Age of Discovery

Take notes as we

discuss the big ideas

of Lesson 1.

What contributed to the European age of
exploration and settlement in the Americas?

● Geographic

location

● New

technology

● New science

Why?

●Gold

○Byzantine empire falls; Ottoman Turks take control of
Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, Turkey)

○New sultan makes it more expensive and difficult to trade

●Glory

○Wars caused trade to decrease

○Monarchs that were fighting expensive wars, needed to
find new ways to pay for them

●God

○Missionaries spread Christianity

Technology Leads to

Exploration

● The Renaissance inspired new ideas and

inventions

● Philosophy, geometry, and geography gain

popularity

● Physics and mathematics helped with designing

new ships

● Printing press, compass, astrolabe and

hourglass made sailing possible!

Write one
question you have
about how and
why European
Exploration began.

Word Donut….

The

Portuguese

Lead the Way

Portuguese Trade Routes

●Portugal has few natural resources and is
reliant on trade.

●Portugal has a long Western coastline that
promoted sailing.

●Portuguese sailors noticed the wealth of
Indian Ocean traders and wanted their
own.

●Europe could not trade with India and
China without paying for trade through the
Middle East.

Indian Ocean
Difficulties

Monsoons in spring and
summer

Arab traders brought
violence along shores

Trading Post Benefits

●Allowed access for trade with China and Japan.

●Portuguese controlled all trade through the

Indian Ocean.

●Forced traders to pay a cartaz, license to trade.

This gave them control and great wealth.