2.2 The European expansion begins

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Discovery and conquest

§ 2.2| The European Expansion begins

You will soon see a source explaining why Columbus is going on his voyage.

What are these reasons?

What reason did Columbus have for his voyage?

The first voyages

The Portuguese 'Hendrik the seafarer' went on a voyage of discovery. 

8 years later they found gold on the Gold Coast, Ghana and founded fort Elmina.

This was the beginning of the European expansion, the expansion of the European influence all over the world..

Cape of Good Hope

1434 Beyond Cape Bojador

1442 Gold in Ghana

1488 Beyond Cape of Good Hope

1498 India discovered via a southern route.

* Knowledge must remain secret!

Spain after Portugal

1492: Spain sends Columbus to find a route to Asia.

Columbus

After the discovery of America by Columbus

Spain and Portugal's Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Result: Spaniards mainly focus on America

Portuguese mainly focus on Africa and Asia.

Dutch voyages of discovery

The route through the north

After Portugal fell into the hands of Spain (and thus also became an enemy of the Netherlands), the Dutch were banned from Spanish and Portuguese ports.

in 1594 the Dutch tried to find their own route, via the north.

This failed after a stranding on the island of Nova Zembla.

film tip: 'nova zembla'

Dutch voyages of discovery

The route through the south

In 1594 the Dutchman Cornelis de Houtman was sent with crew to find the way to East Asia.

2 years later they reach Bantam, a Portuguese trading post on Java, Indonesia.

Soon more ships left for the East.

Why didn't the Portuguese use the land route to buy merchandise from the Indies?

1. The land route to the Indies was not yet known at that time.
2. The land route was long and dangerous, no profit could be made from it.
3. The land route was blocked by the Ottomans.

Why was the work of cartographers (map makers) a state secret?

1. Other countries could benefit from the knowledge of the trade routes
2. Their lives would be endangered by attacks from enemy ships
3. The cards are otherwise used without payment.

Drag the right countries to the right destination

The Republic

Spain

Portugal

Discovery and conquest

§ 2.2| The European Expansion begins

exercises 5 to 9

Done? Do the 'test yourself' page 52