Age of Exploration

Astralabe—an instrument enabling people to navigate using the stars

Navigation—the art of directing the course of a ship

Age of Exploration--Vocabulary

Cartography—the science of making maps

Colony—A country or area ruled by another country

Circumnavigate—travel completely around the Earth

Age of Exploration--Vocabulary

Indigenous--The first population of people to inhabit an area

Conquistador—”Conqueror” Spanish soldiers sent to gain gold for the King.

Age of Exploration--Vocabulary

Vikings were the first to discover America

Leif Erickson established a settlement in Canada about 500 years before Christopher Columbus

Age of Exploration

Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460)

Sent many expeditions to explore the West Coast of Africa.

Many sailors were superstitious and had to be tricked before he could get them to try to go.

Age of Exploration

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)

Most scientists and explorers thought the world was flat

Columbus believed the world was a sphere

Age of Exploration

“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”

Discovered America, but thought he’d found a quicker way to India

Made 3 trips total to the New World for Spain

Age of Exploration

Vasco de Gama (1460-1524)

Portuguese explorer

First explorer to reach India by boat

Age of Exploration

Important because you can carry a lot more goods to trade on a boat than a cart

Standard of Living?

Age of Exploration—de Gama

Hernando Cortez (1485-1547)

Became a colonist in Hispaniola as an 18 year-old

1518 led an expedition into Mexico

Age of Exploration

Indigenous people were the Aztec Indians

Large civilization of over 25 million people

Thought conquistadors were gods

Started to trade with the Spanish

Age of Exploration

Eventually began to conquer Aztec’s to take their gold

Indigenous people also were not immune to diseases like smallpox

Most people died of epidemic

Age of Exploration

Age of Exploration

Ponce de Leon (1474-1521)

Looking for the Fountain of Youth◦ A story that there’s a

fountain that you could drink from and live forever

Age of Exploration

Discovered Florida. Spent quite a bit of time looking for the fountain of youth, but never found it.

Age of Exploration

John Cabot (c. 1450-c.1499)

Paid by the King of England to try to visit the New World to claim land for England

Age of Exploration

Very little known about actual trips.

It is believed that a storm blew Cabot off course and he ended up in Canada.

Age of Exploration

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596)

Was a pirate who worked for the British King

Would attack ships from Spain and France and steal their money to give to the King of England

Age of Exploration

Drake was the first man to circumnavigate the Earth

Proved that the earth was round

Age of Exploration