CHAPTER 4

The West and the World: Explorations and Encounter

PortugueseWhere did they go?

Africa, 1434 Canary Islands, 1497 Vasco daGama - India

What did they gain?

Trade: they took trade away from Muslims and away from Venetian traders in Italian.

They did not take land. Portugal became a centre of trade Spices, pepper, slaves (45) gold, ivory

How did they view natives?

As civilized people-traded with them Muslims and Indians were civilized at

that time. Took slaves from Africa-saw these as

inferior.

Why did they go?

Against the Muslims who took their trade to promote Christianity to seek the lost Christian civilization of

Prester John

What technology enabled them?

caravel nao Carrack

What technology enabled them?

magnetized needle compass Astrolabe longitude and latitude navigational cross-staff.

Spanish - where did they go?

Christopher Columbus 1492 to Canary Islands

Cortez arrives in Mexico 1519 Magellan 1519 Pacific Ocean-

>Philippines Others to San Salvador, Mexico, Peru

Why did they go?

To find a new route to Asia

What did they gain?

Slaves hatred metals (silver, gold) Spices high inflation “Black legend” Potatoes, rice,bananas

How did they view natives?

Columbus view – naked, had no religion, should be good and intelligent servants

Naked culturally RCC – “barbarous nation be overthrown

and brought to the faith – Church sanctioned

Not all agreed – Michel deMontaigne

What technology enabled them?

Crossbows and guns, horses, nothing more than the Portuguese had

England: Where did they go?

John Cabot went to Newfoundland, 1497

Sebastian Cabot went to Hudson strait 1508

Ferdinand Magellan around S. America 1526

Sebastian Cabot - Brazil, Paraguay

Why did they go?

To find the Northwest passage – a shorter route to Asia

Ultimately, for trade

What did they gain?

Fish (cod), timber, fur, claimed land for England debts to the royal coffers

How did they view natives?

not hostile unless natives appeared hostile;

did wipe out the Beotuks, made treaties (although poor ones) claimed land for England

Technology:

compass, quadrant, astrolabe, dripping needle, improved rudder cross-staff

France: Where did they go?

Jacques Cartier 1534 Gulf of St. Lawrence,

1535 St Lawrence River

Why did they go?

To obtain precious metals To find the northwest passage to get wealth like Spain To finance wars (with England) To acquire more landThus, a commercial operation.

What did they gain?

Claimed land (Canada) for France Much later claimed Louisiana Purchase

for France (1803)

How did they view natives?

got along well at first with Algonquin Fighting with the Five-nation Iroquois Coeur de bois – traders with natives Converting the natives

What technology enabled them?

None mentioned in ch 4 or ch 7; therefore, we assume that they had similar technologies as other countries