Age+of+Exploration

jordan & mat 1500-1800

// "The whoele history of the Americas stems from the Four Voyages of Columbus.... Today a core of endependent nations unite in homage to Christopher, the stout-hearted son of Genoa, who carried Christian civilization across the Ocean Sea." // // --Samuel Eliot Morison, 1942 //



Important People:

**Christopher Columbus.** Persuaded Queen Isabella of Spain to finace an exploratory expedition. In October 1492, he reached the Americans. Here he explored the coastlines of Cuba and the island of Hispaniola.

**John Cabot:** Explored the New England coastline of the Americas for Engand. One of many Government- sponsored exploreers form many countries during this time.

** Ferdinand Magellan: ** Landed in the Philippine Islands earliers than the Spanish, this make these two groups/ people become rivals in this time.

** Vasco da Gama: ** Sailed around the cap and cut across teh Indian Ocean to the coast of India.

** Amerigo Vespucci: ** Went along on several voyages and wrotes letters describing the lands he saw. Because of his letter they used the name America for the new lands.

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We all know how it goes, in 1492 Columbus sailed teh ocean blue!. Columbus refering to Christopher Columbus who in the history of Spanish exploration was an Italian. People in those days knew the world was round but had little to no underdstanding of its circumference or the size of teh continents. Columbus was able to get the Queen of Spain to finance an exploratory expedition. When he reached America he had believed at that time that it was Asia. In four voyages he reached all the major island of the Carivvean and Honduras in Central America. He called these teh Indies.





By the 1490's the many voyages of the Spanish and Portuguese had founded new lands to explore. Both Spain and Portugal feared that the other might claim some of its newly idscoverd land. They had a treaty signed in 1494 stating that a line owuld extend from north to south through the Atlantic Ocean and the easternmost part of South American continent. This was the Treaty of Tordesillas. The territories that had been unexplored east of the line would now be controlled by Portugal and the ones West of the line would be controlled by Spain. From this Treaty Portugal contrroled its route around Africa while Spain got rights to almos tall of the Americas.

media type="youtube" key="jOfEAbNiKFM" height="315" width="420" Soon after COlumbus discoverd America, other explorers realized it. Many exploreers started to get sponsored by their Government in order to jouin the race to the Americas. One of these exploreers was JOhn Cabot who explored the New England coastline. Another explorere was Pedro Cabral of Portugal. He landed in SOuth America in 1500. Amerigo Vespucci of Florentine went along on several voyages and wrote letters descring the land he was seeing. These letters he wrote led to the nameing of Americal (after Amerigo) for the new lands. Terms: Conquistadors: The spanish conquerors of the Americas. The were individuals whose guns and determination brought them incredible success. It took them only three years to overthrow the mighty Aztec Empire. Colony: A settlement of people living in a new territory. Linked with the parent country by trade and direct government control. Mercantilism: A set of principles that dominated economic thought in teh seventeenth century. According to Mercantilists the prosperity of a nation depended on a large supply of bullion or gold and silver. Balance of trade: The difference in value between what a nation imports and what it exports over time. When the balance is favorable the goods exported are of greater value than those imported.

Events
 * 1492 || Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas ||
 * 1497 || John Cabot and Amerigo Vespucci explore the Americas ||
 * 1518 || First boatload of slaves brought directly from Afica to the Americas ||
 * 1519 || Spanish begin conquest of MExico ||
 * 1520 || Magellan sails in Pacific Ocean ||
 * 1595 || First Dutch fleet arrives in India ||
 * 1630 || English found Massachusetts Bay Colony ||
 * 1650 || Dutch occupy Poruguese forts in Indian Ocean ||
 * 1700 || English establish colonial empire ||
 * 1767 || Burmese sack Thai Capital ||