European Exploration: Motives and Opportunities

• By the early 1400s, Europeans were ready to venture beyond their borders.
• The Renaissance encouraged a new spirit of adventure and curiosity, prompting Europeans to explore the world.
• In the 1100s, European crusaders battled Muslims for control of the Holy Lands in Southwest Asia.
• In 1275, Italian trader Marco Polo reached the court of Kublai Khan in China.
• Before 1400, Europeans had not been completely isolated from the rest of the world.
• Europeans initially lacked the interest or ability to explore, which changed by the early 1400s.

Desire for New Sources of Wealth

• Merchants and traders hoped to profit from overseas exploration, specifically the trade of spices and luxury goods from Asia.
• The pursuit of wealth was the main driver for European exploration.
• Wars between Christians and Muslims introduced Europeans to spices like nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and pepper, which added flavor to their food.
• Trade Route: Muslims -> Italians -> Merchants
• High prices motivated the search for a direct sea route to Asia.

The Spread of Christianity

• The desire to spread Christianity also motivated Europeans to explore.
• European countries believed they had a sacred duty to fight Muslims and convert non-Christians worldwide.
• They aimed to obtain goods directly from Asia while also Christianizing the people there.

Advances in Technology

• In the 1400s, shipbuilders designed the caravel, a new and sturdier vessel.
• Triangular sails adopted from the Arabs allowed caravels to sail effectively against the wind.
• "God, glory, and gold" were the primary motives for exploration, and advances in technology made voyages of discovery possible.
• The astrolabe, perfected by Muslims, helped sailors determine their location at sea using rings marked off in degrees to sight the stars and calculate latitude.
• Explorers used the magnetic compass, a Chinese invention, to track direction accurately.

Portugal

• Portugal was the first European country to establish trading outposts along the west coast of Africa.
• Portuguese explorers eventually pushed farther east into the Indian Ocean.
• Portugal led in developing and applying sailing innovations.

Spain

• Christopher Columbus, an Italian sea captain, convinced Spain in 1492 to finance a plan to find a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean.
• As the Portuguese established trading posts in Africa, Spain sought a direct sea route to Asia.
• Columbus reached an island in the Caribbean, opening the way for European colonization of the Americas.
• Columbus's voyage increased tensions between Spain and Portugal, as both aimed to reach Asia.
• Columbus believed he reached the East Indies, but he had reached America

Line of Demarcation

• Pope Alexander VI proposed an imaginary dividing line through the Atlantic Ocean to keep peace between Spain and Portugal.
• Lands west of the Line of Demarcation belonged to Spain, including most of the Americas.
• Lands east of the line belonged to Portugal.

Treaty of Tordesillas

• In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas.
• Both countries agreed to honor the Line of Demarcation.
• The era of exploration and colonization began in earnest.
• Portugal complained the line favored Spain.
• The line was moved west to include modern-day Brazil for Portugal.

European Trade

• In the 1600s, the English and Dutch began challenging Portugal's dominance over the Indian Ocean trade.
• By the 1700s, Britain and France had gained a foothold in the region.
• The Dutch are also known as the Netherlands.The Portuguese and the Spanish were the first to explore in Asia, but they were not the only ones.
• Europeans battled for Indian Ocean trade, but their inland influence in Southeast Asia remained limited.
• European traders controlled many port cities, but their impact rarely spread beyond the ports.
• From 1500 to about 1800, the peoples of Asia remained largely unaffected by European contact, even as Europeans began to conquer much of the region.

Europeans began exploring beyond their borders in the early 1400s, driven by the Renaissance spirit of adventure and a desire for new sources of wealth. The pursuit of spices and luxury goods from Asia was a primary motivation, as trade routes controlled by Muslims and Italians led to high prices for these commodities.