JC History - Age of Exploration PDF

JC History Age of Exploration, Conquest & Colonisation by R. McGill  What will we learn? In this chapter, we will learn how to... Explore how technology contributed to historical change Evaluate the impact of Spanish &...

JC History Age of Exploration, Conquest & Colonisation by R. McGill  What will we learn? In this chapter, we will learn how to... Explore how technology contributed to historical change Evaluate the impact of Spanish & Portuguese conquest and colonisation Examine the historical significance of genocide Background  What was the ‘Age of Exploration’? A period in history (15th - 16th centuries) when Europeans began to explore the rest of the world. It also saw the emergence of new technology for exploration which would help later explorers.  Conquest & Colonisation Conquest: forcibly taking over land through violence. Colonisation: establishing colonies (settlements) in foreign lands and declaring it as your own. Colonists forcibly introduce their culture and customs to their victims, causing the death of ways of life and people.  Views of the World Before the Age of Exploration, people have a wide variety of beliefs about what lay beyond Europe. A lot of people believed: - That the Earth was flat. - That sea monsters existed. - That Europe was at the centre of the Earth. This meant that people kept close to the coastlines.  There were many types of ship before the technological boom of the AoE. This is one example called a “Cog”. These were “clinker-built ships” and could not travel extremely far. I. Causes of Exploration  1. New Trade Routes Explorers like Marco Polo used the “silk road” to connect Europe and Asia, transporting exotic goods. These goods included spices and luxury items. The business was very profitable. Many people wanted to find a quicker route to make more money.  2. Spreading Christianity Christians and Muslims were constantly at war, so many rulers wanted to expand their land to spread religion. Religion was often used as an excuse by power-hungry rulers to gain more land. The loss of Constantinople to the Turks effectively closed the Silk Road for Christians - why?  3. Imperialism A policy of extending your power by colonising other countries, creating an Empire. Italy was the trade hub of Europe. Many countries like Spain and Portugal wanted to change that. They sought new routes to make themselves richer, while growing their empires.  4. Influence of the Renaissance The Renaissance was going on at the same time as the Age of Exploration. The many new inventions inspired the development of new technology: like the Portuguese caravel. This allowed ships to reach new distances for the first time.  Review Questions! 1. What was the name of the explorer who used the silk road? 2. What three Gs can be used to explain why the age of exploration happened? 3. What was the central trade hub of Europe and who wanted to replace it? II. Technological Developments  The Caravel Portugal designed the caravel. It was a strong and sturdy ship that was carvel-built. It was able to sail in all types of weather. It’s square sails and lateen sails allowed it to sail against the wind.  il Sa re ua Sq Lateen Sail Castle built Rudder r vel C a  New Maps Maps became more accurate due to better ships. Cartographers would travel on ships and draw maps as they sailed. This allowed for more accurate navigation.  New Tools Sailors were dependent on stars for navigation. Quadrant / astrolabe: helped determine a ship’s latitude (distance North/South from the equator). Compass: showed a ship true north using magnetic fields.  Quadrant /\ ←-- Astrolabe  Measuring Speed Log and line: tossed overboard to measure a ship’s speed in knots. One sailor would throw the log and line overboard, counting how many knots in the rope passed. The other would count the time. They could now measure speed, time, and distance.  Life on board a ship Life was hard and dangerous onboard a ship. Diseases like scurvy (lack of vitamin C) and typhoid were extremely common onboard. Crews would sometimes mutiny, leaving their captain stranded at sea.  Homework 1. What instruments were invented to calculate a) latitude; b) show direction, c) measure speed? 2. What sort of sails did a caravel have and what were they used for? 3. What method was used to build caravel? 4. Describe life on a ship during the Age of Exploration. 5. What problems did sailors face on long voyages? 6. What caused the age of exploration? III. Early Voyages  Portuguese Voyages Portugal was the first European country to begin exploration. Prince Henry the Navigator set up a school of navigation to train new explorers. Their main focus was going around Africa to reach India.  Portuguese Voyages They took over the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Azores, and Sierra Leone. From these bases they could send sailors further down the coast. They also began trading with African slave-dealers.  Bartolomeu Dias 1487: Dias goes around the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope). Dias proves to Portugal that you can sail around Africa. This continues to open up new routes and disprove old sea myths.  Vasco da Gama 1497: da Gama sails to Calicut, India for the first time, linking Portugal and India. This put Portugal in control of the spice trade. It allowed them to establish an empire in both Africa and Asia.  Spanish Voyages Jealous of Portugal, Spain decided to head West to reach India. They sent the Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, with three ships. Columbus reached America in 1492, thinking it was India. IV. Voyages of Columbus  A Round Earth Columbus believed that the Earth was not flat, but round. He studied the maps of Toscanelli which said that China and Japan were only 4,500km away from Spain. He believed that by sailing West, he could also reach India.  Preparations for the Voyage Columbus needed money and ships for the voyage. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain agreed to sponsor his voyages. They gave him three ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. He hired a crew of 80 men.  First Voyage (1492) Left Spain in August 1492, reaching the Americas in 69 days. Columbus kept a fake logbook, and lied to his men to tell them they weren’t going as far as they were. Eventually, he reached the Caribbean. He named the land San Salvador, and its inhabitants the Indians.  Return to Spain He returned to Spain after exploring and was a hero. He brought back exotic goods: slaves, gold, parrots, fruit and maize. He was appointed as the governor of the new territory.  Later Life Columbus was cruel to the native population and killed many of them. He continued to explore the “New World” and insisted that he reached Asia. He was eventually fired and died in 1506. 6xyramy  What happened after Columbus? 1497: John Cabot claims Newfoundland for England. 1519-1522: Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigates the globe. 1642: Abel Tasman finds Tasmania and New Zealand. V: Conquering the New World  Spanish Conquest Rumours spread about the wealth of the New World. Spain wanted to act quickly. Groups of men, known as conquistadores (conquerors) travelled South America to take land from the natives. Two major empires, the Aztecs and the Incas, were Spain’s targets.  The Aztecs The Aztecs lived in modern-day Mexico. They were an empire, and their capital was Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). The Aztecs were advanced, and had around 489 cities. Tenochtitlan had a population of 250,000 people.  The Aztecs The Aztecs had a king and high-ranking priests. They had no iron or steel tools, so their tools were basic but effective at hunting and warfare. They were polytheists. Their most important god was Huitzilopochtli (the sun god) who required blood sacrifices.  Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador. He was heavily involved in the conquest of Cuba in 1511, this gave him experience as a sailor and leader. He believed that the Aztecs had plenty of gold and land, and offered to take the land for Spain.  Cortés Lands Feb. 1519: Cortés lands in Mexico, with 11 ships, 500 men and 13 horses. He burned his ships so that his men couldn’t leave. He got help from local tribes who had been conquered by the Aztecs.  Meeting Moctezuma Cortés was welcomed by Moctezuma in Tenochtitlan. They believed that Cortés and his men were sent from one of their gods, Quetzalcoatl, and worshipped them. The Spanish quickly angered the natives by stealing from them.  Destruction of Tenochtitlan The Aztecs forced Cortés and his men out of the city. Cortés returned with 100,000 men (locals) and took control of Tenochtitlan after three months. Cortés built Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, after he massacred its population.  The Incas The Incas lived in modern-day Peru. They were richer and larger than the Aztecs. It was ruled by a god-king from its capital, Cusco. The Incas were fantastic engineers, architects and artists. They kept no written records, but had other systems.  Francisco Pizarro Born into a poor family in Spain and received no education. Pizarro got experience as a sailor when he worked on a ship which sailed to the New World. He heard rumours of the Incas and their riches, and volunteered to conquer them for Spain.  Pizarro Lands He invaded the Incas in 1532 with 180 men and 27 horses. Pizarro used religion as an excuse to attack the Incas, and abducted their king, Atahualpa. The Incas offered treasure for their king back, which Pizarro took, but killed Atahualpa anyways.  Destruction of the Incas The Incas were massacred or killed by Spanish diseases. Pizarro named the region “New Castile” and called the capital Lima. He was appointed governor of New Castile until his assassination. VI: Consequences of Colonisation  Impact on South America The native population was decimated by Spanish conquest. This was done through violence and disease. The slave trade grew massively. The slavery triangle made South America a key area for slavery. Cultures which had been around for years were destroyed.  Impact on Europe Spain and Portugal influenced other countries (England, France, Netherlands) to colonise. Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): the world was split in two by the Pope; Spain owned the West and Portugal owned the East. Columbian exchange: exchange of foods and animals between South America and Europe. Atlantic Slave Trade