The three main motivations for European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries were religion (spreading Christianity), trade (accessing goods and wealth), and glory (becoming famous explorers). While all European powers engaged in exploration to some degree, Spain and Portugal had the biggest impacts. Portugal's Prince Henry the Navigator established the first navigation school and sent expeditions down the west African coast. Spain sought gold, silver and spices in the Americas, leading to huge colonial empires for both countries across multiple continents for over 300 years. England and France also established global colonial empires driven by trade and religion.

1. SPONGE:
What are the three G’s of exploration. Which do you
think had the biggest impact on Europe?

2. Reasons for Exploration

 God – spread of Christianity
 Goods – to trade and become
wealthy (gold and spices)
 Glory – explorers were seen as
heroes if they discovered new
lands

3. Crusades, the start of it
all… 
 Military expeditions were sent out by
the Catholic Church to capture the
Holy Land from the Muslim Turks.
 This was not successful but it did have
positive results
 Europeans learned how to draw
better maps and build better
ships
 Exposed Europeans to spices and
goods from the East.

4. 

5. Exploration Begins 
 European countries were looking for trade routes to
India and China
 Did not want to go through Mediterranean Sea,
dangerous territory
 Wanted access to the spices that were available
 Cut out the Middle man and get products cheaper
 This increased the empires of …..

6. 

7. 

8. Exploration Begins
 The 1400s were a time of discovery and exploration
for Europe.
 Main countries involved in exploration:
 Portugal
 Spain
 England
 France

9. 

10. 10 and 2

 With your partner, discuss would
you rather…
 Explore for Gold
 Explore for Goods OR
 Explore for Glory
 And then explain why

11. PORTUGAL 
 1st to sail around the tip of Africa to Asia
 Also wanted to spread Christianity
 Mainly explored what is now Brazil in the New
World--this is why Brazilian culture today is heavily
influenced by Portugal

12. 10 and 2

 With your partner, discuss would
you rather have…
 Found the Americas
 Or New trade routes for Asia
 Explain and defend your answer

13. Prince Henry the
Navigator


14. Prince Henry the
Navigator 
 Son of Portuguese king
 1418: started the first school for navigation
(taught map making, navigation, and
astronomy)
 1434: sent an expedition to sail around
dangerous West African coast
 Made more than 50 trips down Africa’s west
coast

15. Institute of Sagres

 The Institute of Sagres was an important research
center in Portugal where several breakthrough
discoveries in mathematics and naval technology
occurred.

16. Institute of Sagres


17. Technology Advances!

 the compass
 the astrolabe
 the cross-staff
 the caravel

18.  According to legend, beyond this point in an area known as the "Green Sea of
Darkness," the sun was so close to the Earth that a person’s skin would burn black,
the sea boiled, ships caught on fire, and monsters hid waiting to smash the ships and
eat the sailors. It took fourteen voyages over a period of 12 years until a ship finally
reached the equator.


19. Portugal’s Empire 
 For the next 300 years, Portuguese sailors continued
to explore East Africa where they established trading
forts and 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.

20. 

21. SPAIN 
 Very curious about the New World
 Wanted to have a larger empire
 Searched for spices, gold, and silver
 So they began searching for a quicker route to
Asia through or around North and South America
 Used missionaries to spread Christianity
 Needed gold and silver to pay for wars with the
Turkish Empire

22. Christopher Columbus 
 King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella (Spain)
sent him to find another
way to Asia
 1492: first expedition--
landed in the Caribbean
and called it “ the Indies”
 Made 4 trips to the
Caribbean from 1492-1504

23. Four Voyages of Columbus


24. Spain’s Empire 
 Huge empire that spanned the globe
 Spanish conquistadors conquered civilizations in
Central and South America.
 Looking for gold and spices
 Missionaries converted natives to Christianity
 Claimed huge areas of North and South America
and ruled them for over 300 years.

25. Line of Demarcation

 The Treaty of
Tordesillas signed
in 1494, divided the
New World into
Spanish and the
Portuguese
territories along the
meridian 46
degrees West.
 The lands to the
east would belong
to Portugal and the  Pope Alexander VI
lands to the west to drew the line to avoid
Spain. conflict.

26. Line(s) of Demarcation


27. ENGLAND 
 Searched for riches, gold, and silver (like Spain, but
navy wasn’t as powerful)
 At one time Great Britain controlled: Canada,
Australia, India, parts of Africa, and many islands
 Controlled America until 1776, Canada until the 20th
century
 Colonized Australia and used it as a penal colony
(prison colony)
 Sent Captain James Cook to Australia and the Pacific
and Cecil Rhodes to Africa

28. The Sun Never Sets

 Eventually, after colonizing parts of Africa
and Asia, the British Empire became the
largest empire in history.
 At the peak of its power, it was often said
that “The sun never sets on the British Empire"
because it was so big that the sun was always
shining on at least one of its many colonies.

29. One-fourth of the World

 By 1921, the British
Empire controlled
about 458 million
people (a quarter of the
world's population at
that time).
 It covered about 14.2
million square miles,
about a quarter of
Earth's total land area.
 Cartoon showing Brit, Cecil Rhodes and
his desire to control all of Africa.

30. FRANCE 
 Wanted a large empire, spices and riches, and to
spread Christianity
 Also really wanted animal furs (beaver)
 Enjoyed wearing hats and coats made out of animal
skins

31. France’s Empire 
 France possessed colonies around the world from
1600 to 1900, including much of North America
(Louisiana Purchase).
 Also dominated much of the European Continent
 By 1812, France controlled much of Germany, Italy
and France
 Heavy influence on parts of Canada (Quebec)
 Explorer: Jacque Cartier

32. French Empire 
France had two different empires. The first
(1608-1803), was in the Americas. The
second (1830-1960), was in Africa and Asia.

33. Fur Trading

 In Canada, Quebec’s people traded their
furs for many French goods such as metal
objects, guns, alcohol, and clothing.

34. 

35. 10 and 2

 With your partner, discuss which
European empire would you have
wanted to have explored for?
Portugal, Spain, England or France?
France