Storms at Sea

Poisonous plants and animals

Ships crashing into rocks and reefs

Attacks by Locals

Scurvy

Starvation

Falling off the Edge of the Earth

Sea Monsters

If the trip was so dangerous, WHY did men risk their lives to go on these

voyages?

3Gs• They went on these voyages for three reasons:

Godto spread their Christian religion

Goldto become rich

Gloryto become famous and more powerful

GodEurope’s kings and queens were very religious and they felt it was their duty to spread the Christian faith. They felt that they should convert the native people they met in their journeys into Christians. If the indigenous (native) peoples resisted, they were punished harshly.

Gold • In the 1400s, European rulers were competing

with each other for natural resources such as gold, silk, and spices. They needed the money from these items to pay for their wars.

Overland Route to get Spices

Spices like peppercorn, nutmeg, and cinnamon were especially valuable and could be found in the Indies. Traders had to travel great distances over land to get these natural resources. It made them very expensive because they were difficult to obtain. A sea route to the Indies was needed!

GoldIn the second half of the Age of Exploration, other items were deemed valuable by the explorers. They all fall under the G of gold because they brought great riches to not only the explorers, but to the European monarchs who financed the trips as well.

Glory• We would call “Glory” being

famous, rich, and/or powerful.

• One could be famous, like Columbus, for discovering a new route to the Indies.

• As a monarch, you would become richer and more powerful when your empire grew bigger. This occurred when the explorers you financed found “new” land and claimed it for your country.

Glory• As Europeans, lead by Portugal’s Prince Henry

the Navigator, began exploring the coast of Africa, they began setting up colonies. Soon other European countries

wanted African colonies

as well.

The pursuit of African lands and its peoples by the Europeans is called the Scramble for Africa.

Glory• The more colonies a country had, the

wealthier it was due to the natural resources, land, and native peoples found there.

• More colonies meant more prestige or glory.

• Countries began competing with one another for colonies.

• When one country takes over another it is called imperialism.

Who was Prince Henry the Navigator?

• The son of the king of Portugal, Prince Henry opened a school of navigation. He knew that before his men could try to make it around the tip of Africa and sail to the Indies, they needed training (human capital). He

wanted shipbuilders, cartographers

(mapmakers), sea captains, and

inventors to learn and work

together.

Impact of the Age of Exploration

For the next 200 years, Europe’s largest countries began exploring Africa, Asia, and North America. They set up colonies, new markets for their goods, and spread Christianity.

Rivalries between countries started to cause problems – BIG PROBLEMS that will soon lead to war!