VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY: EASTWARDS

“God, Gold and Glory”

REASONS FOR THE VOYAGES

1. TURKS & TRADE ROUTES

• Muslims controlled the silk road• And the ports also• They taxed all the supplies

2. Demand for goods

• People wanted more goods• Merchants wanted more business

3. Money available

• Merchants wanted to make more money• Find new sources of gold and silver• Gain access to the spice trade

(also sugar and silk)• Sea transportation was cheaper than road

SEA vs LAND TRANSPORT

Sea Transport• No turks, no taxes• One ship• No unloading• Carry fragile goods

Land transport• Turks taxed the supplies• Hundreds of animals• Much loading & unloading• Broken goods

4. Renaissance Spirit

• Desire to learn about the world• People learned that the world is round, not

flat• Spirit of adventure and exploration

- fortune, fame and glory.

5. Technological advances

• improved navigational methods:

- magnetic compass and astrolabe

- improved maps and charts

• improved ship designs

• improved weapons

6. Religious devotion / Crusading Spirit

• desire to convert new people to Christianity• to strike a blow against the Muslims

THE EXPLORERS

• Henry the navigator• Bartolomeu Dias• Vasco da Gama

Prince Henry, the Navigator

• 1418, Prince Henry started the first school for oceanic navigation

• Trained people in navigationmap-making science

in order to sail down the west of Africa.

Bartolomeu Dias

• Born in 1450, died in 1500• People were afraid of

falling over the edge of the earth

• Sailed further than the rest

• Discovered the south of Africa (1487)

• Named it “the cape of good hope”

• Dias’ Voyage1487-1488

Vasco Da Gama

…continued…

• discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East.

• rounded Africa's Cape of Good Hope and continued on to India.

• reached Calicut, India on May 20, 1498• Was not well treated by Muslim merchants

because they realized that he was a threat• Da Gama left India on August 29, 1498.

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• He informed Portugal about the Indian riches• A 2nd Portuguese expedition left for India but

were mostly murdered by Muslim merchants.• Da Gama set off on a 3rd voyage – 1502• killed hundreds of Muslims, often brutally, in

order to demonstrate his power.• The Hindu king was forced to allow Da Gama

to trade• Set up a colony called Goa

Da Gama’s Voyage

1497-1499

QUESTIONS

1. What did Prince Henry the Navigator do to improve sailing?

2. Name 4 navigation innovations during this time period.3. Briefly tell the reasons for voyages eastwards.4. Why do you think sea transport was better than land

transport?5. Why was Vasco da Gama ill treated by the Muslim

merchants?6. Why did people fear traveling further along the east

coast of Africa before the time of Vasco da Gama?