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The Age of Exploration

The Age of Exploration. Europe goes global. LEARNING GOALS. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to… i dentify the causes behind European exploration in the 15 th century d escribe the effect of the Commercial Revolution on Europe

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The Age of Exploration

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  1. The Age of Exploration Europe goes global

  2. LEARNING GOALS By the end of this lesson, students will be able to… • identify the causes behind European exploration in the 15th century • describe the effect of the Commercial Revolution on Europe • assess the positive and negative effects of mercantilism, and overseas colonization

  3. ‘MINDS-ON’ • Working with an elbow-partner, come up with answers to the following questions • Why do humans explore? • What areas are left to explore? • Are the reasons for exploration usually just or unjust? • You have 3 minutes….GO!

  4. WATCH THIS!!! • Watch the short video clip about the Age of Exploration. • Jot down any notes that you think are important to your understanding of the topic… • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3fYF6YvesA&safe=active

  5. Cause #1: Improvements in technology Foundations of European Exploration

  6. MAP MAKING • Began improving during the Renaissance • Growing interest in ancient geographers (i.e. Ptolemy) • Geographic awareness – knew world was round but… • Daring explorers nonetheless – unknowns (sea monsters!) Ptolemy's world map, reconstituted from Ptolemy's Geographia(circa 150) in the 15th century, indicating "Sinae" (China) at the extreme right, beyond the island of "Taprobane" (Sri Lanka, oversized) and the "AureaChersonesus" (Southeast Asian peninsula) Source: Wikipedia

  7. NAVIGATION • Improvements to nav just as important as maps • Ships can sail out of sight w/out getting lost • Compass – by 1100’s inventors magnetizing iron needles, floating them on water made them point north • True compass by 1200-1300’s – fixed magnetized needle to a card marked w/directions

  8. SHIPBUILDING • Up until the 1400’s, European sailors used ‘longships’ • Poor design meant could only travel in direction of wind • Good for coastlines – but not for oceanic travel • Spanish and Portuguese designers made critical improvements: • rudder moved to the back • design of the sails (triangular) • larger design better for open seas

  9. Did you know? Another important tool of the explorers of the 16th century was the Astrolabe. Using the position of the sun and stars, one could plot and hold a course and measure their progress.

  10. Cause #2: Economic changes Foundations of European Exploration

  11. THE COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION • Exploration was big business – came as a result of the desire to increase wealth • In many cases, banks added services to meet the needs of exploration • In other cases, Europeans changed basic economic practices • These changes referred to as the Commercial Revolution: • development of a standard system of money (old was depended on amount of precious metals available) • Italy led the way - gold florin of Florence, ducat of Venice very dependable – encouraged int. trade – money could be leant to gov’ts and businesses wanting to explore • merchants joined together creating ‘joint-stock companies’ – raising money by selling shares in the business (i.e. modern day stock market!)

  12. MERCANTALISM • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUco5NSAiRI&safe=active

  13. MERCANTILISM – in detail… • Since the world contained a fixed amount of wealth, countries had to come up with new ways to acquire more… • BALANCE OF TRADE • Belief that could acquire more wealth by selling more than you buy = favourable B.O.T. • how? High tariffs, encourage exports, or gain raw materials from another country = race for overseas colonies • Countries would buy raw materials from their colonies – keep wealth among own people • Strict restrictions placed on colonial trade practices though… What is the message of the cartoon? How do you know?

  14. CAUSE #3: Social change Foundations of European Exploration

  15. SOCIAL CHANGE • Social changes also to the desire to explore • Renaissance and Scientific Revolution created desire to learn more about the world • Population of Europe rising post 1500 – cities overcrowded • New opportunities offered (land, wealth…) • ‘El Dorado’ factor – stories of mythical cities of gold… • Reformation legacy – escape persecution (Huguenots), Christianize the ‘savages’

  16. DID YOU KNNOW? The Age of Exploration gave rise to the ‘Columbian Exchange’ – referring to the food, ideas, and disease traded between Europe and the Americas

  17. CONSOLIDATION ASSIGN. • Read through Ch.4 Exploration and Encounter • Answer questions #1,2,4, 5, 6

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