The Age of Exploration

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The Age of Exploration

• Europe Encounters the World

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Lets Explore!
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Why did Europeans explorations happen begin?

• A variety of factors all came together to make
  the time period (1450-1700) the age of
  exploration
• Some were pulls, motivations and things that
  attracted the Europeans

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What is the easiest way to remember it all?

• The Three Gs
• Gold
• Glory
• God
• Although a little simplistic, this mnemonic is a
  great way to remember the main motivations of the
  European explorers.

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Early trade routes by Christian Europeans to Asia
traversed on land occupied by Muslims.
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As a result of the Crusades (Holy Wars), the
Muslims cut-off trade routes between Europe and
Asia in 1453.
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What factors were pushing Europeans to explore?

• Europeansespecially Spain and Portugal---wanted
  to find a water route to Asia and Africa.
• They were upset with the Italian merchants in
  Venice and Genoa who were controlling most of the
  trade with Asia and Africa.

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The First G Gold

• Gold was a hot item that explorers were looking
  for, but remember that it is really wealth, not
  just literal gold that attracted the explorers.
• Foreign spices were desired because Europe had no
  refrigeration. Europeans wanted pepper and
  nutmeg to season their foods. These spices were
  in the Spice Islands. (Indonesia)
• Other natural resources (timber, sugar, tobacco,
  ivory) from other continents could be bought and
  sold for a nice profit.

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Where are the Spice Islands?
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Where are the Spice Islands in relationship to
Europe?
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Pass the pepper, please!

• By the early 1500s, Europeans came to the Spice
  Islands in search of cloves and nutmeg.
• They were highly valued as food preservatives.
• Wealthy ladies used to keep spices in lockets
  around their necks so they could freshen their
  breaths easily.
• Gentlemen added nutmeg to food and drink.
• Spices were also used for medicinal purposes,
  especially in the relief of colic, gout, and
  rheumatism.
• Such great demand meant that the prices of nutmeg
  and cloves soared.
• To offset this crisis, expeditions were launched
  to find the source of these spices and bring them
  directly back to Europe.

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The second G Glory

• Just like the first G, glory was a relatively new
  idea in Europe.
• With the rise of the printing press, the idea of
  gaining fame for ones actions was possible.
• Individual kings wanted glory for their kingdoms
  ---the bigger, the more glory.

The Triumph of Fame, a Flemish tapestry from 1502.
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The third G God

• Europeans had always seen spreading Christianity
  as their duty.
• Colonizing foreign lands became a way to convert
  native peoples to their particular brand of
  Christianity.
• Spreading Christianity while killing and taking
  land from natives??? Does it make any sense to
  you?

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How did these ocean explorations begin?

• The first to encourage new ship explorations was
  Prince Henry of Portugal, known as Prince Henry
  the Navigator
• Started an institute for seafaring and exploring
• Combined ship technology learned from Islam with
  new European innovations
• By the time of his death in 1460, Portuguese had
  sailed as far south as the Gold Coast of West
  Africa

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What were the new technologies that enabled
explorations?

• The caravel was a new, faster, more maneuverable
  ship
• Older ships had square sails but caravels had
  triangular sails (easier to change direction)
• Bilge pump system enabled ship to float higher
  (less likely to run aground, easier to explore
  coasts and rivers)
• Compass, astrolabe, maps and other technologies
  from Islamic culture all helped make explorations
  possible

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The European desires for wealth did not stop with
the closing of the land trading routes. They
simply took another route..by water!
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GGG

• God
• Glory
• Gold

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Before We Go.
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Geonerd Alert What is the smartest state?

• Alabama
• It has 4 As and 1 B!

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Geonerd Alert What is the fastest country in
the world?

• Rush-a!!!
• (Shh! Carl must have been here!)

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Last chance What is the capital of Alaska?

• Come on! Juneau this one!!