Geographical Explorations

7/31/2019 Geographical Explorations

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Geographical explorations15th-16th century


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16th century travels increased knowledge of the world

Travels for:

religious persecution;

Cultural journeys (France and Italy);

Trade (Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, and Russia); military ventures


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PortugalFirst country to undertake voyages of

exploration:

Privileged geographic position

Christian tradition ofreconquista andevangelization

Interest in the Portuguese king Henrythe Navigator in exploring Africancoasts


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1487 Bartholomew Diaz circumnavigates

Africa. He reaches the Cape of Good Hope

1492 Colombus sails to reach the Orient


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1494 Treaty of Tordesillas: division of the

newly discovered territories between Spain

and Portugal, by drawing an imaginaryline of demarcation (the territories 100

leagues west of the Cape Verde islandswere assigned to the Castilian realm).


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1496-97 John Cabot explores North

America (Labrador, Bay of Hudson)looking for a passage to Asia

1497-99Vasco da Gama reaches Indiathrough the Cape of Good Hope

1519 Magellan circumnavigates the globe


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Typus Cosmographicus Universalis,S. Grynaeus/H. Hoblein/S. Mnster, 1532


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Sailing and trade:

East India Company(1600)

Virginia Company (1606)

John Smith, The Generall Historie ofVirginia, New-England, and the

Summer Isles (London, 1624).


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Colonialism Colonies of exploitation/colonies of

settlement


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Travel accounts:

promotion ofnationalistic ideas andideologically oriented


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Richard Hakluyt,Divers Voyages Touching

the Discovery of America (1582)

Nationalism and propaganda

Second edition (1598-1600) significantly

adds Traffiques to its title Explorations mainly linked to commercial

enterprises


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Colonies 1584Walter Ralegh founds the colony of

Virginia

"To seek new worlds for gold, for praise,for glory,"


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W. Ralegh, The Discovery of the

Empire of Guyana (1585)

Description of Guyana

as Eldorado

Civilizing mission + political aim:liberating the land fro the Spanishinfluence

Sir Walter Raleigh trying to establish friendship with King Arromaia of Guiana


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Colonialism and national identity

By the end of the sixteenth century the

selling of space, both exotic anddomestic, began to unify the British islesand propel England overseas. As the

exploitation became systematic theidealization increased.

J. McLeod, The Geography of Empire in EnglishLiterature 1580-1745, 1999


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Michael Drayton, Ode to the

Virginian Voyage

You brave heroic minds,Worthy your country's name,

That honor still pursue,Go, and subdue,

Whilst loit'ring hinds

Lurk here at home, with shame.


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Builiding of a national epic founded on

discovery and conquest and on thecivilizing mission


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Virginia Hardships and failures (starvation, fights

vs the natives, illness). 1609 shipwreck of theSea Venture sent to

Virginia to support the colonizers Doubts and opposition to the colonialproject threat the stability of the Virginia

Company Need of propaganda: literature + sermons


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Encounter with alterity Monstrous otherness

Myth of the goodsavage

Passive and docile

alterity to be subduedand exploited


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New World encountersVespucci and America

Theodore Galle, after Stradanus (Jan van der Street), 1521


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John Donne, Elegy XIX

To His Mistress Going to BedO my America! my new-found-land,

My kingdom, safeliest when with one man manned,My mine of precious stones, my empery,

How blest am I in this discovering thee!

To enter in these bonds is to be free;

Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be.

Full nakedness! All joys are due to thee,As souls unbodied, bodies unclothed must be

To taste whole joys.

Documents

Geographical Explorations