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Search for Spices. Chapter 15.1. Spice. More valuable than gold Ancient Rome: $125 for 12 oz. of pepper Middle Ages: Pepper could have paid a year’s rent Spice trade spurred exploration of oceans. Exploration. Black Death and breakup of Mongol empire disrupted trade Recovery in 1400s
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Search for Spices Chapter 15.1
Spice • More valuable than gold • Ancient Rome: $125 for 12 oz. of pepper • Middle Ages: Pepper could have paid a year’s rent • Spice trade spurred exploration of oceans
Exploration • Black Death and breakup of Mongol empire disrupted trade • Recovery in 1400s • As population grew, so did demand • Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper • Used to preserve food, add flavor, make medicines and perfumes • Source: Moluccas Islands (Indonesia) • Europeans called them the Spice Islands
Motive • 1400s: Muslims brought goods to E. Mediterranean ports • Italians brought them to European markets • Europeans wanted to side-step the middle man • Wanted direct route to riches of Asia • Portugal and Spain sought route to Asia that bypassed Mediterranean • Why? • Desire for wealth • Desire to crusade against Muslims • Learn more about lands beyond Europe
Technology • Improvements • Cartographers: mapmakers created more accurate maps and sea charts • Astrolabe: instrument that determined latitude at sea • Larger and better ships • Caravel • Developed by Portuguese • Combined European square sails with Arab triangular sails • Sternpost rudder and numerous masts of Chinese ships • New rigging made it easier to sail across or even into the wind • Added cannons
Portugal • Led the way in exploration • Expanded into Muslim North Africa • 1415: Seized Ceuta • Prince Henry became known as Henry the Navigator • Mapping • Henry wanted to expand Christianity and find African gold • Sent ships down the W. Coast of Africa • 1488: Bartholomeu Dias rounded southern tip of Africa • “Cape of Good Hope”because it opened way for sea route to Asia
India • 1497: Vasco da Gama led 4 ships around Cape of Good Hope to India • After 10-month voyage, reached spice port of Calicut • Voyage home: • Lost ½ their ships • Many died of hunger, thirst, scurvy (disease caused by lack of Vitamin C during months at sea) • Venture proved profitable to survivors • Sold spices at profit of 3,000%
Da Gama • Outfitted new fleet • 1502: forced treaty on ruler of Calicut • Left Portuguese merchants there to buy spices when prices were low • Portuguese continued to seize ports on Indian Ocean • Created vast trading empire
Columbus • Nations heard of Portugal’s success • Christopher Columbus: Italian navigator from Genoa • Wanted to reach the “Indies” by sailing west • Knew that earth was a sphere • Figured if he sailed west, he would reach the Indies on the eastern side • Made 2 errors • 1st: greatly underestimated size of earth • 2nd: Had no idea that 2 continents lay in his path
Voyages • Columbus persuaded Spain to fund his journey • “Enterprise of the Indies” • 1492: Catholic rulers drove Muslims completely out of Spain • To strengthen power, sought new sources of wealth • Wanted to spread Christianity in Asia • August 3, 1492: Columbus sailed west with 3 ships • Pinta, Nina, Santa Maria • Good weather, favorable wind • No land in sight • Provisions ran low, crew became nervous
October 12, 1492 • Land, Land! • Columbus spent months cruising islands of Caribbean • Thought he was in the Indies • Called people of the region “Indians” • 1493: returned to Spain to a heroes welcome • 3 later voyages • Remained convinced that he had reached the coast of East Asia • Other Europeans realized that these were new continents
Line of Demarcation • Spain and Portugal had rival claims to lands in new world • 1493: Pope Alexander VI interfered to keep peace • Set Line of Demarcation dividing the non-European world in 2 zones • Spain had rights to lands West of the line • Portugal had same rights East of the line • 1500: Capt. Pedro Alvarez Cabral -blown off course sailing around Africa • Landed in Brazil • East of the line • Claimed it for Portugal
Naming the “New World” • 1507: German cartographer read about new world • Report written by Amerigo Vespucci • Italian sailor • Labeled new region “America” • Caribbean Islands -Indies
Search Continues • Europeans continued to seek new routes • 1513: Vasco Nunez de Balboa hacked a passage through Panama • 1519: Ferdinand Magellan • Portuguese noble • Set out from Spain with 5 ships • Men from Europe, Africa, SE Asia • Sailed S and W • Storms, tropical heat • More than one mutiny • Reached coast of S America • Explored each bay • November 1520: Ships entered a bay at the southern tip of S America • Charted a passage known as the Strait of Magellan • Magellan named water Pacific –peaceful-Ocean
Navigation • Magellan wanted to push across Pacific to East Indies • Much wider than he thought • 4 months across uncharted ocean • March 1521: Reached Philippines • Magellan killed in local conflict