Transcript The Age of Exploration

Unit 2 Chapter 3
The Age of Exploration
Leif Eriksson
• A.D. 1000- Viking
Explorer
• Set sail from Greenland
heading west
• He reached what is now
Canada and called it
Vinland (Vineland)
because of the grape
vines.
Leif Eriksson
• Returned to Greenland in the Spring, but the Vikings
traveled back to Vinland many times mostly for
fishing and hunting.
• 500 years will pass before Europeans would travel
to the Americas.
The First Globe
• In 1492 a group of people in
Germany paid Martin Behaim an
amount equivalent to $75 to
create a new map
• It was called “Earth apple” made
from pieces of leather stitched
together
Not Right the First Time
• This globe showed the world much smaller
than it really was (Europe to Asia- 3,000
miles when it really is about 10,000 miles)
• He didn’t know
about North
and South
America
• No Australia or
Antarctica
• Africa too small
and in the
wrong shape
Marco Polo
• From Venice, Italy
• In 1271 went to Asia with his
father and uncle who were
traders who heard of the
riches on this far-off land.
• On their journey they reached
China, India, and Persia
• 24 years later he returned
home and brought the wealth
of Asia back to Europe.
Trade Routes to the East
• For hundreds of years, Europeans carried on a
busy trade with people from Asia.
• Traded gold, jewels, silk, perfume, and spices
(pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg).
• For Europeans, travel to Asia and back was too
hard
• Instead they traveled to cities in North Africa
and Southwest Asia, which they called the
Middle East (Alexandria, Constantinople,
Damascus, and Baghdad)
The End of Trade
• Trade with Asia suddenly stopped in 1453 when
the Turks (people from the land called the
Ottoman Empire) captured the city of
Constantinople and took control of the Middle
East.
• This closed the trade routes between Europe
and Asia
Changes In Europe
• Many changes took place in Europe during the
time the city of Constantinople was captured.
• Portugal, Spain, France, and England were now
ruled by Monarchs (Kings and Queens)
• Advances in technology and science
– Faster ships
– Better compasses
Portugal Leads the Way
• Portugal took the lead in the search to find the first
water route to Asia.
• King John was willing to spend as much money as
needed in order to do so.
• King John assigned Prince Henry to direct his country’s
search
– Set up the first European school for training sailors in
navigation.
• Finally, in 1488, Bartholomeu Dias became the first to
sail all the way around the southern tip of Africa (The
Cape of Good Hope).
• Ten years later, Vasco de Gama sailed around the Cape
of Good Hope to India.
United Streaming Video
• Write down at least one fact on each explorer
from the video
Where/When
was he
exploring?
Interesting
about him
Interesting
about him
Marco Polo
Who/ What
country was
he exploring
for?
Leif Eriksson
Explorers
Who/ What
country was
he exploring
for?
Where/When
was he
exploring?
Christopher
Columbus
Interesting
about him
Who/ What
country was
he exploring
for?
Where/When
was he
exploring?