1.2 The start of the Age of Discovery

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1.2 The start of the Age of Discovery

Three ships of Columbus (1492) on the famous voyage when he discovered a new continent (America)

Learning Goals

-Explain why trade over the Silk Route was so expensive

-Explain what a monopoly is

-Explain why Europeans wanted to find their own traderoutes

1.2 The start of the Age of Discovery

Three ships of Columbus (1492) on the famous voyage when he discovered a new continent (America)

Worldmap from around 1200 AD

Marco Polo

• Italian Merchant from Venice
• Traveled to Asia between 1271 and 1295 AD
• One of the first European discovers.

Trade goods from 

the east

• In the Late Middle Ages Europe traded a lot with Asia via the Middle East. 
• There was not a lot of knowledge about Asia in Europe at the time. 

Nutmeg (=nootmuskaat)

Pepper

Silk (=zijde) Type of fabric

Cinnamon (=kaneel)

What was the level of knowledge about Asia in Europe during the Late Middle Ages?

1. Limited
2. None
3. Extensive
4. In-depth

Which region connected Europe to Asia during the Late Middle Ages?

1. Middle East
2. Africa
3. South America
4. North America

What were the main trade goods from the east in the Late Middle Ages?

1. Spices
2. Wool
3. Pottery
4. Silk

Paying a high price

• Products from Asia travelled to Europe through the Middle East= Silk Route
• The middle men wanted to make a profit -> products became very expensive.

Arabian middle men took products from China to Europe

The Silk Route

Why was trade over the Silk Route so expensive?

1. Short distance, safe terrain, and no tolls
2. Efficient transportation and low taxes
3. Long distance, dangerous terrain, and middlemen
4. Low demand and low supply

Causes exploration

• Ottomans (Turks) had a monopoly on trade using the silk route.
• Now Europeans want new routes to the East (Asia)
• Invention of the compass and better ships. 

New type of ship: Carvello

What is a monopoly?

1. Exclusive control over a product or service
2. Sharing control over a product or service
3. Having multiple competitors in the market
4. Lack of control in the market

Which region were Europeans seeking new routes to?

1. North (Europe)
2. West (Americas)
3. East (Asia)
4. South (Africa)

What was one of the new inventions that aided exploration?

1. Steam engine
2. Compass
3. Printing press
4. Telescope

Who had a monopoly on trade using the silk route?

1. Ottomans (Turks)
2. Chinese
3. Arabs
4. Europeans

What was one of the factors that enabled Europeans to explore new routes?

1. Ottomans had a monopoly on trade using the silk route
2. Discovery of new trade goods
3. Invention of the compass and better ships
4. Increased demand for luxury goods

What was the reason Europeans wanted new routes to the East?

1. Ottomans had a monopoly on trade using the silk route
2. Invention of the compass and better ships
3. Exploration of new lands
4. Desire for cultural exchange

Why did Europeans want to find their own trade routes?

1. To bypass the expensive Silk Route and gain more profits
2. To strengthen diplomatic ties with other countries
3. To promote cultural exchange with Asia
4. To reduce their reliance on ocean voyages

Previous Lesson

Read: "Prince Henry the navigator": Explain who he was and what his role was during the age of exploration

In which continent did Prince Henry the Navigator focus his exploration efforts?

1. Europe
2. North America
3. Africa
4. Asia

   Portugese exploration

• Portugal tries to find a route around Africa.
•  In 1488 they reached Cape of Good Hope.
• In 1498 Vasco da Gama reaches India.

Read: "Vasco da Gama"
Explain who he was and what he is known for

Portugal World Power

• After the explorarions Portugal became dominant  in the spicetrade.
•  Portugal became a large naval power (large fleet). 

Make:

1.2:

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