16 Questions
Why did Western explorers decide to travel east?
To grow rich and spread Christianity
What inspired many people to become adventurers on the high seas in the 1400s?
The Age of Enlightenment
What were some of the Eastern goods in high demand?
Nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, and others
What did Marco Polo's journey to Kublai Khan in China demonstrate?
The potential for Europeans to travel and explore new lands
Which European country led the way in exploring the East and establishing trading outposts in Africa and India?
Portugal
Which sailor reached Calicut, India in 1498, opening a direct sea route to India?
Vasco da Gama
Which sailing vessel enabled Western sailors to sail against the wind and calculate latitude?
Caravel
Which European powers challenged Portugal's trade empire with larger fleets and formed their own East India Companies?
The Dutch and English
What led to tensions between Spain and Portugal over claimed lands, resulting in the Treaty of Tordesillas and the Line of Demarcation?
Territorial disputes
Who sailed west across the Atlantic in 1492, reaching the Caribbean and unwittingly opening the way to the colonization of the Americas?
Christopher Columbus
Who later claimed the Philippines and began settling in 1565, leading to further competition between Spain and Portugal?
Spain
Which country established Batavia on Java as their trading headquarters and took control of the Spice Islands and the Cape of Good Hope?
The Netherlands
What were Europeans primarily driven by when they began exploring Asia to establish their own trading empires?
Greed
What common instrument did Western sailors use to calculate latitude through stars and degrees?
Astrolabe
What was the name of the treaty that resulted from tensions between Spain and Portugal over claimed lands?
Treaty of Tordesillas
In which century did the British and French establish outposts in India?
The 17th century
Study Notes
- Europeans sought to bypass Italian trading routes and reach the East for riches, Christianity, and glory
- The Caravel, a 65 ft long ship with triangular sails and the Astrolabe with stars and degrees, enabled Western sailors to sail against the wind and calculate latitude
- Portugal led the way in exploring the East, establishing trading outposts in Africa and later India, discovering spices, gold, ivory, and slaves
- In 1498, Vasco da Gama reached Calicut, India, and opened a direct sea route to India, bringing back vast riches
- Christopher Columbus, backed by Spain in 1492, sailed west across the Atlantic, reaching the Caribbean and unwittingly opening the way to the colonization of the Americas
- Tensions between Spain and Portugal arose over claimed lands, leading to the Treaty of Tordesillas and the Line of Demarcation
- Portugal took control of the spice trade, using added cannons and defeating Muslim fleets in the East
- Spain later claimed the Philippines and began settling in 1565, leading to further competition between Spain and Portugal
- European powers, driven by greed, began exploring Asia to establish their own trading empires
- The Dutch and English challenged Portugal's trade empire with larger fleets and formed their own East India Companies
- The Dutch established Batavia on Java as their trading headquarters and took control of the Spice Islands and the Cape of Good Hope.
- The British and French also established outposts in India in the 17th century.
- A 17th-century sailing vessel carried 8,000 lbs of salt beef, 2,800 lbs of salt pork, 600 lbs of salt cod and beef tongues, 15,000 brown biscuits, 5,000 white biscuits, 30 bushels of oatmeal, 40 bushels of dried peas, 1 1/2 bushels of mustard seed, 1 barrel of salt, 1 barrel of flour, 11 small wooden casks of butter, 1 large cask of vinegar, 10,500 gallons of beer, 3,500 gallons of water, and 2 casks of cider for a crew of 190.
Explore the reasons behind Western explorers' journeys to the East and the establishment of trade routes. Understand the motivations and impact of European exploration on the East.
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