The Age of Exploration

The Age of Exploration

Introduction

  • Period of global exploration from 1450 to 1650.
  • Major players: Spain and Portugal.
  • Europeans aimed to find new trade routes and claimed territories for wealth and power.

Motivations for Exploration

  • Economic Factors:
    • Decline of the Mongol Empire resulted in increased costs for Eastern goods.
    • The fall of Constantinople (1453) by the Ottoman Turks blocked traditional trade routes, prompting the search for new paths.
    • The Three Gs:
    • Gold: Desire for wealth led to exploitation of resources (gold, silver, spices).
    • Glory: Desire to rise from poverty and achieve fame; sponsored by kings.
    • God: Spread Christianity; competition between Catholics and Protestants.

Technological Advancements

  • Caravels: New ship designs that were fast, maneuverable, and capable of traveling in various conditions (shallow and open waters).
  • Navigational Tools:
    • Compass: Helped with directional navigation using cardinal points.
    • Astrolabe: Measured the angle of celestial bodies for latitude.
    • Sextant: Improved latitude and longitude measurements for accurate navigation.

Key Explorers

  • Portugal:
    • Prince Henry the Navigator: Established a navigation school; explored African coast.
    • Bartolomeu Dias: First to round the Cape of Good Hope.
    • Vasco da Gama: First to reach India by sea, yielding immense profits.
  • Spain:
    • Christopher Columbus: Sailed west seeking a route to Asia; encountered the Americas instead.
    • Ferdinand Magellan: Led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe.
    • Conquistadors: Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Aztecs and Incas respectively.

Consequences of Exploration

  • Impact on Native Populations:
    • The Aztec and Inca civilizations faced destruction of their culture and massive population declines due to violence and disease (e.g., smallpox).
    • Colonizers exploited native labor and began extensive African slave trade for agriculture.
  • European Gains:
    • Accumulation of wealth through plundering gold and silver, alongside new agricultural products introduced to Europe (e.g., potatoes, tomatoes).
    • Increased competition among European powers over colonial territories.
  • Treaty of Tordesillas (1494):
    • Divided the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal to prevent conflict.

Economic Framework

  • Mercantilism: Economic theory emphasizing national strength through wealth accumulation, primarily through trade and colonization.
  • Joint-Stock Companies: Enabled investment in colonial ventures with shared risks and profits, exemplified by British colonies like Jamestown.

Overall Effects

  • Migration and Cultural Exchange: Increased movement of Europeans to the Americas, leading to ongoing cultural exchanges and economic dependencies.
  • Global Impact: Established networks of trade and colonization that altered the political and economic landscapes of both the Old and New Worlds.