The Age of Exploration
(also called the Age of Discovery) began in the 1400s (i.e., 15th
Century CE) around the same period as the renaissance. It was a period when the
European nations began exploring the world. They discovered new routes to
India, much of the Far East, and the Americas bringing several impacts on their
explored routes.
The Age of Enlightenment (The
period of inventions and discoveries)
The period saw several developments of new
technologies and ideas leading to inventions of cartography (map-making),
navigation (compass and sailing), and shipbuilding.
European Explorers and
the ‘New World’
Several European
countries ventured into exploration sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on a
better crafted ‘caravel’ ships which helped the explorers enhanced their
ventures more swiftly, leading to the discovery of several new land including America
which they termed as ‘New World.’ Portuguese began the exploration followed by
Spanish, French, Netherland and British. The European exploration were due to
the following reasons:
- Curiosity- people wondered
who and what else was out there in the world.
- Hunt for Wealth/resources-
many
people explored in order to find their fortune.
- Fame- some people
wanted to go down as a great name in history.
- National pride- More the
exploration, more authority gathered by a country.
- Religion- Spread and bring
about increasing numbers of Christianity followers.
- Foreign Goods- Increase the
exchange of goods to generate profit.
- Better Trade
Routes- Better trade routes offered greater
opportunities of accumulation of resources needed in the country.
Prince Henry, The
Navigator
The exploration of the
world was led by the Portuguese who discovered several trade routes over the
oceans and the new land. Among the notable leaders in exploration, the Portuguese
Prince Henry (called ‘Henry, The Navigator’) initiated the maritime
trade with other continents. His exploration took place mainly at the West
Coast of African continent.
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Christopher Columbus and
America
Christopher Columbus, an
Italian navigator, was supported by Spanish Kingdom landed in America by 1492.
After his return to Europe, the news of his ‘new found land’ was reported to
the Spanish Monarchs. Columbus returned to Europe with numbers of Native
Americans and loads of resources. Few of Columbus’s men remained back in
America and started the settlement.
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Vasco Da Gama and India
Vasco Da Gama, a Portuguese
navigator sailed along the Western African Coast, crossing the Cape of Good
Hope (Southern Tip of Africa) and sailing across Indian Ocean and, finally
reached at Calicut (in Kerala) in the Southern India by 1497. His exploration
opened the new routes towards Asian lands which were to be followed by the
other European explorers, as far as Far East China.
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