The Age of Exploration

• The Age of Exploration occurred towards the end of the 15th century.
• Portugal and Spain sought new sea routes between Europe and Asia.
• The Portuguese sailed south toward the tip of Africa.
• The Spanish looked west across the Atlantic Ocean.
• Much of the world beyond Europe and Asia was unknown to Europeans.
• Navigating unknown oceans was incredibly dangerous.
• Sailors could use the Sun and stars to determine latitude.
• No reliable ways to establish longitude existed.
• The promise of wealth and riches outweighed the danger.
• European powers sought to expand their empires and establish foreign territories.
• They desired wealth, power, and religious converts.
• Explorers were attracted by material wealth and adventure.

Voyages of Christopher Columbus

• Spain's rulers funded Christopher Columbus's risky voyage.
• Columbus sailed from Palos, Spain, on August 3, 1492.
• His three ships were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
• Columbus hoped to find a shortcut to the 'spice islands' of the East Indies (South Asia).
• He aimed to reach Cathay (China) and Cipango (Japan).
• Columbus landed in the Caribbean islands (Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti) in October 1492.
• He thought Cuba was Cipango (Japan) or part of mainland Asia.
• Between 1493 and 1504, he landed on other Caribbean islands.
• He searched the Orinoco River in South America for a passage into the Pacific Ocean.
• Columbus failed to find the passage and returned home in poor health.
• He still believed he had discovered a western route to Asia when he died in 1506.

Explorers and Conquistadors

• Columbus was not the first European in the Americas.
• His voyage started the colonisation and conquest.
• This transformed the Americas and destroyed established civilisations like the Aztec and Inca Empires.
• The term pre-Columbian describes the period before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas.
• More than 200 ships brought explorers and wealth-seekers from Spain to the Caribbean between 1506 and 1518.
• Spain sent conquistadors (conquerors) like Hernán Cortés and Francesco Pizarro.
• They risked much to explore new territories, hoping for enormous reward.

Reasons for Spanish Exploration and Conquest

• The Spanish government and people wanted to explore and conquer new territories in the Americas for various reasons.
• Expanding empires: The Spanish and other European powers wanted to expand power and wealth using new colonies.
• New colonies created wealth through increased trade and taxation.
• They also used the labour of indigenous peoples.
• New trade routes: Explorers searched for new sea routes to China and the Indies.
• Spreading Christianity: The Spanish and other explorers, supported by the Pope, wanted to convert pagan peoples to Christianity.
• Adventure and riches: Younger sons of the nobility and men from ordinary families became conquistadors.
• They sought adventure and wealth for the Spanish Empire and themselves.
• Quest for gold: In the fifteenth century, European demand for gold increased to make coins, jewellery, and gold thread for tapestries.

Brief summary of the Age of Exploration. European powers sought to expand their empires. They were in search of wealth, power, and religious converts. Navigating unknown oceans was a dangerous job.