European expansion in North America

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European expansion in North America
In 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America.
In the 50 years that followed this discovery,
England, Portugal, Spain, France and Italy all
launched expeditions to explore the American
Continent.
Why was it suddenly popular for Europeans to
explore the New World?
1) Advances in technology
2) A need to expand
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European expansion in North America
Why was exploration of the New World possible
after 1492?
New advances in technology made exploration safer!
By 1450 Europe was undergoing the Renaissance or
rebirth. During this time great advances were
made in art and technology. Some of the advances
that impacted sea exploration were
Better ships Ship designers discovered how to
make better and stronger sails that would allow
for long distance travel. These sails allowed
ships to be built bigger, so many sailors,
weapons and provisions could be stored on board
for long journeys.
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European expansion in North America
Question Which boat would you rather cross the
stormy Atlantic in?
Mediterranean galley
Caravel
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European expansion in North America
Better instruments During the Renaissance,
scientists and explorers developed a better
understanding of astronomy (study of the stars
and their locations). The astrolabe was an
invention that allowed sailors to determine their
latitude (how far they were from the equator) by
using the stars for directions.
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European expansion in North America
Question Imagine I dropped you in the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean in a row boat. How would you
get back to land? How would you know if you were
rowing in circles?
Better instruments continued The compass became
a valuable navigational tool. It allowed sailors
to maintain their course even when there were no
landmarks to help them steer straight.
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European expansion in North America
Better Maps As new technology allows sailors to
navigate with better accuracy, it also allows
them to make better maps so that those explorers
who follow them have better information on what
has already been explored.
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European expansion in North America
Why was exploration of the New World so important
after 1492?
Countries needed to expand.
Kings and queens wanted to explore because they
were broke! After centuries of war with each
other and with Muslims in the Crusades, European
rulers needed to find a new source of wealth.
They hoped to find gold and riches in the New
World.
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European expansion in North America
Explorers like Christopher Columbus and Jacques
Cartier were hoping for fame and fortune. These
adventurers were willing to risk many dangers in
their expeditions into the unknown.
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European expansion in North America
Merchants were looking for new trade routes to
Asia.
WHY?
In 1453 the trade route between Europe and Asia
was blocked when Muslims captured Constantinople.
Suddenly Europeans had to find a new way to
travel to China and India. The only other option
was to travel by sea.
What was so darn important in India China?
Europeans grew to love many products from China
and India, such as luxurious silk fabrics, tea
and spices. This may sound silly, but how do you
think we would react if suddenly all electronic
devices disappeared?
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CONCLUSION
The New World was discovered BY ACCIDENT. What
explorers were really looking for was China and
India. What they found was North and South
America!