European Expansion: Search for New Trade Routesmrfarshtey.net/classes/05-European_Expansion.pdf ·...
Transcript of European Expansion: Search for New Trade Routesmrfarshtey.net/classes/05-European_Expansion.pdf ·...
European Expansion:European Expansion:Search for New Trade RoutesSearch for New Trade Routes
Historical Context:Historical Context:
Looking BackwardLooking Backward
The Crusadesgreatly
increasedEuropeaninterest in
goods fromthe East.
The Silk Road was an important tradingroute that connected China to the
Middle East and ultimately, Europe. Itwas primarily an overland trading route.
During the 1300s and 1400s, Arabmerchants carried goods from Asia
to the eastern end of the MediterraneanSea.
The Italian city-states greatly benefitedfrom the Silk Road because
the Italian peninsula dominatedtrade in the Mediterranean Sea
where the Silk Road ended.
And the only Europeankingdoms to prosperfrom the Silk Road
trade were the Italiancity-states. After
purchasing the Chinesegoods, Italian merchants
sold the goods ateven higher prices
to the otherEuropean kingdoms.
But other European countries andkingdoms wanted to benefit from tradewith Asia. They were tired of the Italian
city-states’ monopoly of the trade.
In addition to other European kingdomswanting to participate in trade with Asia,
the Ottoman Empire briefly cut offtrade between Europe and Asia.
So, during the1400s, Portugalbegan to lookfor alternatives
to the Silk Road.Portugal began
to look foran all-water
route to Asia.
The Portugueseprince, Prince Henry
the Navigator, ledthe Portuguese
in their search. In1416, he established
a school wheregeographers,
cartographers, andastronomers couldhelp sea captains
in their search.
With their location near the AtlanticOcean and new navigational technologies
like the compass and movable rudder,Portugal and Spain funded numerous
voyages of exploration.
Catholic countries like Portugal andSpain would seek new trade routes
for “God, Glory, and Gold.” The worldwould never be the same again.
As technologyimproved,
Portuguesesea captains
could sail farthersouth to explore
the westerncoast of Africa.
Setting up trading posts in westernAfrica and traveling carefully south, thePortuguese eventually circumnavigatedAfrica. Bartholomeu Dias sailed around
the southern tip of Africa in 1487.
The Portugueseexplorer, Vasco
da Gama, discoveredan all-water route to
India in 1498.
Once an all-water route to Asia wasdiscovered, the fastest growing part of the
European economy was the trade in goods.
While searchingfor an all-waterroute to Asia,
in 1492, Columbusaccidentally landed
in the Americas.Columbus sailed
for Spain.
Ferdinand Magellan’s crew was thefirst crew to circumnavigate the world.
European Expansion: European Expansion: Search for New Trade RoutesSearch for New Trade Routes
Historical Context:Historical Context:
Looking Ahead Looking Ahead
New trade routes shifted trade fromthe Silk Road to the oceans and seas.
The Commercial Revolution markedan important step in the transition
of the local economies of the MiddleAges to Europe’s leadership in
a global economy.
Silk Road
All-Water Routes
Prince Henrythe Navigator
Explorers
Commercial Revolution
Columbus opened the Americas toEurope.
A great exchange of people, ideas, andproducts occurred as trade developed
between the Americas, Europe, andAfrica. This great exchange is called
the Columbian Exchange.
While the Age of Exploration greatlybenefited the Europeans, it greatly
harmed the Native American Indianswho lost their land, freedom, and culture.
It also greatly harmed the African slaveswho were enslaved to replace a dying
Indian population in the Americas.