Exploration: Beginnings of Colonization

Geography:

In the middle of the 15
th
century, the Europeans wanted to conquer the farthest lands on
earth. Before the Age Exploration which began in the 16
th
century, the world as known by the
West was confined mostly to Europe. Contacts with people from others lands from the time of
crusades to the travel of Marco Polo, Europeans wanted to know more about the lands beyond
their continent and to obtain the riches of the orient. Following restriction by the monopolies of
Italian city states and the obstacles to the East posed by Ottoman Turks, Spain and Portugal
began to look for a watery route to Asia and its riches. Located at the far Western of Europe,
these two countries had the geographical disadvantage of being too far from the hubs trade with
the East like Venice and Constantinople where costly oriental products were being landed. The
search for another way to the East served to avoid the Turks and other Muslim rulers who
heavily taxed caravans carrying goods across their territories. The move to find another route to
the East took place when Europe was experiencing an intellectual and technological revival.
Bigger ships like the carrack were built for longer voyages. Instruments such as the sextant and
compass were used. Marines who sailed within sight of land were no longer confined to sailing
near the shores but ventured further out to the ocean. Their new discoveries enriched
The science of cartography or map-making. Maps made by Mercator were very much sought.
These developments would not be possible without the support of the leaders of Portugal and
Spain which were both seeking access to the treasures of the Orient and territories to colonize.

Brief History
One of the most famous explorers was Prince Henry the navigator, the son of the king of
Portugal. He was responsible for the early explorations sent by Portugal, particularly in Africa.
Though he actually never participated in any expedition, Prince Henry supported Portuguese
expeditions exploring the western coast of Africa which culminated in the discovery of the Cape
of Good Hope and route to India. However in 1415 Portuguese under Prince Henry took the city
of Ceuta in North Africa. After liberating more than a thousand Christian slaves, the prince made
it his mission to conquer the Moors and all the Muslims of Africa. He also learned that gold was
being traded in Ceuta. At first they believed that the gold originated from India. Meanwhile,
Portuguese explorations continued. In 1488, Bartholomeu Dias reached the Cape of storms
which are so named because of the stormy climate and turbulent seas. In 1498, Vasco Nunez da
Gama rounded the cape and reached the eastern coast of Africa. From there he obtained a pilot
who guided them to Calicut, India. In 1510, Alfonso de Albuquerque reached the rich Malayan
trading port of Malacca. From there, Portuguese explorers finally reached the sources of much
desired spices in Tidore and Ternate in the Moluccas.

Portuguese Conquest of Brazil
While trying to reach India, the Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral discovered Brazil
in 1500. Wealthy noblemen settled in the new colony as they were given tracts of land for
cultivation by the King of Portugal. In the middle of the 1500s, 15 towns have been established
by the shores of Brazil where missionaries built schools and churches for the native.
Spain in the Period of Colonization

Christopher Columbus took his proposal to Spain. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave
Columbus funds to form a small flotilla of caravels named Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria which
served as his flagship. The Expedition left the Canary Islands on September 06 1942 and sailed
westward across the Atlantic. Columbus men were nervous because they could not find land and
feared going over the edge of the earth. On October 12, 1942 the lookout on the Pinta sighted the
first glimpse of land; they reached the island of San Salvador. Columbus thought he had reached
Cipangu or Japan but he seriously underestimates the circumference of the earth. After
Columbus visit the island of Hisponiola, his flagship the Santa Maria was wrecked. The he return
to Spain bringing with him some Arawaks whom he presented as Indians. The Columbus
returned to America in 1943 and 1948 to establish settlements in Hispaniola. He and his brother
were poor administrator and were tried. He pardoned and allowed to lead another expedition in
1502 up to his death, and Columbus continued believe that he reached Asia and not aware that
his discovery was entirely new continent. And in 1507 German cartographer named the new
continent as America after Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was an Italian navigator who sailed for
both Spain and Portugal made colorful account of his travels.

The Treaty of Tordesillas

With the discovery of new lands, Spain and Portugal argued about which country should obtain
colonies. Both counties sought mediation from Pope Alexander V1 to agree on the boundaries of
discovery and ownership of land. The Pope establish an imaginary line of demarcation in the
Atlantic in which spain was given possession of lands already discovered and to be discovered
West of Europe while Portugal was to have the lands east of this line. The decision was seen as
Unacceptable by Portugal. In 1494, the representative of Spain and Portugal drew an imaginary
this line 370 leagues or about miles west of the Azores Islands. All lands west of his line should
belong to Spain while lands in the east should belong to Portugal.

Spanish Colonization
Spain continued to explore and establish colonies in the Americans. In 1508, Ponce de leon
explored and establish a colony in Puerto Rico. In 1513 he moved northwards in research for the
legendry fountain of youth and discovered florida. In 1519 Portuguese explore Ferdinand
Magellan sailed into the Pacific under Spanish funding, wanting to discover another Western
route leading to Asia. Although Magellan was killed in the Philippines, his successor el Cano
commanded the ship voyage and led the men back to Europe.


Economics

Before the fifteenth century, European states enjoyed a long history of trade with
places in the Far East, such as India and China. This trade introduced luxury goods
Such as cotton, silk, and spices to the European economy. New technological
Advancements in maritime navigation and ship construction allowed Europeans to travel
farther and explore parts of the globe that were previously unknown. This, in turn,
provided Europeans with an opportunity to locate luxury goods, which were in high
demand, thereby eliminating Europes dependency on Eastern trade. In many ways,
the demand for goods such as sugar, cotton, and rum fueled the expansion of European
Empires and their eventual use of slave labor from Africa. Europes demand for luxury
goods greatly influenced the course of the transatlantic slave trade.
During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries small groups financed by private
businesses carried out the first phase of European exploration. Members of the noble
or merchant class typically funded these early expeditions. Over time, as it became
clear that global exploration was extremely profitable, European states took on a
primary role. The next phase of exploration involved voyages taken in the name of a
particular empire and monarch (e.g., France or Spain). The Iberian empires of Spain
and Portugal were some of the earliest states to embark on new voyages of exploration.
In addition to seeking luxury goods, the Spanish empire was driven by its quest for
American silver.

Spiritual
One of the tenets of Catholicism decreed that Christianity ought to be the
Universal religion and faith among all mankind. The Crusades in the centuries
preceding the Age of Exploration exposed Europeans to new places, people, and
goods. It also reflected the zealous nature of medieval Christianity and foreshadowed
the fervent missionary work that would form a major part of all early global expeditions.
The pope played an important and validating role in these voyages by sanctioning and
encouraging worldwide exploration. This often included the approbation of enslaving
Africans and indigenous peoples. Missionaries were frequently a part of the early
expeditions of Spain with the aim of bringing Christianity to the native inhabitants.
Europeans typically viewed indigenous populations as barbaric heathens who could
only become civilized through the adoption of Christianity.

Contribution to the world of History
A long term impact to the world was the discovery of Americas by Christopher Columbus in
1942 and the equally important of voyages of Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan into the
Indian and Pacific oceans, not only injected European, sea power into new areas of the world but
also vastly extended the maritime trade network until for the first time it literally encircled the
globe.

Politics:
Spain established a central government in America. They divided the land into provinces, the
king elected a viceroy who would carry out his policies in each province. The Spanish
Government gifted the conquistadores with land called encomienda which permitted this
conquistadors to let works till the fields and collect taxes from the Indians who settled in their
territories.

Analysis & Conclusion:
Though the desire to simply explore the unknown and discover new knowledge is a typical
human trait, the world's famous explorers often lacked the funding needed for a ship, supplies,
and a crew to get underway on their journeys. As a result, many turned to their respective
governments which had their own desires for the exploration of new areas.
Many nations were looking for goods such as silver and gold but one of the biggest reasons for
exploration was the desire to find a new route for the spice and silk trades. As when Ottoman
Empire took control of Constantinople in 1453, it blocked European access to the area, severely
limiting trade. It also blocked access to North Africa and the Red Sea, two very important trade
routes to the Far East. The first journeys is related with the Age of Discovery were conducted by
the Portuguese under Prince Henry the Navigator. These voyages were different than those
previously conducted by the Portuguese because they covered a much larger area. Earlier seamen
relied on portolan charts which are maps created for navigators based off of land features.
Because these charts relied on the ability to see land, the voyages prior to those conducted by
Prince Henry stayed along the coastlines. Also during their voyages Christopher Columbus his
voyages start to find a trade route to Asia by sailing west. And he reach America in 1492 and he
shared information on the newly found land with Spain and the rest of Europe. The Portuguese
explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral explored Brazil, setting off a conflict between Spain and Portugal
in terms of the newly claimed lands so the Pope established a imaginary line,as the Treaty of
Tordesillas. My conclusion is
Even though much of the travel during the Age of Exploration was done in an effort to find new
trade routes, it has a significant impact on geography because traveling those different regions
around the globe help us to learn more about areas like Africa and the America. In learning more
about such places, explorers were able to bring knowledge of a larger world back to Europe.
However these explorations often brought various new class and new cultures of people to light.
As Cook's voyages brought back a significant amount of information from previously unvisited
parts of the world. I like also the method of Navigator on his expedition that he used
traditional portolan charts which kept them tied to the shoreline. And many more information or
startegies that you can learn that they have used during their exploration. These Exploration
served as a stepping stone for geographic knowledge. It allowed us as student to see and study
various areas around the world which increased geographic study, giving us the basis for much
of the knowledge we have today and I think not only us but to all people in the world. As The
world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.Augustine of Hippo.
REFERENCES:

Badilles Dinocio, Social Studies in Perspective 3, Philippines copyright 2006 by diwa Scholastic
press Inc.
Companies Mcgraw-Hill, National Geographic Society, Copyright 2001
Duiker, William J. The essential world History, Copyright 2002 Thomson learning, Inc.
























Jenny N. Pugong
Bse 2D
World History
Maam: Gigy T. Guma-banes
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