Global History I: Spiconardi

Crusades Exposed Europeans

to the goods of the far east

Increased demand of spices and silk

Fall of the Byzantine Empire (________) European merchants

wanted to find new routes around Muslim controlled territories

Desire for new sources of wealth Commercial Revolution increased reliance

on gold and silver Monarchs needed to finance continual wars

and conflicts in Europe In particular Spain

Desire to Spread Christianity Advancements in Science &

Technology Improved geographic knowledge &

cartography Magnetic Compass Astrolabe Instrument used to figure out

latitude at seas Bigger, better, and faster ships

explorers could sail across or against the wind

Portugal took the lead in European exploration

Prince Henry “The Navigator” Encouraged Portuguese exploration through a

navigation school for cartographers, shipbuilders, sea captains and scientists

Bartolomeu Dias First European

Explorer to sail to the tip of Africa known as the Cape of Good Hope. Could not continue to India due to a storm that destroyed his fleet.

Vasco da Gama First European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and make it to India Legacy

Completed longest recorded sea voyage to that point in history

Established Portugal as a trade empire for centuries

Ruthless Methods Killed Muslim merchants and sacked Indian City of Calicut when he didn’t like the trade deals he was offered.

Spain Inspired by the Portuguese to establish their own trade empire Isabella & Ferdinand “Queen and King of

Spain” who wanted to gain a share of the rich spice trade and spread Christianity (especially Isabella)

Cristoforo Colombo Believed he could reach India by sailing west

across the Atlantic Reached Caribbean in 1492, but believed he

reached India until the day he died

Cristoforo Colombo Great Man or Villian?

Opened the Americas to colonization Precipitated the Columbian Exchange (Three

continent cultural diffusion) Enslaved Native Indians Purposely killed Indians and spread small pox Leads to European imperialism

Imperialism one country dominating the politics, economics, and culture of another country or people

Why is Columbus credited with “discovering” America?

Washington Irving

•Writes the The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus

•Book is romantic history

•Claims Columbus reached America•Claims Europeans thought Earth was flat

Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition that successfully circumnavigated (sail around the world) Magellan is killed in the Philippines, so he

never circumnavigates (only 18 of his men make it)

Treaty of Tordesillas

Treaty of Tordesillas Spain & Portugal argue over land

claims in the “New World” Pope Alexander VI brokers a deal

in which Spain gets the Americas, while Portugal would get Brazil (upon it’s discovery in 1500) and the west coast of Africa

Europeans establish colonies in the “New World,” Africa, and Asia