Transcript 19.1 – Europeans Explore the East

Europeans Explore the East
Exploration & Expansion
• Reasons for exploration:
– Riches = new sources of
wealth
– Spread Christianity
• Spurred by advances in
sailing technology
• New Market: Spices &
luxury goods from Asia
– Demand greater than supply
= high prices = high profits
• Trade controlled by Italians
& Muslims = high prices for
Europe
– Look for ways to bypass these
two
Expansion (cont.)
• The Crusades created
hostility between
Muslims & Christians
• Hope to Christianize Asia
& directly obtain goods
– “God, glory, & gold”
• 1400s: Caravel invented
– Sturdier, triangle sails = sail
against the wind
• Navigation
– Astrolabe (Muslims) – track
latitude
– Magnetic Compass (China)
– track direction
• Leaders in sailing
innovation
– Strong government
support
• First to set-up trading
posts in Africa
• Prince Henry (“The
Navigator”)
– Founds a navigation school
to perfect & expand
exploration
• 1460: Henry dies, but
begins European trade w/
Africa
– Gold, ivory, & eventually
slaves
– Starting blocks for reaching
Asian markets
Portugal
• Goal: To reach Asia
– Best route = sail around
the tip of Africa
• 1488: Bartolomeu Dias
reaches to tip of Africa
– Has to turn back
• 1497: Vasco da Gama
explores east coast of
Africa
• 1498: reaches the
Indian port of Calicut
– Opens a lucrative trade
route to Asia for Portugal
To Asia
Spain
• Envious of Portugal’s
advancements
• 1492: Christopher
Columbus sails to find a
route to Asia across the
Atlantic
• Reaches the Caribbean &
opens up colonization of
the Americas
– Believed he had reached the
East Indies
• Ferdinand Magellan sails
around the world
– 1521: Claims the Philippines
for Spain
Magellan’s Voyage
• Columbus’ voyage leads
to tensions between
Spain & Portugal
– Spain claiming Portuguese
lands???
• 1493: Pope Alexander VI
negotiates a peace = Line
of Demarcation
– West (Spain)/East
(Portugal)
– Runs through ~middle of
Brazil
• 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas
– Agree to honor the line
Spain v. Portugal
Treaty of Tordesillas
Portugal’s Trading Empire
• Da Gama’s voyage = Indian
Ocean trade empire
• Take control of spice trade
from Muslims
• Break the Muslim-Italian
dominated Eastern trade
• Gain control of vital trading
ports/areas
– 1510: capture Goa (becomes
trade capital)
– 1511: Control the Strait of
Malacca
– 1514: Control the Straits of
Hormuz
• The Netherlands: Small
nation in NW Europe
• 1600: Largest fleet in the
world (20K ships)
• Threaten Portuguese
trade
– Slowing take over trade
• Form the Dutch East India
Company = directs trade
to Asia
• Take the Strait of Malacca
from the Portuguese
• Gain control of Indonesia
& the Cape of Good Hope
(Tip of Africa)
Dutch
British & French
• Britain fought w/ the
Dutch to open eastern
trade
– Create the English East
India Company
• 1700: Britain & France
gain a foothold
– British trade from India
flourishes
– France struggles to gain
much profit v.
competition