Age of Exploration: European Expansion

Age of Exploration: European Expansion

• New World Discovery: Exploration led to the discovery and colonization of the Americas (North, Central, and South America).
• European Empires: Multiple European nations (Portuguese, Dutch, French, Spanish, etc.) and non-European powers (Manchu, Ottomans, Russians, Aztec) were involved in expansion throughout this time period.
• Key Explorers: Bartolome Diaz, Cortes, and Pizarro were prominent explorers of the period.

Technological Advancements

• European Innovations: Europeans adopted and improved technologies like the astrolabe, compass, rudders, and chainsaws for navigation and shipbuilding.
• Shipbuilding: Ship design from Arab and East Asian cultures was adapted for faster, stronger ships with larger hulls, better suited for navigating monsoon and hurricane seasons.
• Cartography: Advances in cartography, driven by the Scientific Revolution, created improved maps with more accurate knowledge of geography, including gravity, water depths, and tidal patterns.

Economic and Social Dynamics

• European Motivations: European motivations for exploration included jobs, resources, wealth, and the pursuit of economic advancement, alongside the practice of slavery.
• Primogeniture Laws: Primogeniture laws (where the eldest son inherited property) pushed younger sons to seek opportunities abroad.
• Religious Migration: The Protestant Reformation spurred religious migration, with Protestants leaving Spain and Catholics leaving England.

European Trade and Colonization

• Shifting Trade Patterns: Direct trade with Asia replaced indirect trade.
• Indian Ocean Trade: Portugal established a vast network of trading posts through the Indian Ocean while competing with Oman.
• New World Focus: Spain concentrated its resources in Central and South America, while Portugal focused on Brazil due to the Treaty of Tordesillas.
• Diverse Involvement: Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands (or Dutch) also participated in colonization efforts, engaging in the Indian Ocean trade later and the New World at different points in time.

Impact on Gender Roles

• Increased Rights: Male exploration, initially without female involvement, led to increased rights for women in Europe, Asia, and Southeast Asia, including land ownership and business opportunities.

Major Exports

• Americas: Sugar, tobacco, and rum were significant exports
• Africa: Enslaved people were major part of the export trade
• South Asia: Cotton was a key export.
• East Asia: Porcelain, silk, and luxury goods were valued exports.

Key Figures and Events

• Prince Henry the Navigator: A Portuguese figure who mapped and established trading posts along Africa’s western coast.
• Importance of Gravity: Understanding tidal and wind patterns was essential for navigation.

Wind Patterns and Sailing

• Indian Ocean: Seasonal monsoon winds.
• Atlantic Ocean: Fixed year-round wind patterns (north: west to east; south: east to west).
• Triangular Trade: Trade routes involved the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This reflected wind-pattern sailing characteristics.

Ship Development

• Specialized Ships: New European ships, like Carracks and Caravels, were designed for trade, not warfare, and featured speed to evade pirates.

Cultural and Religious Diffusion

• Expansion: Trade, technology, religion, and gunpowder spread rapidly across the globe.
• Christianity in the Americas: Christianity spread into the Americas through forced conversion efforts.
• Islam in Asia: Islam spread throughout parts of East and Southeast Asia.
• Gunpowder: The widespread use of gunpowder enhanced European power by increasing their technological advantage.

Test your knowledge on the Age of Exploration, focusing on European expansion and discovery of the New World. Learn about key explorers, their voyages, and the technological advancements that made these explorations possible. Dive into how various European and non-European powers shaped the course of history during this period.