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History Notes

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9 views5 pages

History Notes

Uploaded by

likelymelyv
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Modern age

I .......... I

In the 15th century, Europe was poor compared to other civilisations such as India or China. The
European continent was slowly recovering from the severe crisis of the mid 14th century.

Europe in e 15 century


The population grew slowly due to:
• high birth and death rates. The infant mortality rate was also high.
• A low life expectancy due to epidemics, famines, harvest and wars.

Society during e 15 century

Privileged states
nobility and clergy

Non privileged states


Merchants
rural landowners
day labourers
Beggars
Slaves

Economy
The main economic activities were agriculture and livestock farming.
Guilds controlled crafts and most trades was carried in local markets. Only luxury and silk were
trade over long distances.

Trade wi f east

Silk, porcelain and spices (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc) were highly valued. Silk was made in China and exported in large
quantities.
Spices were grown in Sri Lanka and bought by Venetian to later sold them in Europe at high prices.
Developments
↑

S
I "
.. .
..
, ,

Several factors drove exploration in the second half of the 15th century

New trade routes

In 1453, the Turks conquered Constantinople , the gateway to Europe for many luxury goods from the East. This event ended the Byzantine empire
and disrupted the European trade along with the Silk Road. Merchants to find alternative routes.

There was also a great interest in exploration as new way to find new opportunities and become famous. This was triggered by the spread of travel
books, for example “The travels of Marco Polo”

During this time, there were some instruments use to make navigation easier, such as:

The astrolabe and quadrant: determined the latitude by measuring the altitude de of the sun or the pole star above the horizon. This
was an approximately measurement.

The log and sandgla: were used together to measure the speed of the ship.

Compa: came from Europe to the Middle East. It had a magnetised needle which always pointed to the north so that it was possible to navigate
without using the coasts.
·

Portuguese expeditions
......................

From the early 15th, Portugal wanted to find a trade route to India. This wouldn’t be the same as the trades routes across the
Mediterranean routes that were used by the Italians and Arabs merchants. They believed that in this way they could control the silk and
·

spices trades with far east. Henry the Navigator, the son of the king of Portugal led the expedition.
The prince had to overcome difficulties such as the inexperience of sailors and the fear of sailing South Africa p.

He made his base in the village of sagres, in southwest Portugual. He brought cartographers, strongmen’s and shipbuilders.
They received training for the voyage and made accurate maps for their time.

The first voyages


The Portuguese gradually advance with their mission. In the first third of the 15th century they conquered Ceuta (1415) and reach the
islands of maidera (1419) and the Azores (1431), which became resting places for voyages to the African coast.
They navigated to cape bajador in 1434 and occupied the Cape Verde (1446) and entered the Gulf of Guinea (1460).

In 1482 ,Diego cão arrived at the mouth of the Congo river.


In 1488, Bartolomeu Días reached the cape of good hope at the southern tip of Africa.

1415 = ceuta conquest


1419 = Portuguese reached the island of maidera
1431 = the Azores conquest
1434 = navigate to the cape of bajador
1446 = occupied Cape Verde
1460 = entered the gulf of New Guinea
1482 = Diego cão arrived at the mouth of the Congo river
1488 = Bartolomeus Días reached the cape of good hope at the southern
tip of Africa

Arrival in India and Brazil


In 1497, a fleet under the command of Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon.
Ten months later it reached India and then Portuguese mission was competed.
The expeditions of castilla
..........................

Cristobal colon wanted to reached Asia by sailing west. He presented his plan to the king of Portuguese who rejected it. Colon took it to the Reyes católicos
who agreed to finance an expedition.

The fleet (which consists in 3 ships called; Santa María, Niña y Pinta) set sail on 3rd august of 1492 from Palas de la Frontera (Huelva) and arrived in the
American coast on 12 October of 1492 in the island of guahani,

before returning to Europe, they travelled to Juana (Cuba) and the Hispanolia (Dominican republic and Haiti). Colon thought that he was in Cipango (Japan)
but the earth was larger than the thought.

In the early 16th, Americo vespucio (an Italian navigator) proved that the lands were not part of Asia. In honor, the continent was called “America”

The first voyage ound e world

In 1519an expedition led by fernando de Magallanes left Sevilla to find a route between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific
Ocean to reach the Moluccas islands, known as the spices islands.

In 1520, the expedition crossed the strait that joined the two ocean. Calling it “Estrecho de Magallanes”

They continued across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines, where Magallanes.

In 1521, they arrived in the moluccas islands.

Juan Sebastian Elcano returned to Spain in 1522, sailing through Africa, in that way completing the first voyage around
the world. .

Rivalry between Castilla and Portugal

The rivalry between Castilla and Portugal led the Reyes católica os to ask for help to the pope to resolve this conflict, and decided who
had rights over the new lands. At the end, they came to an agreement without the pope help and signed the Treaty of Tordesillas in
1494. Which established a line of division between the castillian and portuguese territories. The land to the west of the meridian
belong to castilla, and the lands of the east of the meridian to Portugal.

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