Transcript Chapter 5
Chapter 5 The Age of Exploration The Desire to explore • How does Buy Nothing Day fit with your world view? Pro Con Exploring to Increase Trade • Spices (trading with the East). • Spices were transported to the Mediterranean trading centres Constantinople and Alexandria, then sold to Italian Merchants. They then brought their goods to Venice. • The merchants marked up their prices anywhere from 100 to 2000 times their original price. • *Europeans didn’t like it, but they still paid it* (does this remind you of anything today?) • High prices and shifts in power in the East were problems in increasing trade. Exploring for Gold • Unlike Renaissance Europe we don’t have the same problem with money exchange (we have bills, cheques, visa, etc.) • The Renaissance was dependent upon the exchange of goods and resources for money. Only gold and silver coins were used and the mines in Europe were running out of these metals. So, a big reason that they went exploring was to look for new sources so that they could continue to grow. Mansa Moussa • Muslim ruler of Mali, North West Africa. He traded gold, salt, ivory and slaves • He went on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca (the Holy city of Islam). He led a huge group of people and carried lots of gold to give to poor people along their way. • Merchants spread the word about his great wealth – they couldn’t leave it alone. • What was Mansa Moussa’s Worldview? • What do you think the European Worldview was of Mansa? Exploration to Spread Christianity • Religion was a very powerful aspect of Worldview during the Renaissance • The “Age of Exploration” was also of spreading Christianity. • The Christian bible quotes Jesus as saying “Go into all the world, and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” – it justified spreading Christianity to the rest of the world – they were just following Jesus’ s orders. • How do Religious motives affect Prince Henry’s Worldview? (pg.112) - Felt threatened by Muslims - Went looking for the “Christian Prince” (Prester John) who was believed to rule a very wealthy kingdom past Muslim lands. Exploration to Spread Christianity • For example – coming to Canada. • The Christian Europeans came to Canada supporting settlers and Hudson Bay Company Employees. Once they had followers that believed in them, they began to spread the word to First Nations. • Please also take a look at page 111 – the Muslim Cu’ran • Huge motivation factors to explore = Gold and Christianity. Means to Explore • Means = Money, time, equipment and skills. • Openness to outside influence and curiosity about the rest of the world was a part of the Renaissance Worldview. Expanding the Known World • Knowledge beyond Europe at this time was very limited. Everyone thought that the places were exotic and mysterious. Most books had misinformation about places (even from Travelers) because no one had ever gone that far. • Now you can pretty much go anywhere in the world at anytime with the click of a mouse. Think about what it was like in the time of the Renaissance. Expanding Navigational Technology • Essential as a “means” to getting things done – back then and now. Prince Henry the Navigator • Was the Prince of Portugal, he was really interested in ships and navigation (remember that he wanted to spread Christianity as well). He supported (became a patron) of Portuguese explorers. • He helped to educate explorers to improve navigation instruments, share knowledge and create better maps. • Do question 1B on page 119 on Chart paper in groups of 2 of three , you will present your findings to the class. European Expansion • In 100 years Renaissance Europeans went from sailing the seas to around Europe to circumnavigating (is to travel all the way around the world by boat or ship. The term now is used to cover aerial round-the-world flights) the world. • City-States of Italy had an “expansionist” worldview in that they wanted to increase their power and territory. Exploration Begins • Pg 120 – examine the map and determine the routes. What do you notice? How might their choice of route affect their worldview? Going East • Portugal was the first country to begin exploring (due of course to Prince Henry) • He sent people to explore West Africa (lots of Gold) Each year they went further south and established trading posts. This also made the Portuguese very involved with the slave trade in Africa. However, remember that the slave trade was already established in Africa before the Europeans got there. (pg 121 – read quote). • For the next 300 years Europeans captured and transported millions of Africans to the Americas as slaves. Millions dies on the way there because of the horrible conditions or from overwork when they arrived. • Prince Henry helped out other future traders by hiring interpreters (to get reliable info. and establish relations resulting in trade). Bartolomeu Dias • Portuguese explorer that was the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope. However, his crew went against him and he never made it to India. Columbus crossed the Atlantic, and pressure on the Portuguese increased. 5 years later, the Portuguese established the route on the Indian ocean around Africa and established trade. The Battle of Diu • Portuguese fleets began to make yearly trips to the Indian Ocean. Arab merchants saw them as intruders on their territory and they were always attacked. There was a huge sea battle between the large Arab fleet and the smaller Portuguese fleet off the Indian port of Diu. However, the Portuguese had canons and won. Portugal became the most powerful trading country in Europe in the 1500’s. Going West • Since the Portuguese went East, Columbus went West (he thought it was shorter). He thought that he found Asia; however, he had made it around the Caribbean. • It was Magellan who found a route West to Asia after 4 months at sea (the Philippines). He was killed in a battle, but his ship made it back to Spain with spices – this was the very first trip around the world! Expansionism Begins • Pg.125 Fast Forward • Now we not only travel our world, but outside of it. - April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is the first human in space. Read page 123 and do Thinking it Through 1, 2 and 3 together in groups. Old World, New World • Why did the Europeans call the Americas the “New World”. They accidentally ran into while they were looking for Asia. • The “Old World” was referred to as Europe, Asia and Africa? Why were they considered old? • What’s your take on it?