Western Civilization Unit 3 Part 1

8/14/2019 Western Civilization Unit 3 Part 1

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Unit 3 Day 1

ON THE BRINK OF A NEW WORLD

The age of expansion was a crucial factor of the Middle Ages to a commercial and

industrial capitalistic system.

The Motives

The Crusades were an attempt for Catholic Europe to expand; failed

Europe traded with Asia and Africa, but contacts to non- Europeans remained limited

until the end of 15 century.

Fantastic lands

Lots of literature about other worlds blossomed in the Middle Ages

(14 century) The travels of John Mandeville spoke of realms filled with gold and

stones

Other lands were more frightening- giant 28ft long eat people, evil woman with

stones in their eyes that slay men with beholding, Christian kingdoms: the magical

kingdom of Prester John in Africa and Christian community in India that was

founded by Thomas, an apostle of Jesus

Economic Motives

Muslim control cut off Central Asia from Europe, later Mongol conquest reopened the

door

Most famous travelers to the east were the Polos of Venice

Niccolo, Maffeo, and Niccolos son Marco (merchants) went to the court of Mongol

ruler Khubilai Khan (1259-1294) in 1271

Travels- Marcos description of Asia

Other people followed Polos, but in (14 century) conquest of the Ottoman Turks and

then the breakup of the Mongol Empire reduced Western traffic to East

While closing the route by land people began to wonder if you can get there by sea to

get the spices

Christopher Columbus was one of them and had the book when he began his

voyage

Merchants, adventurers and govt. officials had high hopes of finding precious metals

and new areas of trade, especially in more direct access to the spices of the East

Spices came through Arab intermediaries but were very expensive, so whoever

would get spices cheap, would be rich

Religious Zeal

Crusading mentality was strong in Spain and Portugal, driving out all Muslims(middle

ages)

Prince Henry the Navigator said that he wanted to bring Jesus Christ all the souls

that should be saved

Most scholars believe finance came first, then religion. The conqueror of Mexico,

Hernando Cortez thought it was their duty to insure that Mexicans are introduced

and instructed in the holy Catholic faith. Thought god creates miracles

Spiritual and secular affairs closely intertwined

The Means


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God, Gold and Glory were what made the voyages possible

The expansion of Europe was connected to the growth of centralized monarchies

during Renaissance

By middle of (15 century) EU monarchies had increased both authority and

recourses and were in a position to turn enemies beyond borders

France wanted to invade Italy, Portugal was weak so it had to go abroad

Spanish was so strong that it could pursue Europe and beyond

Maps

Schematic medieval maps were little help, portolani- charts made by medieva

navigators and mathematicians in the (13 century) were more useful.

Details on coastal contours, distances between ports, compass reading.

Drawn on flat surface so they were distorted so they sucked for overseas

journey

People began realizing the shape of the world after European expansion

started

Important world map made by Ptolemy, astronomer Geography(2 century)

Known to Arabs in (8 century)

(15 century) 1477 the book was translated into Latin

Showed Europe with Africa, Asia, Europe and 2 oceans

Oceans were unproportionally smaller than land

Ships and sailing

EU developed great ships and new navigation techniques

Mastered the use of axial rudder(from China), and to combine the use of lateen

sales with a square rig

With these inventions they constructed strong ships mobile enough to sail big

winds and carry many cargo

Previously people used the quadrant and the Pole Star location for latitude,

below the equator this was useless; only compass and the astrolabe

Wind patterns Columbus used it and others to go around Africa and find the spice

islands

The first European to West Africa, returned by wind

By late (15 century) sailors learned to track into the ocean, where they catched

winds in the vicinity of the Azores that brought them back to EU

NEW HORIZONS: THE PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH EMPIRES

Portugal to the lead in the EU age of expansion when it began to explore Africa

under prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460)

His motives were a blend of seeking Christian kingdom as an ally against

Muslims, acquiring trade opportunities for Portugal, and extending Christianity

The Development of a Portuguese Maritime Empire

In 1471 Prince Henry founded a school for navigators on the southwest coast of

Portugal


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Shorty Portuguese went to Africa to search for gold, which had been carried

northward from south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco

In 1441 Portuguese ships reached the Senegal river north of Cape Verde and brought

slaves and sold them in Europe to the wealthy

1000 slaves were shipped annually to Lisbon

Portuguese in 1471 discovered an area in West Africa that they called the Gold Coast.

A few years later they established contact with the state of Bokongo, near the

mountain of Zaire(Congo) river in Central Africa

Some slaves were took to Lisbon, while others bargained with gold

The Portuguese built forts along the coast

The Portuguese in India

In 1448, Bartholomeu Dias(1450-1500) took the advantage of Westerly winds in South

Atlantic and tried to round the Cape of Good Hope, he feared mutiny from his crew

and returned

10 years later, Vasco de Gamma rounded the cape and stopped at several Muslim

ports along East Africa

His fleet then crossed the Arabian Sea and reached the port of Calicut, in south

India on may 18, 1498

Upon his arriving he announced that he was looking for Christians and Spices.

He didnt find Christians, but he found spices. His vessels returned to Europe ful

of ginger and cinnamon, earned a profit of several 1000%

Portuguese fleets returned annually to the area seeking to establish a monopoly and

to destroy Arabian shipping

In 1509, a Portuguese armada defeated Turkish and Indian ships off the coast of India

and began to impose blockage on the Red Sea to cut off Muslim ships to Egypt and

the Ottoman Empire

Admiral Afonso de Albuquerque set up ports at Goa, present day Bombay in India

Goa became headquarters of Portuguese in India

Indians were permitted to continue their trading activities except for Arab ships

In Search of Spices

The Portuguese in 1511, Albuquerque sailed to the harbor of Malacca on the Malay

peninsula.

Malacca was a thriving port and a major stopping point of the spice trade for

Muslims.

For Albuquere control of Malacca served as 2 purposes: it could help destroy the

Arab spice trade and provide Portuguese a station on the route to the Moluccas or

Spice Islands.

After short battle, Portuguese ceased the city and massacred the local population.

According to someone he cut off mans hands and womens ears and noses.

From Malacca the Portuguese went to further east to China and the Spice Islands

They signed a treaty with local ruler for purchase and export of cloves to EU

Within a few years the Portuguese seized control of the Spice Trade and made a

big profit


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However, the empire was small in power and population so it will eventually fade

Their effective use of naval technology, their sturdy vessels, and their tactics gave

them military superiority over lightly armed rivals that they were able to exploit until

the arrival of other European forces several decades later

Voyages to the New World

While Portuguese were sailing east through the Indian Ocean, the Spanish wanted to

get to the Spice Islands by wailing westwards across the Atlantic. They found a new

world.

Voyages of Columbus

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was rejected by Portuguese into

the Spice Trade so he convinced Queen Isabella of Spain to finance his voyage

westward. He thought that Asia should be reached by sailing west around the water,

not around Africa. He didnt know the actual proportions of the water to land.

He set sail on August 3, 1492 with ninety men and 3 ships called Santa Maria, Nina

and the Pinta.

He reached the Bahamas and then explored Cuba and Hispaniola( Haiti and

Dominical Republic)

He believed that he reached India and in his reports to Isabella and Ferdinand

he told them that he would find gold and turn them into Christians

In 3 voyages after 1493, 14998, 1502 he landed major islands of the Caribbean

and still thought it was Asia

New Voyage

Columbus thought it was Asia till death. Other explorers soon realized otherwise

A Vietnam seaman, John Cabot, explored the New England coastline of the

Americas under King Henry VII of England

South America was discovered accidentally by Portuguese sea captain Pedro

Cabral in 1500

Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine accompanied several voyages and wrote letters

explaining the geography of the New World

Publications of these letters let the use of naming America after Amerigo

Vasco Nunes de Blaboa(1475-1519) a Spanish explorer led an expedition across the

Isthmus of Panama and reached the Pacific Ocean in 1513

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) in 1519 sailed around South America and reach

Philippines where he was killed by natives. Circle around earth.

One of his five fleets survived and returned to Spain

America was called the New World and incomers saw opportunities for conquest and

exploitation.

1494 the Treaty of Tordesillas divided up the newly world into separate Portuguese

and Spanish spheres of influence.

Most of South America fell within Spanish sphere.

The route east around the Cape of Good Hope was to be reserved for the

Portuguese while the route across the Atlantic was Spanish. (except for eastern

hump of north America)


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Western Civilization Unit 3 Part 1