Transcript The Search for Spices - msjohnsonsocialstudies

The Search for
Spices
Warm-Up
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Do you think Columbus “discovered”
America? Why or why not?
Europeans Explore the Seas
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As Europe’s population grew, so did
the demand for trade goods
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Most demanded items were SPICES:
clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper
Used to preserve food, add flavor &
make medicine/perfume
Chief source of Spices: Asia (Spice
Islands)
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European explorers wanted to gain
direct access to Asia
Improved Technologies
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Astrolabe- Device used to measure
the angles of the sun and stars
above the horizon; determined
latitude
Caravel- Ship that combined the
square sails of the Europeans with
triangular sails of Arabs; easier to
sail across or into wind
Portugal’s Voyages to the East
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Henry the Navigator gathered scientists,
cartographers & other experts to send out
ships
Bartholomeu Dias- Rounded the
southern tip of Africa
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Cape of Good Hope- opened the way for a sea
route to Asia
Vasco da Gama- Reached spice port in
India
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Journey took a heavy toll.
Many sailors died of scurvy-disease caused by
lack of vitamin C
Columbus’ Voyages to the West
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Columbus wanted to reach the
Indies by sailing west across the
Atlantic
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Did Columbus think the world was flat?
Greatly underestimated the size of
the earth
Unaware that two continents stood
in his path
Voyages of Columbus
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“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean
blue”
Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain
financed his journey
Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
He believed he reached the Indies
Indians
Line of Demarcation
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Spain & Portugal rushed to claim
lands that Columbus explored
Line of Demarcation- divides the
Non-European world into two zones
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Spain had exploration rights in any
lands west of line
Portugal had rights east of line
Naming the New World

Italian sailor Amerigo Vespucci
wrote reports about the “New
world”
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Mapmaker labeled region America
Islands Columbus explored became
known as West Indies
The Search Continues
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Ferdinand Magellan- set out from
Spain.
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Charted a passage that became known
as Strait of Magellan at tip of South
America
His crew was first to
circumnavigate-sail around- the
world. (he died on the voyage)
Search for a Northwest Passage
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English, Dutch & French searched
for a northwest passage to Asia
John Cabot- found rich fishing
grounds off Newfoundland; he
claimed for England
Henry Hudson- Sailed for the
Dutch, explored the Hudson River

Hudson Bay