Explorers By: Mimi Tang November 16, 2012 Room 227
Slide 2
Age of Discovery The Age of Discovery was when Europeans began
to explore around the world. It started in the 15th century and
ended in the 17th century, Prince Henry was a navigator from
Portugal who set off the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry wanted to
explore the world, he sent expeditions to the south to find a way
to Africa. He made a school specifically designed for train sailors
to become explorers, he also developed a kind of ship that would be
able to create longer sea voyages. People wanted to explore the
world because they wanted to find goods and riches from Asia. One
of the European explorers was Christopher Columbus, he allegedly
found, what is now called North America but the Vikings actually
found North America first but they didnt claim it for their
country. The Europeans explored around the continents, Central
America, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. Mostly all
the explorers came from water routes to reach their destinations
because the continents are separated so you really cant walk to a
continent, so there were no explorers that were walking to another
continent. Many explorers wanted to find many different treasures
but mainly, the thing that they were looking for were ores like
silver and gold and also, new routes to other continents so they
could trade for the silk and spices other continents had. Many
explorers wanted to explore but since they were lacking the funds
they needed for food, ships, supplies, and etc, they would just
turn to the government to help cover the funds for them. Those were
my paragraphs on the Age of Discovery.
Slide 3
Life of An Explorer Many explorers had to go through harsh
journeys and expeditions and many of them also had to go through
many problems as in lack of food, diseases spreading, people over
board, sea sickness, and etc. Many times many people got in bad
problems like getting shipwrecked or sometimes the captain can get
really sick and no one can steer the ship or doesnt know how to.
But also many expeditions can go really well whether they are on
land or going on water routes, they can even sometimes have a
really good time because sometimes they can find unique treasures
or even sometimes conquer a land or a village/tribe. Some of the
most famous explorers were Christopher Columbus and Francis Drake,
they have conquered and looted many treasures, islands, villages,
and etc. Christopher Columbus had many good things happen to him
but he also had some bad things happen to him too. One bad thing
that happened to him was that he got sick and his leg was strained
on his third voyage so he couldnt walk very well either. But some
good things that had happened to him was that he got much
recognition for allegedly found the New World when the Vikings
actually did but they didnt really claim the New World. The other
explorer was Francis Drake and he was an English sea captain,
believe it or not. Francis Drake went through many storms when he
was on his ship and he died of dysentery an also after
unsuccessfully attacking San Juan, Puerto Rico. That was my
paragraph on what I think the explorers had to go through
Slide 4
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus sailed on four
voyages or expeditions. He sailed on the Pinta , Nina , and the
Santa Maria to the New World where he had allegedly discovered,
what is now known as North America but the Vikings actually
discovered it first but they didn t claim it for their country.
Christopher Columbus got sick and strained his leg on his third
voyage to conquer North America and he couldn t walk very well, but
actually he couldn t even walk at all but he did bring a lot of
things to the Native Americans who were living there before but the
bad thing was that the Native Americans were the European s slave
when Christopher Columbus conquered North America. That was my
paragraph on Christopher Columbus.
Slide 5
Ponce de Leon Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer and soldier,
he was the first European explorer who set foot on Florida.
Fortunately, he went with Columbus on his second voyage to the New
World. Unfortunately, he did not return with Columbus back to
Spain. Fortunately, he stayed in Santo Domingo but which is now the
Dominican Republic and then he became governor of the Dominican
province of Higuey and brutally conquered Borinquen after he heard
about the gold that was neighboring around the island and he also
became governor of Borinquen too. Unfortunately, he was removed
from the office in 1511 after for staying so long as the governor
of the Borinquen. Fortunately, Ponce de Leon was given the right to
find and conquer the island of Bimini, this island was found inside
the Bahamas. Those where some things that Ponce de Leon did in his
life as a Spanish explorer and soldier but he was also called as a
conquistador.
Slide 6
Francis Drake Hernando Cortes was a conquistador. He sailed to
the Dominican Republic or Santa Domingo in 1504. Cortes moved to
Cuba, assisting Diego Valazquez to conquest the island. Later,
Cortes requested that Diego make him a commander for an expedition
of his, since Diego was the governor. Hernando Cortes was a
conquistador.
Slide 7
Hernando Cortes Hernando Cortes was a conquistador who led an
expedition and conquered the Aztec Empire who was very strong and
powerful. In 1541,Cortes returned back to Spain where he died six
years later after he returned back to his country. Before all that
happened, in 1504,Cortes sailed for the Dominican Republic and then
moved to Cuba where he helped Diego Valazquez conquest the island.
In 1518, Cortes convinced Diego to make him commander of an
expedition since Diego was the governor. Later, he was very curious
about Cortes so he canceled Cortes s expedition right before he set
sailed but Cortes just ignored Diego and started his expedition.
That was my paragraph on Hernando Cortes and what he did in his
life.
Slide 8
Cross Staff The Cross Staff is an instrument that was used for
navigation, in the more improved versions of the Cross Staff, the
rod was graduated directly in degrees and it was first used on land
but then a little later, it was also used at sea. The Cross Staff
was very difficult to control and use, to use it correctly, you
would have to face it at the horizon of two stars and it would have
to be held extremely still and close to your cheek. This instrument
was replaced, first by the Back staff or Quadrant and then later it
was replaced by the Octant and the Sextant. To figure out the
elevation of the Sun, you would have to face it where the shadow of
the sun and where the horizon of where the two stars are and they
would both have to meet. Another variety of the Cross Staff was the
Speigelboog and it was invented by the Dutchman, Joost Van Breen.
That was my paragraph on the Cross Staff and I hoped you learned
something about the instrument, the Cross Staff.
Slide 9
Astrolabe The Astrolabe is an very ancient astronomical
computer that solves problems relating to the Sun, Moon, and Sky,
it was also used for predicting and locating the positions the Sun,
Moon, Stars, and Planets. It was used by Astronomers, Navigators,
and Astrologers. Many people got confused about what the difference
was between the Astrolabe and the Mariners Astrolabe, the
difference was that the Astrolabe was a big and heavy instrument
that was usually on the heavy deck of a ship or in wind and the
Mariners Astrolabe was to help address all those issues with the
regular Astrolabe. There were also many different types of
Astrolabes back then in the past but the most popular type is the
Planispheric Astrolabe, it helped with figuring out the size of the
Equator. That was my paragraph on Astrolabes and I hoped that you
learned something from it.
Slide 10
Photos of Navigational Tools Cross Staff Sextant Astrolabe
Slide 11
Conclusion After all the Europeans had done, they have received
many good things and bad things on the way of their journeys. They
have received good things like a lot of land, many goodies and
treasures, and slaves to help them do their chores or whatever it
is that they had to do. Some bad things that the Europeans received
was many different diseases when they were traveling on board but
lucky for them, not a lot of bad things had happened to the
Europeans. the Native Americans were the Europeans slaves back
then, so the Europeans had all the power over the Native Americans
and they also had the ability to control them and what they do. The
Europeans also took over or conquered what is now called, North
America. The Native Americans, even though they were the slaves of
the Europeans, they still had many good things and also bad tings
that had happened to them before they were the Europeans slaves.
Some good things were getting horses as their new transportation,
getting new food and domesticated animal delivered to them from the
Old World. The bad things that had happened to the Native Americans
was that, or course, being slaves of the Europeans, getting a
disease called the Smallpox, having to lose their culture and
villages, and not being able to see their families every single
day. That was my concluding paragraphs on the Europeans and the
Native Americans.