Age of Exploration By: Colette Spencer NMBHS Reasons for Exploration 1. search for resources 2. establish sea trade routes to Asia 3. desire to expand Christianity God, Gold and Glory Why did Exploration Begin at This Time? 1. National govts encouraged it Only ones rich enough to afford it 2. Wanted spices, silks, cotton, gems, etc. Middleman was expensive 3. Renaissance encouraged improvement & curiosity 4. New inventions helped navigation Triangular sails, rudder, magnetic compass, astrolabe 5. New knowledge of winds and currents 6. Rediscovered Ptolemys map Had believed the earth was round The Explorers Portugal was first Prince Henry the Navigator Sent explorers along coast of Africa Found several islands where they built sugar plantations Got slaves from Africa to work on them Set up trading posts in Africa Bartholomeu Diaz 1487 first to make it around Cape of Good Hope (Africa) Vasco Da Gama 1497 first to reach India (used Indian pilot) Lost pilot, men and several ships on way back Brought back cinnamon and pepper Cargo profit still was 60 times the cost of the expedition Portuguese then built trading posts in India By late 15 th cent. England and the Netherlands had sent mariners into Indian Ocean Columbus 1492 sailed for Spain Located all major islands in Caribbean Encountered the Taino he called them Indians Spaniards very brutal with natives slaves Diseases devastated natives Hundreds of Spanish, Dutch, French and English mariners followed over the next 100 yrs. All searching for passage to India Instead found a place for new economic opportunities Balboa 1513 crossed isthmus of Panama First to sight the Pacific Ferdinand Magellan 1519 first to circumnavigate the globe He was killed in Philippines Only one ship 18 men returned to Spain Sir Francis Drake west coast of NA Many searching for NW Passage 1700s James Cook Australia, New Zealand, Sandwich Islands Trading Post Empires Mid 16 th cent. Portugal had 50 trading posts b/w Africa & Asia Controlled much of the Indian Ocean But not able to control for long English and Dutch got in the game Eng. more interested in posts in India Dutch in S. Africa and islands of Malaysia Both used joint stock companies to maximize profit English East India Comp. United East India Comp. (VOC) Funded by rich private merchants but supported by govts. Both companies made great profits bringing back spices Both contributed to the creation of a global trading network Europe in SE Asia FR, ENG, NETH, SP and POR conquered native peoples Mostly in the islands Also built empires Established colonies Set up govts. Didnt conquer big, powerful states like China & India Spain conquered the Philippines Manila quickly b/c busy trading port Asian goods shipped out to the New World and gold came back Eventually converted the land to one of the most Roman Catholic places in the world Dutch conquered the islands of Indonesia including Java Controlled most of the spice trade out of the islands Controlled islands by making alliances with locals Less concerned with ruling More concerned with spice trade Competition Exploration & expansion led to conflict b/w European powers Competed for trade and markets in Indian Ocean and SE Asia Also had conflict in Caribbean & Americas English pirate & privateers often attacked Spanish galleons Columbian Exchange Global diffusion of plants, foods, animals, humans and disease Involved lands w/drastically different items Eur exploration began biological exchange that permanently altered humans and nature Diseases Disease brought huge losses to indigenous people in Americas Smallpox, measles, influenza, etc. People had no immunity Smallpox usually only affected kids in Eur No threat to Eur society b/c it didnt kill many adults In 1519 smallpox killed as much as 90% of Aztec empire 17 mill down to 1.3 mill By this time SP conquerors had imposed their rule Politics, society and culture of Mexicos people gone or under SP control Sometimes diseases attacked distant societies even when they had no contact with Eur Pacific islands hit as hard as Americas These epidemics were the worst demographic disaster in history More than 100 million may have died Food & Animals In long run, the CE increased rather than decreased pop b/c of spread of food & animals From Old World to New World: Coffee beans, wheat, citrus fruit, cows, horses, sugarcane, honey bees, bananas, chickens, disease From New World to Old World: Potatoes, beans, maize, tomatoes, peanuts, pineapples, cacao, tobacco, vanilla maize & potatoes increased calories Tomatoes and peppers increased vitamins Beans added protein CE created surge in population around world By 1500 Eur was recovering from plague 425 million By 1600 pop increased by 25% Increased slower in next 100 yrs. But 1700s increased faster than ever 900 million CE also involved spread of humans by transoceanic migrations Voluntary and forced (slavery) 1800s saw largest migration of Europeans ever To Americas, S. Africa, Australia and Pac. Islands Origins of Global Trade Eur merchant mariners created a global trading system Eur countries est. colonies in Americas & Caribbean Eur manufactured goods traveled to the NW in exchange for silver, gold, sugar & tobacco Manila galleons (SP), from 1565 to 1815, carried Asian luxury goods across Pacific to Mexico Exchanged them for silver to take back to Philippines Most of silver went to China to meet growing demand Some luxury goods to the New World were sold to the Spanish ruling elite Most though crossed Central America, then the Atlantic to Spain Environmental Effects As result of global trade, some animals became commodities Fur-bearing animals, esp. the beaver Some almost driven to extinction Also harvested many deer, cod, whales, etc. By late 16 th cent. there was the never ending human exploitation of worlds natural and agr. resources Mass markets around the world competed for the most precious commodities coffee, tea, sugar & tobacco