Explorers

Why did Europeans explore the world during the Age of Exploration?

	To find a sea route to the spices of Asia
	To find gold, silver, and precious stones
	To expand their knowledge of the world
	To control a larger empire
	To expand Christianity
	To find animal furs

In the 1300s A.D. trade had become more costly, and more difficult due to the barbaric Turkish empire. The European nations began to look at other ways of transporting spices into Western Europe. Many adventurous businessmen began to look at the sea.

Prince Henry, the Navigator.

Driven by a desire to find an overseas route to India, Prince Henry The Navigator brought together mapmakers, astronomers, and mathematicians to study star charts, and to help improve methods of ocean navigation. By the late 1400s A.D. Explorers from Portugal had discovered new islands, rivers, trading posts, and even a way to travel from Portugal to India over water.

Bartholomeu Dias

In 1487 a young adventurous explorer by the name of Bartholomeu Dias arrived at the southern tip of Africa, which was later named The Cape of Good Hope. Dias’ bravery helped prove that is was possible to reach Asia by sailing around the tip of Africa.

Vasco Da Gama

Vasco da Gama left Portugal in 1497 hoping to sail around Africa, and reach India. Ten months later, he and his men arrived in Calicut, India. He was the first person to take the sea route and successfully reach India. Vasco Da Gama and his men returned to Portugal as heroes

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus proposed finding a new route by sailing West. Columbus thought that if they sailed West, they would eventually circle the globe, and arrive in Eastern Asia. King Ferdinand, and Queen Isabella of Spain granted him the supplies, men, and ships that he needed to carry out his expedition. Columbus was given three sailing ships named the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

Columbus’ men were terrified that they would be lost at sea, and that they would suffer starvation. As the days wore on, these men began to turn against him. Columbus was forced to agree to turn back, if they did not find land within three days.

On the night of the second day, just before he would have had to turn around, land was sighted. Columbus and his men discovered an island in the Caribbean. Columbus did not realize that he had arrived in a new part of the world. He was convinced that he was in India. For this reason, he called the natives who lived on these islands the Indians.

Columbus returned to the Americas three more times. Each time believing that he was in India. During his life, he never realized what he had discovered.

Amerigo Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer who first suggested that the land found by Columbus was actually not India, but a new world altogether. Because he was the first to realize that a new world had been discovered, map makers began calling this new land the ‘Americas’ in honor of him.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was the first explorer to sail around the entire globe. They proved once and for all that what Columbus had discovered was indeed a new world. They also discovered just how large the Earth really was.

Hernan Cortez

Conquered and devastated the Aztec Empire in Mexico, and set himself as the ruler of Mexico, on behalf of Spain.

Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro discovered another wealthy empire in Peru known as the Inca Empire. Pizarro was able to capture the Incan King, Atahualpa, and hold him ransom. After the Incas paid Pizarro a ransom for the release of their leader, Pizarro had Atahualpa put to death, along with other top leaders in the Incan Government. The result was that the Incan Empire also fell.

Plymouth

A group of poor farmers in England, called the pilgrims, settled a new colony in the Americas, called Plymouth. They made their journey on a ship named Mayflower.