4.2 Exploration: Causes and Events

• Who is quoted as saying, "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore"?

  Christopher Columbus
• How did improved navigation techniques affect European trade with Asia?

  They allowed Italian cities to monopolize trade with Asia.
• What motivated Spain and Portugal to search for new routes to Asia?

  They were driven by the desire for riches and to convert others to Christianity.
• Who supported Christopher Columbus's voyages across the Atlantic in 1492?

  Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
• What was the impact of Columbus's journeys on European exploration?

  They increased interest in discovery among other European nations.
• What were the main reasons for state involvement in maritime exploration?

  • Expansion of authority and control of resources
  • Collection of taxes and new trading opportunities
  • Religious duty to convert others
  • Financial support for expensive voyages
• How did Portugal lead the way in European exploration?

  By closely tying the interests of the state and explorers.
• Who was Prince Henry the Navigator?

  The first European monarch to sponsor seafaring expeditions.
• How did Jesuit missionaries attempt to convert the Chinese people?

  By impressing them with scientific and technical knowledge.
• What were the aims of the Portuguese fort construction in the Indian Ocean?

  • Establish a monopoly over the spice trade
  • License all vessels trading between Malacca and Hormuz
  • Control trade routes and enhance security
• Why did the Portuguese trading empire face vulnerabilities?

  Due to a lack of workers and ships, and independent trading by merchants.
• What did the Dutch do in the early 17th century regarding Portuguese trade?

  They captured Malacca and built a fort at Batavia.
• Who was the first Western European to reach the Indian Ocean by sea?

  Vasco da Gama
• What did Ferdinand Magellan's voyage prove?

  That the earth could be circumnavigated.
• When did Spain annex the Philippines?

  In 1521
• What valuable resources did Europeans hope to find in the Americas?

  Gold, silver, and other valuable resources.
• What did Europeans realize they could do to grow wealthy in the Americas?

  Use enslaved Native Americans and Africans to raise valuable crops.
• What were the primary motivations for European explorers like Columbus in seeking new routes to Asia?

  • To find gold, silver, and valuable resources
  • To establish new trade routes
• What did the Spanish find in their first two decades of contact in the Americas?

  They found very little of value.
• What rekindled European interest in the Americas?

  Contact with the Aztecs and Incas, who had gold and silver.
• How did Europeans exploit enslaved Native Americans and Africans for economic gain?

  They used them to grow valuable crops like sugar and tobacco.
• How did silver from the Americas impact trade with China?

  • China became a major consumer of silver.
  • Silver was transported via Spanish galleons to East Asia.
  • Silver became the main form of currency in China by the early 17th century.
• What were the Spanish ships that transported silver called?

  Galleons.
• What was the significance of the Manila trading post?

  It facilitated the exchange of silver for luxury goods like silk and spices.
• What were the goals of French explorers in the 1500s and 1600s?

  • To find a northwest passage to Asia.
  • To claim land and resources in the Americas.
  • To establish trade networks for furs and other goods.
• Who was the French explorer that claimed part of Canada for France?

  Jacques Cartier.
• How did the French approach their relations with Native Americans compared to the Spanish?

  They had better relations due to trading rather than demanding land.
• What was the population of New France by 1754?

  70,000.
• Who was sent by the English king in 1497 to look for a northwest passage?

  John Cabot.
• What was the outcome of the English defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588?

  England declared itself a major naval power.
• What was significant about the establishment of Jamestown in 1607?

  • It was England's first successful colony in the Americas.
  • It was named after King James I.
  • It marked the beginning of English colonization in North America.
• What were the first colonies in the present-day United States?

  Spanish settlements in Florida and New Mexico.
• What were the purposes of various explorers from different empires during the Age of Exploration?

  • To find new trade routes.
  • To claim new lands.
  • To spread culture and religion.
• Who was the Portuguese explorer that opened trade routes to India?

  Vasco da Gama.
• What did Henry Hudson claim for the Dutch during his explorations?

  The Hudson River Valley and Manhattan.
• What role did New Amsterdam play in the Dutch trade network?

  • It was a major port for transatlantic trade.
  • It facilitated the exchange of furs and crops.
  • It connected the Dutch to European markets.
• What was the primary crop that Dutch merchants purchased from Virginia planters?

  Tobacco.
• What were the key terms related to exploration during this period?

  • Mercantilism
  • Trading post empire
  • Galleons
  • Northwest passage
• Who was the Prince known for sponsoring maritime exploration in Portugal?

  Prince Henry the Navigator.
• What was the impact of Spanish exploration on the Americas?

  Spain led the European exploration and colonization of the Americas.