Age of Exploration

By JRuizG
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    Age of Exploration

    The age of exploration was the period of time when European sailors began to seek new trade routes.
  • 1450

    Technology Improvement

    Caravel: a ship that could move in and out of small bays and harbours easily thanks to the lateen sails.
    Compass: it helped sailors to find the way as it always points north.
    Astrolabes and Quadrants: it was used to work out the ship’s latitutde by studying the position of the stars in the night sky.
    Portoln Charts: early navigational maps of the sea showing the shaoe of the coastline and the depth of the water.
    Log, line and knots: Sailors worked out the speed and distance travelled.
  • 1453

    Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople

    After the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople, trade with China through the Great Silk Road became more complicated and costly as Muslims and Christians were enemies.
  • 1487

    Bartolomeu Dias

    Bartolomeu Dias becomes the first European sailor to reach the bottom of Africa.
  • 1492

    Columbus Exploration

    For three months, Columbus explored the Caribbean sea and returned to Spain having discovered Cuba and Hispañola.
  • Period: 1492 to

    Death

    Native population in Central and South America decreased by 42 million to 8 million.
    One of the major reasons for this was European deseases like influenza and smallpox.
  • Period: Aug 3, 1492 to Oct 12, 1492

    Columbus Voyage

    Columbus set sail with two caravels: Niña and Pinta; and a nao: Santa Maria.
    He did not arrive in Asia but went ashore in San Salvador.
  • 1494

    Treaty of Tordesillas

    Spain and Portugal agreed to split the world in two. For this reason Brazilians speak Portuguese and the rest of Central and South America speak Spanish.
  • May 20, 1498

    Vasco da Gama

    Vasco da Gama became the first European sailor to reach India by sailing around Africa.
  • Period: 1500 to

    Slavery

    11 million Africans were brought to the Americas.
    4 million were brought to Brazil.
    2.5 million to New Spain.
  • 1507

    America

    The continent of America was named after Amerigo Vespucci.
  • Period: 1519 to 1522

    Around the World

    Ferdinand Magellan set sail to travel around the world.
  • Period: 1519 to 1522

    Conquest: Cortés

    Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire in modern day Mexico with an army.
    The Aztec Empire became a Spanish colony and was renamed New Spain.
  • Period: 1532 to 1572

    Conquest: Pizarro

    Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire with 180 men.
  • Period: 1550 to

    European Powers

    English Queen Elisabeth I allowed English pirates, Sir Francis Drake andSir Walter Raleigh, attacked Spanish convoys carrying wealth back to Spain from the New World.