Exploration+from+1450+to+1525

Nina von Nyssen

Explain how economic, technological, political, and religious factors promoted European explorations from about 1450 to about 1525.  Thesis: From 1450 to 1525, European exploration was promoted by strong centralized monarchies, improved technology such as the astrolabe, a dream of finding riches, and the devout belief that it was the duty of Europeans to convert natives from their unholy paganism.  I. Economic Factors · Wanted to find precious metals · Wanted to find new areas of trade, especially for spices · To “serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness, and to grow rich, as all me desire to do”  II. Technological Factors · Portolani- detailed charts made by medieval navigators and mathematicians in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries · Axial rudder for ships · Combine the use of lateen sails with a square rig · New ships could sail against the wind and engage in naval warfare · Portugal’s ships could mount cannons on their ships, giving them a huge advantage · Compass · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Astrolabe · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Growing knowledge of wind patterns <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">III. Political Factors · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Centralized monarchies made organization of voyages possible <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 38.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -20.25pt;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Monarchies were capable of funding such voyages <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 38.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -20.25pt;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prince Henry founded a school for navigation <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 38.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -20.25pt;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">States such as Portugal who couldn’t win wars of expansion in Europe, sought to expand elsewhere <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">IV. Religious Factors <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 38.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -20.25pt;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prince Henry the Navigator encouraged his men to spread Catholicism <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 38.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -20.25pt;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Columbus sailed for Ferdinand and Isabella, who were devout Catholics and demanded that he convert the natives <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 38.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -20.25pt;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cortes, sailing for Spain, believed converting the natives was his duty