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A plague that killed 25 million people in Europe, which was one-third of the population. It was spread by international trade.
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Major improvements were made in sailing ships. This helped ships to sail more efficiently and effectively.
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The long-lost map of the world was drawn by Ptolomey in the second century, and rediscovered in western Europe. Today it is the best existing map of the world. This makes Columbus believe that he will be able to go to Asia by sailing west from Europe.
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Prince Henry the Navigator creates a School of Navigation and an exploration base on Cape St. Vincent in Portugal. This school helps give navigators more knowledge.
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Caravels are small, light, and fast Portuguese sailing ships. This allowed an Asian ship to enter the Atlantiv Ocean by rounding the Cape of Good Hope.
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The auctioning of black slaves happen for the first time. This takes place in Portugal.
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The great Christian city, Constantinople is captured. Some historians use this date as the beginning of the Renaissance period.
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Navigating by the stars is improved greatly over earlier eras. This causes sea navigation to improve.
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Christopher Columbus discovers the West Indies in the New World. He also learns that the compass changes direction as longitude changes. Moslems leave the Spanish. Leonardo Da Vinci draws a plan for a flying machine.
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The Treaty of Tordesillas is established. This divides undiscovered lands between Spain and Portugal.
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Christopher Columbus discovers the American continent. Although, he believes it is part of Asia.
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Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama, and discovers the Pacific Ocean. Also, Ponce de Leon lands in France.
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Smallpox is brought by the Europeans through international trade. Smallpox starts to wipe out native populations in the Americas.
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Giovanni Verrazano explores the coast of North America for France.
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Sir Francis Drake is the first Englishman is circumnavigate the globe. The voyage started in 1577 and ended 1580.
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I chose these fifteen events because they are all related in some way to improving navigation and exploring. Also, there are some effects of exploration like disease, and needing to use slaves. These all lead to a major accomplishment of the first circumnavigation of the world by an Englishman.
