Age of Exploration

1.     What did most people in Europe believe about the world in 1400?

Most people believed that the world was flat and that the Mediterranean sea was the centre of that world.

2.  What were the main goods traded between Europe and the East in the 1400’s?

Spices, silk.

3.  Why were spices so important?

Spices were very important for adding flavour to food and rich people were prepared to pay for these spices.

4.  Why were sailors afraid to travel far out to sea?

Sailors were convinced they would fall over the edge of the world. They were afraid of giant sea-monsters. Their ships were not very strong and could easily sink in a storm.

5.  What was an astrolabe used for?

Astrolabe was used to find your exact location using the lines of latitude.

6.  How was the speed of a ship measured?

Speed was measured in knots by tying a large piece of wood to a rope.

7.  Explain why the caravel ship was so different from previous ships.

The caravel had square and triangular sails. It had a rudder. It had a strong wooden deck. It was made of strong wood and the planks of wood were edge to edge. Overall it was safer, faster and stronger.

8.  Explain why Prince Henry the Navigator was so important.

Prince Henry lived in Portugal and was the first person to set up a special school in which sailors got proper training. The school was in a place called Sagres.

9.  List the main reasons why some Europeans wanted to explore new lands.

To become rich by finding gold and silver. To find new lands for their country to control. To find new people to convert to the Christian religion. To prove that the world was round. For the majority of ordinary sailors it was just a job.

10.  Why was Diaz so important?

Diaz was a sailor from Portugal who was the first one to sail to the very southern tip of the continent of Africa. He named the tip the Cape of Good Hope.

11.  Why was Da Gama so important?

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese sailor who was the first person to sail all around the tip of southern Africa and across the Indian Ocean to India.

12.  Where was Columbus born?

Genoa in Italy.

13.  Who sponsored his first great voyage?

Queen Isabella of Spain.

14.  How did Marco Polo influence Columbus?

Marco Polo had travelled to China as a teenager and had spent 17 years there. On his return a book was written that described all the wonders of China. Columbus read this book called “The travels of Marco Polo”. He too wanted to travel to the East.

15.  What did Columbus hope to achieve?

He hoped to reach China and the east by a faster and safer route. He was going to sail directly west to get to the east in a few weeks.

16.  When and where did Columbus set sail from on his first voyage?

Left Palos in Spain in August 1492.

17.  Name his three ships.

Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria.

18.  What did Columbus call the first island he came to in October?

San Salvador which means “our saviour” in thanks to God for having reached land safely.

19.  What did Columbus call the native people of the islands?

Indians

20.  How many voyages did Columbus make overall?

He made 4 voyages in total. His second one was the largest with 17 ships.

21.  Where was Magellan born?

Magellan was born in Spain.

22.  Which King gave him 5 ships?

King Philip of Spain and the aim of the voyage was to sail around south America and across the ocean to reach India. He called this the Pacific Ocean.

23.  What were some of the main problems faced by Magellan on his voyage ?

The crew of one ship turned back. Another ship was wrecked. Many of the men on the last 3 ships died from starvation in the Pacific ocean.

24.  Why did Magellan give the Pacific ocean this name?

After the storms and enormous waves of the bottom of South America, the ocean they sailed into was so peaceful that Magellan called it the Pacific.

25.  On what island was Magellan killed and explain how this happened?

He and 40 members of the crew were killed in the Philippine islands when they got involved in a local war.

26.  Who commanded the final voyage home and name the ship?

The only surviving ship was the Victoria and it was under the control of Captain Del Cano.

27.  What does the word circumnavigaton mean?

It means to completely sail around the world.

28.  What was agreed at the treaty of Tordesillas?

The Spanish and the Portuguese drew a line through South America and agreed that west of the line would be Spanish and east of the line would be Portuguese.

29.  What was a conquistadore?

Spanish soldiers who captured lands in south America and set up Spanish colonies.

30.  Where did the Aztecs once live?

Present day Mexico.

31.  Where did the Incas once live?

Present day Peru and high up in the Andes mountains.

32.  Write a paragraph about Cortez.

Cortes was a Spanish soldier. Brought horses and guns to Mexico. Aztecs thought a soldier on a horse was a new kind of being. Cortes made an alliance with the enemies of the Aztecs. Burned the main Aztec City and massacred the people. King of Spain then made him governor of new Spain (now called Mexico)

33.  Write a paragraph about Pizarro?

Pizarro a Spanish soldier. Heard about the Inca gold. Took 180 men and 37 horses to capture it. Inca king captured. Made Incans fill room with gold. King killed by Spanish. Pizarro captured city of Cuzco and established an empire.

34.  Why were the Spanish able to defeat the native Americans so easily?

They had horses, guns and armour.

35.  Why did millions of native Americans die?

Main reason was from disease. Also because of over-work due to forced labour. Many also died in wars fought against the Spanish.

36.  Why were African people brought to the Americas?

To work as slaves on the huge plantations and mines because so many of the native people had died or ran away.

Take the Revision Test
 Age of Exploration
Ships/NavigationColumbus

Early life

• Born in Genoa in Italy
• Read book on Travels of Marco Polo to China
• Wanted to sail to the East
• Was convinced world was round
• Decided to sail West

His preparations

• Needed to find sponsors
• Queen Isabella of Spain agreed
• Was able to get 3 ships
• Ships names - Santa Maria, Pinta, Nina
• Also had to find crews for each ship

Start of the voyage

• Preparations complete by August 1492
• Left port of Palos with great excitement
• First stop - Canary Islands
• Carried out some repairs
• Brought on board fresh supplies

Stage 2 of voyage

• Left Canary Islands September 1492
• Sailed west for weeks
• Columbus kept 2 log-books
• Did not wish to frighten the men
• Some sailors grew afraid
• Promised them to turn back if land not reached soon

Land at last

• October 12th 1492 - land spotted
• Columbus called island San Salvador
• Wrote about native people in his journal - called them “Indians”
• Spent next few months exploring Caribbean islands
• Santa Maria sank - wood used to build a fort
• Left nearly 40 men on island of Hispaniola

Return home to Spain

• Reached Spain in March 1493
• Received a great welcome
• Visited Queen Isabella immediately
• Brought back some native people
• Also brought parrots, coconuts, pineapple

His later Voyages

• Made 3 more voyages
• Brought 17 ships on second voyage
• Columbus became desperate to find gold
• Treated native people with great cruelty
• Sent back to Spain in shame
• Died a very unhappy man in 1506