European Exploration use 2.1

What two experiences stirred European interest in foreign travel?

• Going on pilgrimages to Holy Lands and reading the Travels of Marco Polo

• Trading goods with foreign lands and exploring new territories

• Learning about the Silk Road and the Reconquista

• Reading about the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan

Why were Europeans interested in China and the East Indies?

• They desired goods from foreign lands

• They wanted to spread Christianity to new regions

• They were fascinated by the culture and traditions of those lands

• They were looking for new places to establish colonies

What are merchants?

• A new class of people who made a living by buying and selling goods

• Religious leaders who went on pilgrimages to Holy Lands

• Explorers who sailed to new territories

• Artisans who created goods to trade

What is Navigation?

• The science of guiding a boat

• The act of exploring new lands

• The process of trading goods with foreign countries

• The study of different cultures and societies

Why was the trade route with eastern Asia called the Silk Road?

• Silk from China was a highly valued product that was traded

• The road was made of silk and connected Europe to Asia

• The Chinese used silk to navigate the route

• The road was guarded by silk-wearing soldiers

What is Reconquista?

• The violent recapturing of territory by the Spaniards

• The name of a famous explorer

• The process of establishing colonies in new lands

• The trade route between Europe and Asia

What role did the Ottoman Turks play in encouraging Europeans to seek trade routes that did not go through the Middle East?

• After getting control of Constantinople, they cut off most European trade through the Middle East

• They sponsored explorers to find new trade routes

• They introduced new technologies for navigation

• They established colonies in the Americas

How do countries today compete like in the Age of Exploration?

• They compete for land and riches

• They engage in religious pilgrimages

• They focus on scientific discoveries

• They form alliances for mutual benefit

How did Marco Polo and Prince Henry of Portugal each help encourage the growth of trade?

• Polo’s book interested people in trade with Asia. Prince Henry sponsored explorers, encouraging them to find new trade routes

• Polo and Prince Henry were famous merchants who traded with Asia

• Polo and Prince Henry were explorers who discovered new lands for trade

• Polo’s book inspired Europeans to become merchants and trade with Asia

What might have disappointed Columbus about the lands he reached in the Americas?

• They did not contain the riches of the East Indies

• The people were not friendly towards the Europeans

• The climate was too harsh for colonization

• The lands were already claimed by other European powers