The Age of Exploration

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The Age of Exploration

• Gold, Glory and the Gospel
• 1420 - 1620

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The Early Explorers

• 2500 BCE Polynesians begin their migration
  throughout the Pacific
• 700 BCE Polynesians reach Hawaii
• 600 BCE Phoenicians (Carthaginians) explore the
  Mediterranean Sea
• 500 BCE Hanno explores west coast of Africa and
  Himilco visits England
• 510 BCE Scylax explores India and Arabia

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Early Explorers

• 860 CE Iceland discovered by Vikings
• 982 CE Greenland discovered by Erik the Red
• 1002 CE North America discovered by Leif Eriksson
  (Newfoundland)
• 1405 33 CE Cheng Ho explores the Indian Ocean
  and South China Sea
• 1420 CE - Prince Henry the Navigator
  establishes his School at Sagres

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The Ships - Caravels

• Small
• Fast
• Shallow draft
• Maneuverable
• Central rudder
• Square and Lateen sails
• Cannons

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The Guns

• Cast Bronze (bells)
• Iron guns were available but the technology to
  cast was in its infancy
• Iron guns were cheaper
• French pioneered in field artillery

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Military Superiority

• While the Ottoman Empire remained extremely
  powerful on land the Europeans gained the
  advantage at sea.
• Muslim navies failed to adopt modern weapons
  and naval tactics galleys rather than galleons
• Asian fleets were also inferior in gun powder
  weapons

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The Galleon

• Designed as both a warship and trading vessel
• Probably Spanish in origin
• Combined speed, maneuverability, and fire power

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The Mission

• To find a new route to the Orient The Spice
  Islands
• To find gold, silver and other valuable minerals
  and precious stones
• To spread the Gospel of Christianity to all
  nonbelievers
• To disrupt the trade of the Muslim world
• To bring glory to his nation and to himself

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Why Europe?

• Availability of ambitious captains, crews, and
  investors
• Possession of advanced technology Ships and
  guns
• Competition between Kingdoms
• Comparatively well off
• Christianity as a militant evangelical religion
  (Crusades)

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Why Portugal and Spain?

• They were people of the sea, both Atlantic and
  Mediterranean
• Still actively crusading
• Favorable location Winds and currents
• Enthusiastic leadership Prince Henry the
  Navigator

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The Iberian Empires
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Why Not?

• China ended all voyages after 1433
• Extremely expensive
• Mongol threat on the northern borders
• Confucian mistrust of commerce and merchants
  (trade as tribute)
• Mandarin jealousy of the power of the Eunuchs
  (Zheng He)
• Ecological damage
• Fear of outside ideas and practices

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Why Not?

• Africa
• Coastline with very few usable ports
• Coastal areas were also dangerous for human
  habitation (malaria, yellow fever, etc.)
• Americas
• No tradition of ocean travel
• Trade was conducted by government officials
• Japan
• still mired in the old feudal culture
• Equally xenophobic of outside influences

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Why Not?

• Ottoman Empire and India
• There was little to no incentive to reach out
• Major trade in luxury goods already flowed
  through them
• They were at the center and profited from trade
  going in all directions

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Portugal

• Explored down the west coast of Africa
• Discovered Madeira, the Azores, and the Cape
  Verde Islands
• Rounded the Cape of Good Hope (1488) and invaded
  the Indian Ocean (1498)
• Set up fortified trading posts