Investigating Geographic Findings of Portuguese Navigators
Renaissance times tremendously inspired Europeans’ desire of adventure and strong curiosity. After the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople in 1453, the only choice the Europeans had to get goods from the East was depending on Italian traders. Luckily, Italian trade with Arabs both during and during the crusades was rather prosperous. With roughly two and a half years on their land journey, a party of Italian traders arrived in China in the later half of the 13th century.
Among them, Marco Polo was greeted cordially in Kublai Khan, the Mongol monarch of China. He left for the Spice Islands and Japan. After returning to Venice, he shared with his friends his thrilling meeting. Curiosity and spirit of adventure have driven the Europeans to go to far-off areas not only by land but also by sea since then.
Marco Polo’s journey to the East and his marine return captivated many Europeans. The Christian Church thought about bringing the millions of Eastern pagans residing there under conversion. Many businessmen began to think about how trading east would double their income by a factor of four.
Elements Affecting Geographic Discovery
Luckily, many events enabled European kings and traders to reach their objectives. Among these, the most important was the information the Europeans acquired on the astrolabe and the mariner’s compass. The Chinese developed the first to assist in knowing their direction and the second to guide them to a certain place. Second, the Europeans began building better ships meant for long expeditions. For the late 15th and early 16th century sailors (1394–1460), the school established by Portuguese prince Henry “the Navigator” supplied essential knowledge on the winds, tides, and wave motion.
Coming to Prince Henry’s School of Navigation to impart their expertise to others were “greatest sailors, astronomers, and geographers of Europe”. The school dispatched yearly maritime trips to the coast of West Africa. Apart from the Madiera Islands, his explorers arrived in Senegal and Sudan. By bringing slaves and riches, they cleared the road for the Portuguese empire during the next century.
Portuguese Explorer Voyages for Ships
Lopo Gonsalves crossed the equator, and Bartholomew Diaz arrived at the Cape of Storms (also known as the Cape of Good Hope) in 1487 among the Portuguese later marine adventures. Ten years later Vasco da Gama started his journey in line with Diaz’s path. Having passed the Cape of Good Hope, he briefly sailed up the east coast. Arab sailors helped him find his way sailing into India. Arriving in Calicut in 1498.
The discovery of a new maritime path to India by Vasco da Gama was the most significant event in not only Asian but also European history. Two years later, a storm carried a Portuguese commander called Cabral off course as he was sailing down the west coast of Africa; he finally arrived on the east side of South America. Brazil came into being in 1500.
Columbus found the new continent.
Given that barbarians were invading the Roman Empire, most likely the first humans to walk on the continent were the Vikings. After almost a thousand years, a Genoese sailor called Christopher Columbus intended to establish a new sea route to the East. Having financial support from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, he sailed the then-undiscovered Atlantic on August 3, 1492.
After a long and difficult journey, he landed on the Bahamas on October 2, 1492. He thought he had found himself at the Indian shore. He called the Bahamas’ original people Indians. He visited Cuba and Haiti. On three additional trips, he explored the islands of the Caribbean Sea. Having his king and queen, he claimed all the territory he had discovered.
Defining the lines of control for every following the Portuguese developed a jealously of Spain’s recently acquired territory, the Pope had to intervene to mediate their quarrel. But subsequently, after the Italian adventurer, Columbus’ recently discovered continent of America was named Amerigo Vespucci.
After more investigation in the areas Columbus had visited, he realized this was a new planet rather than India as Columbus had believed. This led a German geographer “proposed that the New World be dubbed America in honor of America”.
Balboa renamed the Pacific Ocean his own in 1513.
Pursuing riches, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa set out for the new world. He passed across the Panamanian Isthmus and looked over the other side.
He thought of the Pacific Ocean as a great, blue expanse of water.
Ferdinand Magellan’s worldwide expedition (1519–1522)
Magellan had visited India alongside Vasco da Gama and thought the planet looked like a globe. Seeking a path from the west to the east, he He persisted even when Portugal’s king turned down his project funding request. King Charles I of Spain, granddaughter of Queen Isabella, granted his ask-through September 1519 saw him leave Spain carrying five ships and 265 men.
Arriving at the coast of South America, he started to sail south. At the point he crossed the straits today known as Magellan’s straits. He jumped across the Pacific. Disease and starvation claimed many great seamen from his ranks. He came from the Philippines. Here, he was slain in a conflict with the residents. His ship, the “Victoria,” landed in Spain in 1522 carrying several crew members.
Hernando Cortez (1519) subjugates Mexico.
Hernando Cortez was among the early 16th century Spanish conquistadors most successful. Arriving in Mexico with his army, he faced the Aztecs—native people—and emerged victorious in the fight. Once they toppled their king, Cortez assumed control as the Spanish governor. Entering Peru in 1533, another Spanish adventurer called Francisco Pizarro toppled the Inca monarch.
When he erected a puppet, the Incas became outraged. The Incas were unable to launch a rebellion, nevertheless, since the Spanish killed every Inca king. The Spaniards forced the people of Mexico and Peru to work in gold and silver mines, for their personal benefit. As opposition developed, the Spaniards began sending African slaves to serve there. Spanish missionaries turned many indigenous people to Christianity. Spain therefore grew its power all throughout the newly acquired continent.
Results obtained by English adventurers
Among the various adventurers seeking a fresh maritime passage to the east in the late 15th century was an Italian called John Cabot. King Henry VII paid him to discover a northwest Atlantic path to India. Starting in 1497, he sailed across the Atlantic and arrived at Cape Breton Island close to New-foundland. Cabot thought he had got to China. His discovery of the Canadian east coast helped the English to claim a good bit of North America.
English sailors like Drake, Gilbert, and Carolina then explored the east coast of North America in the later quarter of the 16th century and claimed territory ranging from St. Lawrence to Florida. English commercial companies also established their activities in India during the first half of the seventeenth century.
Inquiries conducted in France
Like the early English explorers, a Frenchman the name of Jacques Cartier set out along the coast of North America in pursuit of a northwest path to China. He opened the St. Lawrence River in 1535. Different French explorer Champlain Marquette established Quebec in 1608.
In 173 Joilet crossed the Mississippi River Valley. La Salle surveyed the mouth of the Mississippi River. France thus claimed the whole territory between the mouth of the Mississippi River and the section of the St. Lawrence River corresponding to Canada. Named for King Louis XIV, the northern and southern half of this land were New France and Louisiana respectively.
Claim made by the Dutch and Henry Hudson
English explorer Henry Hudson hired by the Dutch in 1609 to look for a north-western passage Finding the Hudson river made it feasible for the Dutch to acquire the surrounding territory.
The Dutch likewise tried—failed—to break through the northern Ice Land barrier. But owing to their adventurer Berents, they did discover Spitsbergen, a group of Arctic cap islands.
contradicting claims lead to conflicts.
Every European power claimed large areas it had discovered and that their opponent did not value. Thus, wars were fought on the new continent among rival European countries. In the Eastern Portuguese battled the Dutch, for example. They waged a struggle and grew hostile toward Spanish colonies on the new continent.
England and France also fought wars in both India and Europe and created rivals in other spheres. As England and Spain developed into fierce competitors in late 16th century, the Spanish Armada prepared to attack England. The Spanish, though, were defeated at sea.
