chapter 2- europe looks outward (1000-1720) mr. bennett 7 th grade us history 2015-2016
TRANSCRIPT
Section Focus Question
How did the search for a water route to Asia affect both Europe and the Americas?
Wait, I thought Columbus discovered America, not ASIA???
A brief story…
European countries wanted to get to Asia so they could trade with people in India and Southeast Asia
They had no idea North America, the Caribbean, or South America even existed.
So, looking on a map, why didn’t the Europeans just go across Europe, by land into Asia?
The Problem
Christian Europeans had just lost a series of battles known as the Crusades.
They lost to the Muslims and were forced to give up their lands in the Middle East.
Because they lost, they were no longer allowed to use the Mediterranean Sea or land in the Middle East to trade.
So, they had to find a water route that avoided the Middle East in order to get to Asia.
Portuguese Explorers
Henry the Navigator of Portugal started a navigation school that taught aspiring sailors how to use new technology like magnetic compasses and astrolabes.
Future Portuguese explorers would use this technology to find a sea route to Asia by sailing down the west coast of Africa, into the Indian Ocean to get to India and Southeast Asia.
Europeans could now trade in Asia but…
But it took FOREVER to get there.
Many wanted to find a shorter route.
One man had an idea…Maybe, just maybe, if we sailed west instead of
south and around the bottom of Africa we could get there faster.
This man’s name…
Christopher ColumbusOriginally from Genoa, Italy
Sailed for Portugal in the 1470s.
Had a plan to sail west to get to India (spices).
Portugal’s king rejected his plan.
Didn’t give up, moved to Spain where he convinced King Ferdinand and Isabella to fund his voyage west.
Setting Sail
August, 1492
90 men aboard the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria
Predicted they would reach Asia in 21 days.
21 days came and went, no land was in sight.
Crew became restless and tried to overthrow the ship’s officers.
Thought he was in Asia and close to Japan. In reality, he was in the Caribbean and had landed on Cuba.