European Exploration

Unit 9

I. European Exploration

A. Why travel?1. Europeans developed taste for Chinese and Indian

trade goods. a. Needed cheaper and faster ways to get there.

B. Portugal (1st to explore)1. Prince Henry the Navigator

a. Slowly sent ships out exploring African coastii. Though he could get ships around Africa- didn’t realize how big

is was though.

b. Opened a school to train navigators

c. He died but Explorers continued (1466)

2. Bartholomeu Dias (1488)a. Rounded the Cape of Good Hope

3. Vasco Da Gama (1498)a. Reached India for Portugal

i. Established trade route and colony

C. Spain1. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

a. Hired Columbus to find new trade routes to India.

i. Gave him 3 ships: Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria

2. Christopher Columbusa. Big Plan had 2 errors

i. Though Atlantic was much smallerii. Didn’t realize N. and S. America were in the way.

b. What did he find? i. Ended up in the Bahamasii. Called natives Indians (the name stuck.iii. Searched for gold but found littleiv. Took three more trips and started

a colony.

II. Aztecs

A. Capital: Tenochtitlan1. In Valley o Mexico2. Island city in middle of lake3. Population 200,000 (bigger then any European city)

B. Religion: Poly-theist1. Believed the sun might not rise each day2. To keep sun happy, they offered it continual human

sacrifice C. Temple

1. Pyramids where Aztec priests would perform human sacrifices

a. Would cut beating heart out of victims

2. Sacrificed 80,000 to dedicate new temple in 1487

D. How did the Aztecs operate?

1. Had a huge advanced empire in Mexico

2. Fought continuously with neighbors

a. Needed prisoners to sacrifice

3. Conquered land paid taxes and gave people to sacrifice

a. Didn’t make the Aztecs popular

E. Different Classes

1. Emperor: Ruled and considered part God

2. Nobles, Priests, and Government officials

3. Merchants and Commoners

4. Slaves

III. The Spanish Come to Town

A. Hernan Cortez: Spanish Conquistador1. Arrives in Mexico: 1590

a. Has 600 men w/ him looking for gold.

i. People laughed at the small number of soldiers

b. Learns of Tenochtitlan and wants it

i. He burned his ships and said he wasn’t leaving until it was his.

ii. Obtained an Indian mistress, who serves as his translator. Her name was Malinche (which means the betrayer)

c. Made friends with near by Indians

i. They hated the Aztecs

B. Montezuma: Emperor of the Aztecs1. Heard of Cortez

a. Worries he might be a godb. He sent him gold and invited him to

Tenochtitlan.i. Dumb move. ii. Cortez walked right in to the city

and made Montezuma his captive and takes over the city.

C. What happens next?1. Cortez left for the coast and left 200 men.

a. Axtecs revolted2. Cortez comes back and makes Montezuma go calm the crowds.

a. Montezuma is stoned to deathb. Cortez flees

D. How does it end? 1. Cortez returned w/ all of his troops.

a. Built boats and sailed across the lake and attacked.

b. The battle lasted three monthsi. Aztecs had been hit hard by the Smallpoxii. Spanish had steel armor, swords, and guns

c. Cortez conquers the city.d. The Spanish destroyed all Aztec

buildingi. They built a Cathedral where the temple wasii. Renamed Tenochtitlan to Mexico City