Transatlantic Voyages and Navigation

The Age of Exploration

European sailors and ships -> left the Old World(Portuguese, Spanish, British, French, Dutch)-> set out to discover – the Other World -> later called “Mundus Novus” or New World

-> exploration turned into exploitation(befriend, exploit, kill)e.g. 1495 – armed conflict in HispaniolaOut of 250.000 in 1492, 500 remained in 1538!!!

The Waldseeműller Map of 1507

Fabled land in the East

• Europeans didn’t know the faraway lands in the East

• their conception of these lands were inaccurate

• new information – Marco Polo

• Arabian merchants – brought new products

What made the civilization of the Renaissance turn to discovery?

1. Willingness to learn and understand other cultures (curiosity)

2. Religious desire to save souls (and the myth of Prester John)

3. Economic reasons – attacked by the infidels – Muslims, needed new resources of precious metals (gold and silver)

4. Imperialism – colonization of foreign lands

Marco Polo and his travels• Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice,

Italy. He accompanied his father and uncle on their way to the East. Three years later they got to Beijing and stayed there for 17 years. Marco was soon working for the Emperor. Upon his return to Italy Marco was put in prison where hi dictated his memoirs to his friend Rusticelli. This work became known as „Million“

Marco Polo’s Travels

Marco Polo at Khubilai Khan

trade – caravans – Silk route

• mainly luxurious items – chinaware, silk, gold, pearls, precious stones, jewels, rare spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, etc.)

• Silk route – across Asia to the Black and Meditteranean seas

silk route

1453 – Fall of Constantinople

• they took control over the sea and land routes

• They collected high fees for using the Bosporus strait

• Europeans began their search for new routes to India and China

Navigation around Africa

• Portuguese – at first they sailed to North Africa– imported ivory, gold and black slaves

• Prince Henry, called the Navigator

• Bartholomew Diaz – endeavoured to sail around Africa, but his salors were worried and forced him to return

• Cape of Storms – (later) Cape of Good Hope

Many obstacles to success

• Geographical knowledge of the world was not what it is today – e.g. It was believed that Malaysia and Africa were believed to be connected, no maps

• Danger of ocean travel itself – e.g. Oceans were inhabited by dragons and sea monsters and there were great holes in which the ships would simply disappear

• The explorers did not know where they were going.

Technological necessities1) chronometer2) astrolabe3) magnetic needle or compass

a) measures latitudeb) showed northc) measured longitude

I. Not available until the 18th centuryII. Known to the ancient greeks, improved in 15th

centuryIII. Came to Europe from the Arab world in 12th

century

Vasco da Gama

• 1498 – he arrived in India after having sailed around the south tip of Africa and thus started the era of vivid trade with spices in the first place, but also other goods

• 1500 – the Portuguese reached Brazil and it has made it the only country in South America where not Spanish, but Portuguese is spoken

Christopher Columbus and the New World

• He was born in ________, v Itálii• He believed that the Earth is ________kulatá• He tried to persuade the king of Portugal to

organize a voyage across the Atlantic – but didn’t succeed

• In the end he left for Spain and entered the services at the royal court

• queen Isabela and king Ferdinand• He set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships:

Santa Maria – small carrack

What is a carrack?• A carrack is a 30-40 metres long and

approximately 10 metres wide ship. It was a large and heavy vessel with high sides and great loadinf capacity, which was about 1000 tons. It had four decks. The prow and stern pass into a high and square extension.

• A carrack was a three-mast vessel

Pinta – a Spanish caravel

Nina – a Spanish caravel

Where did Columbus get to?

• The island of San Salvador in the Carribean• today’s group of islands of the Bahamas

• He named its inhabitants Indians (India)• Until his death hi believed he had reached India

• He undertook a total of 4 voyages

Voyage around the World• Fernao Magalhaes [Magaljenš]• Began with 5 vessels

• They sailed around South America and then through a strait into an ocean which they named Pacific (quiet, peaceful)

• In the Philippines they met the natives and a great majority of them perished

• Only one ship returned, without Magalhaes

1519 - 1521

Other „explorers“ - conquistador• Hernando Cortéz– Aztec civilization, Mexico• army of 550 troops, 250 Indians• depended on the help of Aztec enemies• brought Central and parts of South America

under Spanish control – territory larger than Spain itself

• victory due to advanced technology• especially artillery• Aztec population was reduced from 25 to 2

million !!!

Hernando Cortéz

Francisco Pizarro

• he conquerred the Incan Empire of Peru

• gold and silver flooded to Europe, especially after the huge silver deposit was found at Potosi

• aim of the Spanish – convert the natives to Christianity, extend Spain's power over its lands and gain some profit

Pizarro seizing the last Incan Emperor of Peru

The results of overseas explorations• gold and silver flooded to Europe• improving economy• population growth• awareness of new parts of the globe• restoration of European self-confidence• Europe rediscovered itself• the rise of colonial empires• transfer of slaves, animals, plants and

diseases• explotation of native civilizations etc.