THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
Countries along the Atlantic seaboard were the leader in exploration
these included Spain, Portugal and later England, France and the Netherlands.
They all started exploring for one reason to find a quick and easy way to the
Far East that provided them with silks, spices, and other valuable Chinese
and Japanese products. They all knew about these wonderful products
through the stories of Marco Polo but were unable to trade directly with the
Far East. The Moslem distributor controlled the direct land and water routes
between India and the Mediterranean. The long overland route through central
Asia was impractical for regular use. The Italians had a monopoly over the
Eastern trade route and were happy with it even though the distributor took
most of the profits.
Before the 1400's governments did not get involved in exploration as
they had been in the middle of the crusades and could not afford the
manpower or expenses that would accompany it. They started to explore not
out of greed but out of necessity as the gold mines of Ireland, and the silver
mines of Germany were running out. And they needed the spices not to living
their food up but to make it edible as they had no other ways to preserve
their meats. Also after the Crusades they wanted to convert all the natives to
their religion of Christianity, and they found out that it was necessary to
become financially independent and that wars were costly. The early
explorers were able to get the backing of their monarchies as estimates of the
size of the world were greatly inaccurate on the small side. It was relatively
easy to get sailors as the average life expectancy was around 30 years of age
and the pay was better for exploration voyages compared to voyages in
familiar waters. Most captains were not in for ...
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their religion of Christianity, and they found out that it was necessary to
become financially independent and that wars were costly. The early
explorers were able to get the backing of their monarchies as estimates of the
size of the world were greatly inaccurate on the small side. It was relatively
easy to get sailors as the average life expectancy was around 30 years of age
and the pay was better for exploration voyages compared to voyages in
familiar waters. Most captains were not in for money or riches but for the
honor, fame and recognition of discovering a new place and naming it after
yourself.
The ship of choice early on was a caravel, it was a European version
of an ancient Arab ship.1 It had three triangular sails instead of two round
ones and it was seventy feet long with room for 20 men and their supplies. Its
most important feature was that it could turn into the wind and come home.
They usually traveled in groups of three to five with one of them being strictly
a supply ship, and another being a faster ship that could fetch help or be first
back home with news. 2 The ships were also improved by new arrangements
of sail and masts that permitted the ship to be larger. The steering oar was
replaced by a rudder, with the overall boat being narrower improving its
speed, maneuverability and performance.
Sailors' confidence improved as they past points were there boats
were supposed to burst into flames, fall off the earth as well as numerous
other myths about the oceans that did not come true. Maps, charts, and
tables improved. By the early 1500's useful maps of Africa, South Asia,
South America and the Caribbean existed. Soon maps of west Africa, India,
Newfoundland, and the West Indies existed. Maps were also becoming less
distorted by drawing areas around equator in proper proportions while
extreme northern and southern areas are distorted. This is compensated for
by two polar projections in the corners.3 With the invention of the printing
press more people learned about these discoveries, and were quicker to join
the ever increasing rush to stake claims in the new world. In 1515 the first
picture of the southern sky was made as no European had been south of the
equator before now.
Mediterranean ports became secondary to the northern European ports
and cities that would rise to both economic and political importance. The
everyday person benefited by not only expanding their knowledge of the
world but by also having extravagant furnishings, architecture, inter
decorations, and utensils. A variety of foods either entered their everyday diet
or old-favorites became cheaper and more readily available.
The Europeans had the highest standard of living during this time and
the technological, economical, and psychological superiority to carry out a
sustained program of exploration. They dominated the new worlds as they
found people that were either too primitive, too ill armed, too caught up in
local rivalries or too indifferent to oppose them. That is why the age of
exploration happened in Europe and while they were at peace after gaining
valuable exploring techniques during the Crusades.
Age Of Exploration
Reasons:
Economic
-need materials and slaves (Black Plague)
-gold mines of Ireland and silver mines of Ireland running out (Currency)
-countries needed to be financially independent as wars were costly (Crusades)
-need spices to preserve their meats, and hide the spoil taste if it had gone bad
Social
-wanted to spread their religion of Christianity (Crusades)
-average life expectancy was around 30 years of age
-pay better for exploration voyages compared to voyages in familiar waters
Technical
-ships had three triangular sails instead of two round ones based on ancient Arab ship
-ships could turn into wind and come home and the steering oar was replaced by a rudder
-boats was narrower which allowed for better speed and maneuverability
-invention of printing press led to people learning about discoveries quicker
Political
-governments started to get involved, they could not afford it before
Explorers:
Prince Henry the Navigator
-founded naval institute in Portugal in 1436
-funded ships that discovered Cape Verde Islands and the Azores
Christopher Columbus
-discovered San Salvador(in the Bahaman Islands), Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Leeward
Islands, Trinidad the South American continent, and Panama
Amerigo Vespucci
-traveled to Americas in 1501, figured out astronomically that it was not Japan but an unknown
continent, wrote his conclusions in a letter-his stories were more interesting -maps
published with his name on it-mapmaker made a mistake but could not correct it
Ferdinad Magellan
-first voyage around the world (265 sailors and 5 boats started journey only 18 men and 1 ship
survived) took just under 3 years
Effects
-countries on Atlantic dominated over the Mediterranean countries, furnishings, utensils
-Inca and Aztec empires crumble, USA gets stared
-European countries had highest standard of living -able to defeat other civilizations
.
