Europeans Set Sail

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Europeans Set Sail

• Chapter 2 Section 1

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I. Vikings

• In Europe (before 1000s)
• From Denmark, Norway, Sweden
• Superior ships for sailing oceans
• Had a vast trade network
• Also raided many European nations!
• Moving West
• Settled in Iceland around 874 AD
• About 100 years later settled in Greenland
• Around 1000 reached present day Canada
• Set up small villages
• Not 100 sure why Vikings left region

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II. Riches in Asia

• What Europeans Wanted
• Spices
• Bypass expensive, dangerous land routes
• Looked for water route
• Religion
• Spread Christianity to Asia (India and China)
• Used as a reason for seeking spices as well!

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II. Riches in Asia (cont.)

• Advances in Technology
• Astrolabe navigate ships by the stars
• Caravels
• Ships that used triangular sails
• Could sail against the wind

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III. Sea Route to Asia

• Portugal sent explorers south
• Tried to go around Africa
• Bartolomeu Dias made it to Cape of Good Hope
  (1488)
• Vasco de Gama sailed around to India (1497)
• Impact
• Portugal became very wealthy
• Began the Atlantic slave trade