elizabethan - chapter 2.3 Flashcards
(49 cards)
at the start of the 15th century what was the belief about the world
- much of it was yet to be discovered by europeans
- it was believed that the world was flat and that the mediterranean lay at its centre
why were there trade links beyond europe
there was a great demand for luxury goods from the East, including spices, incense, silks, cottons and perfumes
-> such items were highly prized because transporting them took so long and was so expensive
in the early 15th century how were goods transported from the east
they were brought over from the Far East over land on the back of camels
it could take two or three years for the goods to reach the Italian trading centres of Genoa and Venice
what worsened the difficulty with trade with the east and what did this lead to
- Ottoman expansion
- the Ottoman Empire was muslim and hostile to Christian Europe
- the Ottoman Turks had conquered much of eastern europe and now held power in the mediterranean
- the Ottomans placed high taxes on all goods that passed through their territory
-> this annoyed the Europeans, who were also aware that the Turks had the ability to block off trade between Europe and the East altogether - the europeans therefore wanted to find an alternative route, which would remove the need to pass through ottoman land
- ships also had the advantage of being able to carry far more than camels, so it was hoped that new sea routes would mean that more goods from the east could be imported for less money
what was exploration spurred on by
new ideas and new inventions
what did the age of the renaissance encourage
learning and a spirit of adventure
what was the growing idea about the world, and what ideas did this lead to
- there was a growing belief in intellectual circles that the world was round, not flat
- it was therefore suggested that ships could sail north around Russia, or south around Africa, or west across the Atlantic, in order to reach the far east
what new inventions meant exploration could happen easier
- the printing press now meant that maps and other geographical literature were more readily available that before
- the astrolabe meant that a ships position could be plotted accurately and the magnetic compass was developed
- there had also been developments in ship design
what were the new developments in ship design
- smaller ships called caravels and carracks were used for exploration
- the invention of the rudder cave the grew more control when steering the ship
- the triangular lateen sail (copied from Arab ships) meant that ships could now sail whichever way they wished, no matter the wind direction
who were many explorers funded by
monarchs who were keen for national glory
what journey was crucial in proving ships can’t fall off the end of the world
in 1487, the Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Diaz sailed around the southern tip of Africa - later called the Cape of Good Hope
although his crew forced him to turn around, this journey was crucial in proving that ships could sail around africa without falling off the edge of the world
what journey opened up a route to India and what did this mean
11 years after Diaz, fellow portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama followed Diaz’s route but carried on further, eventually reaching India
this opened up a totally new route to India, meaning it was no longer necessary for goods to pass through the Ottoman land before reaching Europe
in 1942 what did Christopher Columbus inadvertently discover
- he inadvertently discovered what was called the New World
- he had sailed westwards across the Atlantic ocean, sponsored by the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, in search of an alternative route to India
- landing in the Caribbean, he called the islands he discovered the West Indies
five years after Columbus, who sailed across the Atlantic and what did they find
- John Cabot, funded by King Henry VII
- he reached what is now Newfoundland in Canada
the year after Cabot who sailed across the Atlantic and what did he find
- Amerigo Vespucci, at the invitation of the King of Portugal
- sailed across the Atlantic to explore the eastern coast of South America
-> he decided this land was a new continent, not the eastern edges of Asia as Columbus had thought - the word ‘America’ is derived from his forename
first circumnavigation of the globe:
who funded it?
who led the expedition?
when was it?
- Spanish-funded
- led by the Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan
- took place between 1519 and 1522
what was the result of spain and portugal dominating the world of exploration at the beginning
they became enormously rich and powerful
they both began to establish overseas empires and oversaw the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade
what had the spanish done (empire)
- the spanish had rapidly defeated local people in central and south america and set up colonies there
- these areas had large amounts of silver and gold, as well as other resources, such as tobacco, potatoes and tomatoes
what had the portuguese done (empire)
- they had colonies coastal areas of West Africa, India and Brazil
-> in Brazil they grew sugar and cotton on plantations, using slaves taken from West Africa ad their workforce
how much exploration had there been by english sailors up until the beginning of elizabeth’s reign
apart from Henry VII’s funding of Cabot’s voyage, there had been little exploration by english sailors
why was Henry VIII interested in building up the navy
for military purposes
he was aware of England’s vulnerability as an island
by Henry VIII’s death how many warships did england have
53
once elizabeth was queen, what was england and spains relationship like
catholic spain was very hostile to english interests
spain did not let other countries trade with their colonies in the new world without a licence, and such licences were rarely granted to english sailors
what did the spanish monopoly of the New World on the english lead to
it angered the english, and led to lots of english pirates robbing spanish treasure ships and ports
