Age of Exploration and Discovery in the Renaissance

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Age of Exploration and Discovery in the
Renaissance

• New Empires in the East and West

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On the Brink of a New World

• Those who had gone beforeMAYBE
• Magical Kingdom of Prester John (12th century
  tale that a Christian kingdom existed in the
  East)
• Travelogues of Marco Polo (13TH century - Asia)
• The Travels of John Mandeville (14th century
  Supposed adventures in the East)
• Motives God, Glory, Gold
• Economic motives
• Access to the East spices, silk, coffee
• The New World of the West gold, silver, coffee,
  sugar, tobacco
• National and personal pride/fame
• Religious Zeal
• Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans,

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Means

• Centralization of political authority
• Maps
• new maps more advanced cartography
• Ships and Sailing
• Naval technology compass, astrolabe,
  back-staff, lateen (triangular) sail coupled with
  square sail
• Increased size and structure of ships
• Knowledge of wind patterns

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Ptolemys World Map ca. 150 A.D.
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Ortelius - 1579
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Mercator 1596
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A Seventeenth-Century World Map
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Sundial Compass
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Mariners Astrolabe
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Back-Staff
Cross-Staff
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The Development of a Portuguese Maritime Empire

• In Search of Spices
• Travel the coast of Africa searching for
  all-water route
• 1511 Albuquerque wants to control Malacca
  destroy Arab trade provide a way station on
  route to Moluccas (Spice Islands)
• Reasons for Success
• Excellent naval technology
• More advanced weaponry (gun ships)
• Unable to maintain long-term empire abroad
• Lacked the power as a European nation
• Lacked the population necessary to expand abroad
• Lacked the desire to colonize Asia

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So why was Spain able to Succeed?
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Map 14.1 Discoveries and Possessions in the
Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) decreed by Spanish
pope Alexander VI, that all trade to the west go
to Spain and to the east to Portugal.
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Slaughter of the Natives
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The Spanish Empire in the New World

• Administration of the Spanish Empire
• Encomienda natives subjects of Castile (taxed
  and put to work) to be protected, paid and
  spiritually supervised instead they were
  exploited and abused
• Anton Montecino and Bartholome las Casas decry
  abuse
• Encomienda abolished in 1542!!
• Viceroys chief civil and military officer to
  the king (in Mexico City and Lima)
• audiencias advisory group that also functioned
  as supreme judicial body
• The Church Spanish monarchs allowed to appoint
  bishops clergy, build churches, collect fees,
  supervise religious orders in New World Spanish
  Inquisition in Peru (1570) and Mexico (1571)

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Consequences intended or otherwise

• In your opinion, in what way(s) did exploration
  of 15th and 16th centuries impact the conquerors
  and the conquered the most

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Price Revolution (aka Inflation)

• Price revolution (a very slow revolution)
• rise in prices fall in value of currency Causes
  for the Price Revolution
• Bullionism influx of gold silver bullion,
  provided primarily by Spain
• Increase in population also increases demand for
  land and food higher prices
• Who suffers from higher prices?
• Peasant and laborer wages rose the least drop
  in standard of living
• Some governments excessive borrowing from
  bankers new and higher taxes
• Who benefits?
• Landowners and Entrepreneurs profit from higher
  rents, higher prices, bigger markets, and cheap
  labor costs
• Increased Social Tension
• Continuing cracks in breakdown of feudal society
  clergy vs. laity, nobility vs. peasantry, urban
  elite vs. guilds/artisans