space and a mix of square and lateen sails, used for long-distance trade and voyages.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail that made ships more maneuverable and helped them sail against the wind.

Astrolabe

A navigation instrument used to determine latitude by observing the position of the stars.

Trade Winds

Reliable wind patterns that helped sailors travel across the Atlantic and other oceans.

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer who rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1488.

Cape of Good Hope

The southern tip of Africa; an important milestone in finding a sea route to Asia.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who reached India by sea in 1498.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer sailing for Spain who crossed the Atlantic in 1492, looking for Asia, and landed in the Caribbean.

Reconquista

The Christian campaign to retake the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule; ended in 1492.

Ferdinand and Isabella

The Spanish monarchs who sponsored Columbus's voyage.

Ferdinand Magellan

Explorer whose expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe.

Circumnavigate

To travel all the way around the world.

Strait of Magallán

The passage at the southern tip of South America used by Magallán's expedition.

Maritime Empire

An empire based on naval power, overseas trade, and control of sea routes.

Trading Post Empire

A type of empire based on controlling ports, forts, and key trade locations rather than huge inland territories.

Northwest Passage

A hoped-for sea route through or around North America to reach Asia.

Henry Hudson

Explorer sponsored by the Dutch and English who searched for a Northwest Passage.

Jacques Cartier

French explorer who searched for a route to Asia and explored parts of Canada.

New Amsterdam

Dutch settlement in North America that later became New York.

Globalization

The growing connection of different world regions through trade, travel, exchange, and interaction.

Sea Power

The ability of a state to control oceans, protect trade routes, and project influence through naval strength.