THE AGE OF DISCOVERY: GOD, GOLD, AND GLORY

The Adventures of Marco Polo

Marco Polo spent 24 years exploring Asia from 1271-1295

He wrote the Empire of Kublai Khan, China, Japan, and the Spice Islands

He returned with fabulous tales of wealth and riches

The Silk Road

Ever since Marco Polo, European nations would trade with Asia by way of an overland route called “The Silk Road”

The Silk Road passed through Muslim, Byzantine, and Italian lands and each city would add a little bit onto the price

Spices (for preserving meat) and goods were VERY expensive by the time they got to France, Spain, Portugal and England

Food in the 1400’s

Spices were VERY valuable for preserving food and meat: cinnamon, cloves, pepper, salt…as well as gold and silver

Whoever could find a direct route to the Spice Islands would become very rich…and powerful

We’re on a Mission from God

An old story told of a Christian king of Ethiopia named Prester John

Europe saw an opportunity to spread Christianity and gain an ally against the Muslims

The motives for the Age of Discovery: God, Gold and Glory

Cape of Good Hope

1419: Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal begins sending ships to find the southern tip of Africa

1487: Bartholomew Diaz rounds the Cape of Good Hope

Vasco da Gama reaches India by sailing around Africa

A Magnificent Failure

Christopher Columbus…he’s Italian not Spanish

Columbus proposes going west across the Atlantic to reach the Spice Islands

Portugal refused to listen, and France flatly said no

The Atlantic Ocean is called the Ocean of Darkness

The Ocean of Darkness

Myth Truth

Sea serpents and monsters (They don’t call it the Ocean of Darkness for nothing)

To sail west is downhill, to come back home is uphill!

You’d fall off the edge of the world and land in…you know…

Actually, Europeans were pretty sure the Earth was round Eratosthenes of Alexandria

had figured it out in the 3rd Century BC

They were convinced that Columbus had grossly (hilariously) underestimated how far he had to go They were right!

La Reconquista

Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand complete La Reconquista of Spain by defeating the Muslims at Grenada in 1492 Spain is once again a

Catholic Country With the Muslims

gone, Spain agrees to finance Columbus’ trip

Voyage to the New World

October 12, 1492: Columbus lands at San Salvador claiming it for Spain

For 3 months Columbus explored the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba

He thought he was in China and Japan

Columbus Triumphant

Columbus returns to Spain in January, 1493 Treated as a hero who returns with gold

and spices

Ferdinand and Isabella send him back in 1493 Columbus probably should have quit

while he was ahead…

Columbus…The Fool???

Second Voyage: Discovers Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Croix, and the Virgin Islands His original colony failed, his second colony was set up in a

malaria infested swamp Columbus disobeyed orders and enslaved the Native

Americans

Third Voyage, 1498: Discovers Trinidad Slaughters Native Americans, hangs his own men Arrested for cruelty and violence and thrown in jail

Fourth Voyage, 1502: Discovers Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica Gets stranded in Jamaica

Columbus…Hero? Or Villain?

Columbus was the first European to have contact with the New World He DID NOT discover America…can’t discover

something if people are already there!

Introduced slavery to the New World

Died never knowing he had crashed into North America He went to his grave CONVINCED he was near

Asia

The Spanish Empire

Columbus’ adventure does give Spain a foothold on the New World

But who will get the rest???