The+Explorers+of+the+New+World

5.3 Explain why trade routes to Asia had been closed in the 15th century and trace the voyages of at least four of the explorers listed below. Describe what each explorer sought when he began his journey, what he found, and how his discoveries changed the image of the world, especially the maps used by explorers. (H, G, E)

A. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa B. John and Sebastian Cabot C. Jacques Cartier D. Samuel de Champlain E. Christopher Columbus F. Henry Hudson G. Ferdinand Magellan H. Juan Ponce de Leon I. Amerigo Vespucci

Key Terms technology, compas, printing press Henry the Navigator Spain; Moors Ferdinand and Isabella Reformation trade nation states new world Papal line of demarcation

Treaty of Tordesillas Pedro Alvares Cabral John Cabot Givoanni de Verrazano Jacques Cartier Samuel De Champlain Father Jacques Marquette Robert De La Salle Henry Hudson

**Team of Lauren C and Brittany C**

**Brittany Costello:**

 Though the 15th and 16th centuries brought upon many new advances to the people in European society, the landscape itself prevented major expansions of the society from occurring. In addition to that, land was extremely hard to gain ownership of, if your ancestors hadn’t owned it for centuries. To make matters worse, in 1453, trade with Asia suddenly stopped. The **Turks**, a people from the **Ottoman Empire**, captured the city of **Constantinople** and took control of the **Middle East**. This closed the trade routes between Europe and Asia. This change also motivated Europeans to find an **all-water route** to Asia. As a result, many monarchs decided to support explorers financially; they hoped to find new trade routes and gain new territories. Today, many of those early explorers are credited with having shaped the modern world (Changes in Europe). One such explorer was Vasco Nunez de Balboa. Vasco Nunez De Balboa was a Spanish explorer who is credited as the first European to see the eastern shore of Pacific Ocean, on September 13th 1513; however, this body of water was not officially named “The Pacific Ocean” until Magellan’s explorations. Balboa reached the ocean, which he claimed for Spain by traveling through Panama. After his voyage, many Spanish trade routes through western South America were developed. At a young age Balboa was captivated by the idea of discovering new lands, as Christopher Columbus had. He joined an expedition to Colombia at 26 years of age, but the voyage was considerably unsuccessful as the crew did not have sufficient supplies to start a colony. After this failed mission, he returned to present day Cuba from where he left in 1510 by stowing away on a ship which was carrying supplies to the first Spanish colony in South America. Upon reaching the settlement, Balboa learned it had been abandoned due to insufficient supplies and hostile natives. The remaining settlers followed Balboa’s suggestion to travel farther west, eventually establishing the colony of Darien. Soon, Balboa learned from natives about a sea which lay beyond the Isthmus of Panama and rumors of gold in the area. He was motivated to explore the area due to his uncertainty about his position as “governor” of Darien, which was not officially recognized by the king. With upwards 90 Spaniards and several natives, Balboa set out to find the ocean and the fabled riches. They were successful in acquiring gold and pearls which were sent immediately to King Ferdinand. Though pleased with the gifts, King Ferdinand had already appointed Pedro Arias Devila as the governor of Darien; in return for the gifts, Balboa was appointed to serve under Devila in Panama. However, in 1519 Balboa was beheaded after Devila, fearing his growing popularity, accused him of treason ( Coloquio Online) (Thinkquest). Another widely remembered explorer was Ferdinand Magellan. Though Ferdinand Magellan’s childhood was marred by the untimely deaths of his parents, he was fortunate to have secured a position as a page to the queen. Living with the royalty, Magellan was able to receive a quality education, especially in the areas of exploration. Magellan’s first voyage was in 1505, when he traveled to India in order to assist Francisco de Almeida in his attempts to secure a position as viceroy. In 1509, Magellan faced battle when local officials rejected the rule of the viceroy. Later, Magellan engaged in illegal trading with **Moors** and was rejected by the Portuguese government in 1514. Magellan soon became interested in investigating new routes to the Spice Island, present day Indonesia. The new routes were necessary due to the **Treaty of Tordesillas**, which divided the western hemisphere between Spain and Portugual through the **New World Papal Line of Demarcation**. After failing to convince Portuguese king Manuel I to fund his journey, Magellan sought support from Charles I. Charles I granted him a considerable amount of funding, including five ships, the Conception, the Victoria, the San Antonio, the Trinidad, the Santiago and 270 men. Magellan’s journey west was a complicated one; some of his captains were uncomfortable with his Portuguese heritage and plotted mutiny, he also had to ensure he avoided Portuguese waters, as he was sailing for the Spanish monarchy. After these initial problems, Magellan restocked supplies successfully in Rio de Janeiro, but was again set back by rough winter weather. When Magellan attempted to continue the journey in April 1520, the Santiago sank, leaving the fleet in port until August of that year. Finally, after a 38 day journey and the loss of another ship, this time due to uncooperative crews, Magellan sailed through to the Pacific Ocean via a strait he named the “Strait of All Saints”. Unfortunately, Magellan and his crew had severely miscalculated the distance to the Spice Islands and suffered the effects of dwindling supplies for months. The fleet was able to restock upon reaching Guam and soon after landed in the Philippines, where they befriended Rajah Humabon. Humabon convinced Magellan and his crew to assist in an attack against their enemy tribe, the Lapu-Lapu, who resided on Mactan Island. In this Battle of Mactan, Magellan was killed. Upon Magellan’s death, Sebastian del Cano ordered the Conception be burned, to ensure that it would not be used by enemies. He also wanted to ensure at least one ship returned to Spain so he ordered the Victoria continue sailing west and the Trinidad said east. Only the Victoria succeeded in returning to Spain, making it the first ship to circumnavigate the globe, as the Trinidad was captured by the Portuguese (About.com). Probably the most celebrated early explorer is Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Italy to a considerably well-off family. His father was a weaver and many scholars suggest Columbus’ family was, at least, somewhat wealthy because he was well educated. Columbus participated in many trading voyages through the Aegean Sea in his teenage years and nearly died in his first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean, as French privateers attacked the ship he was on. The attack resulted in the sinking of the ship and Columbus traveled to Lisbon to meet his brother. In Lisbon, Columbus began a family and had his son, Diego. Columbus remained in Lisbon until his wife died, at which point he moved to Spain and began pursuing the idea of sailing west in order to reach the Far East. Columbus unsuccessfully petitioned the monarchies in both Spain and Portugal for several years, but it wasn’t until the Moors were expelled from Spain that **King Ferdinand** and **Queen Isabella** seriously consider his requests. Enticed by his promises of riches and the spread of Christianity, they funded his journey. On his first voyage, Columbus sailed to what is now known as the Bahamas, Columbus thought he was in the east and named the island San Salvador. The fleet continued sailing and eventually landed in Cuba and Hispaniola. Columbus was sailing on the Santa Maria, one of the three ships provided by the monarchs, when it wrecked in Hispaniola on Christmas. With the Pinta off exploring, Columbus was left with no choice but to leave forty men behind on the island. He returned to Spain on the Nina. His second voyage led to the discovery of three new lands, including Jamaica, which he thought to be the islands off the coast of Japan. Upon returning to Hispaniola, Columbus learned his crew had been killed by natives. In order to establish the colony of Santo Domingo, Columbus engaged in battle; as a result he conquered the entire island of Hispaniola for Spain. Columbus returned to Spain, only to leave on a third voyage two years later. On this voyage, Columbus sailed further south, discovering Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, Margarita and South America. After these discoveries, he returned to Hispaniola to find the colony in a rough state. He was summoned back to Spain and was accused of mistreatment of the settlers, however, he successfully defended himself and was cleared of charges. Columbus’ fourth voyage was his final one. He attempted to return to Hispaniola, but was barred from entering the settlement. As a result, he continued exploring and traveled to Central America. In Panama, he was successful in finding deposits of gold, but was subsequently chased away by natives. After this voyage, Columbus returned to Seville where, after unsuccessfully petitioning for a position in Hispaniola, he died (Biography.com) (Briney).  Finally, Juan Ponce De Leon was a conquistador who is credited as the first Spanish explorer to arrive in Florida. De Leon’s exploration career began when he joined Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas. De Leon settled in the present day Dominican Republic, on an island which was then called “Hispaniola”. In 1506, he discovered large deposits of gold on a nearby island he named Borinquen. Pleased with the discovery of riches, King Ferdinand requested that the island, which De Leon renamed Puerto Rico, be colonized in 1508. De Leon served as governor of Puerto Rico until 1510, at which point Christopher Columbus’ son was given the position. Disappointed the loss of his position, De Leon decided to pursue the legendary fountain of youth and gold, which was rumored to be in the area on an island called Bimini. In early 1513, De Leon and his crew landed in Florida, which he named due to the copious amounts of flowers in the area. Later in his voyage, De Leon also discovered Cape Canaveral and the Dry Tortugas island. He also made an extremely important discovery as he sailed, the Bahama Chanel, which provided a shorter route between Cuba and Europe. Another important discovery was made when his pilot, Antón de Alaminos, identified an area of unusually strong currents which is now known as the Gulf Stream. The voyage concluded upon an encounter with the hostile Calusa tribe in Charlotte Harbor. De Leon returned to Florida in an attempt to establish a settlement, however the Calusa tribe invaded, shooting De Leon in the leg with an arrow. He later died at the estimated age of 61 in Cuba as a result of his injury (USF) (Engels).  

In addition to the many explorers that contributed to the European age of Exploration and **trade**, many new inventions and government proclamations shaped how they were able to travel. This can be easily attributed to the sharing of ideas and the spread of knowledge, the results of international trade. An invention that shaped how the explorers navigated and communicated was the **compass**. A compass is a device containing a magnetic needle that will always point north. Though the compass had been invented in the year 100 by the Chinese, explorers adapted the device for sea use in the 1400’s. This allowed explorers to travel farther than ever before and return from their voyages safely, bringing back goods and, most importantly, knowledge. Though ships could use the stars for navigation, the compass proved to be a much more efficient method of navigation, one that could be used by any member of the crew who understood it’s purpose. In addition to the compass, the printing press was another piece of **technology** that influenced the explorers. The **printing press** was perfected by Gutenberg in 1450, which allowed the fast spread of information throughout the world. With this invention, books could be produced in mass quantities and distributed to those who previously did not have access to them (Watertown) (Bellis). The printing press contributed to the advancement of other forms of technology as well. Because people were able to communicate more effectively, nations became more united and people enjoyed a higher quality of life. The books provided entertainment and subjects of conversation in addition to intellectual advancement.

   While other inventions were contributing to the explorers’ progress, other people’s discoveries were influencing them too. **Henry the Navigator** was an explorer during the 1400’s who explored the western coast of Africa. In addition to having charted the coast of the continent, Henry the Navigator also promoted the design of lighter ships which could cross the ocean quicker and more efficiently. These ships became popular during the 1500’s, the twilight years of the Renaissance and the beginning of the **Reformation**. The Reformation is the name given for the split in the Catholic church into two groups known as Protestants and those who remained Catholic. This was a pivotal point in history because the church had great influence over government. The Reformation also contributed to exploration. Because of the split in the church and hostility between the two factions, people sought lands of their own to escape from religious persecution. Also during the 1500’s, **nation states** were popular. Nation states were areas governed by aristocrats and nobles, under the leadership of a king. The existence of nation states inspired exploration as well. This is because one had to be of nobility in order to be successful. Those under the rule of the aristocrats were often peasants, and had to work hard for little benefit. With exploration came the promise of new lands where the peasants could farm their own land, reaping all of it’s benefits and living free from oppressive rule. Another early explorer was **John Cabot** who voyaged to New England, Newfoundland and Labrador. Cabot was actually an italian explorer, his real name bring Giovanni Caboto; however, he is most commonly recognized by the English translation, John Cabot. Sources believe that Cabot was inspired to find a new route to the Indies after having horrible relations with Arab traders in his home port of Venice. Like Columbus, Cabot lived believing he was in the Indies as he landed in the New World. He did realize his attempts at finding a Northwest Passage had failed though, as he encountered icebergs and snow. Regardless, he claimed the new lands for King Henry VII, and was granted the opportunity to return to the area. The fate of Cabot’s final voyage is unknown as some scholars argue that he returned to England, while others believe there is no record to suggest he successfully returned (thinkquest). In addition to John Cabot, **Givoanni de Verrazano** was an explorer who charted the New York Harbor area. Another sailor who preferred the northern seas was **Jacques Cartier** who was an explorer of Canada. Though Cartier explored Canada, the settlement of Quebec was began by **Samuel De Champlain**. Quebec quickly began an outpost of a successful fur trading business with the Native Americans, ensuring harmony with the natives and an excellent source of income, as furs were in high demand amongst fashionistas and the affluent. Another French explorer was **Father Jacques Marquette** who sailed along the Mississippi River. Marquette was the chaplain and missionary on the voyage. During their travels, Marquette and the French crew encountered many Native American tribes who advised them about which routes to take. The expedition concluded after a Native Tribe warned the explorers that they were nearing Spanish territories. **Robert De La Salle** was another explorer who navigated the Mississippi River. Finally, another notable explorer of North America was **Henry Hudson** who explored the Canadian Hudson Bay and New York’s Hudson River (Thinkquest) (Watertown) (Butler) (NNDB) (EnchantedLearning) (Greatriverroad).
 * Pedro Alvarez Cabral,** of Portugal, was the first European to travel to Brazil in the 1500’s and also greatly influenced exploration. His voyage began with 13 ships, and he followed the path of Vasco de Gama across the ocean. Once in modern day Brazil, he claimed it for Portugal, naming it “Island of the True Cross”. After spending time in Brazil, Cabral continued his voyage. The latter part of his voyage was full of hardships, by the time he returned to Portugal in 1501, only 4 of the original 13 ships were still intact (Enchanted Learning).

 Together, these explorers and inventions gave way to the modern world as we know it. Without their sacrifices and journeys, humans may still be confined to the European countries today, under rules of kings, queens and lords under a feudal system. 

  Bibliography: "Famous Hispanics: Vasco Núñez De Balboa." //Coloquio Online//. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <__ @http://coloquio.com/famosos/balboa.html __>."Vasco Nunez De Balboa." // Thinkquest.org //. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/balboa.htm __>."Ponce De León : Florida's First Spanish Explorer." //Florida Center for Instructional Technology//. University of South Florida. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/de_leon/de_leon1.htm __>.Engels, Andre. "Discoverers Web: Ponce De Leon." //Technische Universiteit Eindhoven: Wiskunde & Informatica//. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/ponce.html __>. "Trade Routes to the East." //Welcome to Watertown Public Schools//. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <__ @http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/03ageofexploration/Trade_Routes_t.html __>.Butler, Chris. "FC79: The Rise of the Nation State during the Renaissance - The Flow of History." //Welcome - The Flow of History//. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <__ @http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/11/FC79 __>."Prince Henry the Navigator." //Thinkquest.org//. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/prince_henry_the_navigator.htm __>."Cabot." //Thinkquest.org//. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://library.thinkquest.org/4034/cabot.html __>."Giovanni Da Verrazano." //NNDB: Tracking the Entire World//. Soylent Communications. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <__ @http://www.nndb.com/people/852/000104540/ __>."Henry Hudson." //Thinkquest.org//. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://library.thinkquest.org/4034/hudson.html __>."Samuel De Champlain." //Enchantedlearning.com//. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <__ @http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/champlain.shtml __>."Jacques Marquette Biography." //Visitor's Guide to the Middle Mississippi River Valley//. Greatriverroad.com. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <__ @http://www.greatriverroad.com/pere/marquettebio.htm __>."Changes in Europe." //Welcome to Watertown Public Schools//. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <__ @http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/03ageofexploration/Chanes_in_Euro.html __>.Bellis, Mary. "Johannes Gutenberg - Printing Press." //Inventors//. About.com. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. Briney, Amanda. "Christopher Columbus - Biography of Christopher Columbus." //Geography Home Page - Geography at About.com//. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. . "Christopher Columbus Biography." //Biography.com//. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. . "Treaty of Tordesillas: 1494." //Then Again. . .// Web. 05 Sept. 2011. . "Ferdinand Magellan - Biography of Ferdinand Magellan." //Geography Home Page - Geography at About.com//. 05 May 2010. Web. 05 Sept. 2011.