The document discusses European exploration and colonization between the 14th and 18th centuries. It describes how Portugal, Spain, England, and France established large overseas empires through exploration and colonization. Portugal was the first to establish global trade routes and colonies in Africa, India, and Brazil. Spain's empire grew through the conquest of the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas. England's empire eventually became the largest in history, including territories in North America, India, Australia, and Africa. France also established colonies across multiple continents.

1. Essential Question: Why was exploration
and colonization important in the
development of Europe and the world?
SS6b: Trace the empires of Portugal, Spain, England, and
France in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
European Exploration and
Colonization
(European Empires)

2. Words to Know
Empire: group of territories or nations under a
single ruler or government
Imperialism: the practice of a larger country
growing stronger by taking over smaller
countries that have important natural resources.

3. Words to Know
Colonize: to send a group of settlers of a nation
to establish political control over the land and
the indigenous (native) people of that area

4. Empire building
• After the 14th century,
Europe’s most
powerful countries
competed to see who
could get the most
colonies (colony).
• They wanted to build
their Empire by taking
over other parts of the
world (Imperialism).

5. Remember Spices and Goods from
Asia???
How did the Europeans know about
the spices and goods in Asia?
 The Crusades (1096-1272) -Military expeditions sent by the Popes of the
Roman Catholic Church to capture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the
Muslim Turks.
 Not successful, but had a few positive results:
Western Europeans learned to:
-Create better maps
-Build better ships
-Exposed Europeans to spices & goods
from Asia

6. Trade Routes to Asia
1400’s—major trade routes from Asia to Europe went
through 2 Italian cities (Venice and Genoa)
 Italian merchants marked up the
prices on the jewels, fragrances,
woods and finished goods and sold
them throughout Europe.
Portugal, Spain, France, and England
resented the huge profits made by
Italians.
Since the Italians controlled the trade routes through the
Mediterranean Sea, they began to look for other routes to
Asia and the Spice Islands—a water route to Asia!

7. Spain and Portugal: Treaty of
Tordesillas
Portugal and Spain
claimed territories in
the New World before
any other European
powers.
Since both nations
were Catholic, the
Pope drew a line on
the map showing
which territories
would belong to
Portugal and which
ones belonged to
Spain Who is going to get most of the New World?

8. Portugal Leads the Way!
Established the earliest of the modern European colonial empires.
 Prince Henry the Navigator
• school of navigation
• sent more than 50 expeditions down the west coast of Africa
 Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa called The
Cape of Good Hope
 Vasco da Gama and other Explorers, later sailed around the cape
and continued to India

9. Portugal Leads the Way!
For decades, the Portuguese continued to explore east Asia
where they established forts & trading posts.
 By 1571, a string of outposts connected Portugal to Africa,
India, South Pacific Islands, and Japan
Portugal grew wealthy from these trade routes, but…
 Its most profitable colony was Brazil in South America.
Brazil was a Portuguese colony until 1822.

10. Portugal’s Empire

11. Spain’s Empire
Spanish explorers were searching for a trade route
through or around North & South America to Asia
Wanted to find a quicker route to the gold & spices in
Asia
Christopher Columbus (Italian)
given $ by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to
find a quick route to through the Atlantic to Asia.
He discovers the Bahamas, but thought he was in Asia…
called the land “West Indies”. Found 2 new continents.
Exploration of these areas brought great wealth to Spain.

12. Spain’s Empire
Huge empire that spanned
the globe
Spanish conquistadors
conquered the Inca and
Aztec civilizations in the
1500s (South America)
Looking for gold &
spices
Used missionaries to
convert natives to
Christianity
Claimed huge areas of
North & South America &
ruled over them for 300
years

13. Spanish Empire

14. England’s Empire
England used to be one of
three countries (England,
Scotland, & Wales)
1700s, the three united and
became Great Britain
British empire was the largest
in history
--At its peak, Great Britain
controlled: Canada,
Australia, India, much of
Africa, and numerous
islands

15. England’s Empire
North America came under
British control in the 1700s
--Lost American colonies
in 1776
--Maintained control over
Canada until 20th century
• Colonized Australia in
1788
--used it as a penal
(prison) colony to relieve
over crowed jails in
England

16. British Empire

17. France’s Empire
Established other colonies
in the 16th-17th centuries:
--Islands in the
Caribbean, the Indian
Ocean, the South
Pacific, the North
Pacific, & the North
Atlantic
France also maintained
influence in Canada, South
America, Southeast Asia, &
Northwest Africa
Many French explorers were searching for the Northwest Passage. Founded Quebec, the
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Established fur trading posts in the New World.

18. France’s Empire

19. Remember the definition of an
Empire?
Empire: group of territories or nations under a single ruler or
government
Can you think of an Empire?

20. The countries of Portugal, Spain, England, and France
led the exploration and colonization movement and
built individual empires across the Americas, Africa,
Asia, and Australia.

21. European Empires Map Activity
Turn your maps over to the other side. Record the
different empires on your map.