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Jan 1, 1415
Prince Henry sponsors exploration for Portugal
Henry led the way in sponsoring exploration for Portugal. He saw great promise in Africa and sought new ways of traveling there. By 1415, Portugal expanded into Muslim North Africa. -
Jan 1, 1440
The caravel is developed
The light caravel was a new type of ship created in the 1400s. It easily maneuvered along coasts and was able to travel long distances. -
Jan 1, 1450
The Chinese develop the magnetic compass
This compass uses an iron needle, magnetized by lodestone, to direct people on their voyages. Navigators used it to chart courses most accurately. -
Period: Jan 1, 1450 to
Advances in Exploration
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Jan 1, 1488
Bartholomeu Dias sails for Portugal
Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa which came to be known as the Cape of Good Hope because it opened the way for a sea rout to Asia. -
Aug 3, 1492
Christopher Columbus sails for Spain
Columbus sailed out with 3 small ships and spent many months cruising the Caribbean. He thought he had reached the Indies, so he called the natives "Indians." When he returned to Spain in 1493, he was considered a hero. -
Jan 1, 1497
Vasco da Gama sails for Portugal
Da Gama sailed 4 ships around the Cape of Good Hope. He reached the great spice port of Calicut on the west coast of India. When he returned home, he sold his cargo of spices for an enormous profit. -
Sep 20, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan sails for Spain
Magellan, a portuguese nobleman, set out to find a way to reach the Pacific Ocean. He eventually found a passage that came to be known as the Strait of Magellan. The ships emerged into Balboa's South Sea, which Magellan renamed the Pacific. -
Jan 1, 1521
Hernán Cortés takes Tenochtitlán
Spanish explorers like Cortés sought gold and other riches along the coasts of the Americas. He and his Indian allies captured and demolished Tenochtitlán in 1521. Then, they built Mexico City on top of the ruins. -
Jan 1, 1560
Abraham Ortelius produces an accurate map
This geographer came up with a map that showed all of the continents with their correct shapes. -
Jan 1, 1570
Spain takes over the Philippines
While the Portuguese and the Dutch battled for power in Asia, Spain captured the Philippines. They set out to covert the native people to Christianity. The Philippines became a major link in Spain's oversea trading empire. -
Jan 1, 1580
The African slave trade expands
In the 1500s and the 1600s, Europeans began to realize how important African slaves were to their society. It was very profitable for several countries. Europeans bought large numbers of slave to work on their plantations and, in wealthy areas, as their exotic servants. -
The Dutch compete for Asian trade
In the 1600s, Dutch leaders sought to drive Portuguese power out of India. In 1602, they set up the Dutch East India Company which had a great deal of power. Later in 1641, the Dutch captured Malacca from the Portuguese and started trade with China. Then, they set up a monopoly in the Spice Islands. -
European presence in Africa grows
The British and French had both reached Africa by the mid-1600s. In the late 1700s, stories about Britain's search for the Nile's source sparked an interest in Africa for Europeans. As more and more of them traveled to Africa, the population grew drastically. -
African states are affected by the slave trade
In the 1600s and 1700s, new African states arose. Since so many people were being taken, villages were wiped out. They needed to find a way to recreate their lives. New states came about, and others grew. -
Lord Macartney of Britain arrives in China
Macartney was on a mission to begin trade with the Chinese. He brought samples of British goods to trade. However, the Chinese saw them as inferior and denied their request.
