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Content Overview
Unit 4: c. 1450-1750
Exploration
Causes of Exploration
List of Causes of Exploration
Maritime Tech
New maritime technologies (compass, astrolabe, etc.) gave explorers more confidence in venturing into the open sea
Environmental Knowledge
Explorers acquired more accurate maps & also learned about the ocean's wind patterns → Used the wind to move faster
State Sponsorship
European states sponsored the journeys of explorers by providing ships & crew
Christianity
Europeans sought to spread Christianity throughout the world → Explored more places to spread Christianity there
Gold
Europeans believed in mercantilism, the idea that there is a fixed amount of wealth in the world (measured in gold) → Europeans wanted more gold
Glory
European states wanted more glory, which they get by conquering more land
Trade
Europeans wanted to trade directly with Asia (without Ottoman intermediaries)
Events of Exploration
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
Created a vertical line in the Atlantic Ocean: Allowed Portugal to have all lands east & Spain to have all lands west of the line. This is why Spain controlled most of the Americas, while Portugal had many Afro-Eurasian ports
Portuguese Explorers
Bartholomew Dias
Rounded Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
1488
Vasco da Gama
Went to India via Cape of Good Hope
1497
Pedro Alvares Cabral
Went to Brazil & claimed it for Portugal
1500
Spanish Explorers
Christopher Columbus
Sailed Westward, landed in Americas
1492
Ferdinand Magellan
Circumnavigated the world; Claimed Philippines for Spain
1519-22
English Explorers
John Cabot
Discovered Newfoundland: 1st English discovery
1497
French Explorers
Jacques Cartier
Discovered Quebec for France
1534
Dutch Explorers
Henry Hudson
Claimed New Amsterdam (today's NY) for the Dutch
1609
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