Silk Road
What was the Silk Road mainly used for?
Trade of goods, ideas, and culture
Which explorer traveled to China and wrote about his journey?
Marco Polo
What does "Gold" refer to in the 3 Gs?
Desire for wealth and trade goods
What tool showed direction using Earth’s magnetic field?
Compass
What year did Columbus set sail?
1492
Name two continents connected by the Silk Road.
Asia and Europe
Who led seven voyages from China to other parts of Asia and Africa?
Zheng He
What does "Glory" refer to?
Fame, power, and expansion of empire
What triangular sail helped ships move against the wind?
Lateen sail
What is the term for the global exchange started by Columbus’s voyage?
(Columbian Exchange)
The Silk Road helped spread more than just goods. Describe how the Silk Road acted as a bridge for cultural, scientific, and religious exchanges between different civilizations.
The Silk Road enabled the spread of:
Cultural Ideas: Art, languages, writing styles, and fashion.
Religious Beliefs: Buddhism spread from India to China; Christianity and Islam also traveled the routes.
Scientific Knowledge: Medicine, astronomy, and mathematics moved between East and West.
Technological Transfers: Papermaking and gunpowder spread from China to Europe
Compare Marco Polo and Zheng He in terms of their journey purpose, legacy, and the empires they represented.
Marco Polo:
Italian explorer who reached China via land.
Represented Venice.
Traveled for trade and diplomacy.
His book inspired many later explorers.
Zheng He:
Chinese admiral of massive treasure fleets.
Represented Ming Dynasty.
Traveled to show China's power and influence.
Brought back exotic items and tributes.
Explain how each of the 3 Gs—God, Glory, and Gold—motivated different groups involved in exploration (monarchs, explorers, merchants, and missionaries).
God:
Motivated missionaries to convert non-Christians.
Monarchs supported this to strengthen religious control.
Glory:
Explorers wanted fame and personal legacies.
Kings and queens wanted their nations to gain prestige.
Gold:
Merchants sought new trade routes and goods.
Monarchs wanted riches to fund armies and colonies.
Explain the purpose and importance of the sextant and how it improved earlier navigation tools like the astrolabe.
A:
Sextant measured the angle of celestial bodies above the horizon.
Allowed sailors to calculate latitude more accurately.
Was more portable and reliable than older tools like the astrolabe.
Reduced navigation errors on long sea voyages.
What were the economic and social effects of the Columbian Exchange on Europe?
Economic Effects: New crops (like potatoes and corn) improved diets and increased population.
Led to new markets, global trade, and rising merchant wealth.
Social Effects: Cultural exchange, but also increased slavery and exploitation of resources.
Explain the challenges traders faced while traveling along the Silk Road. Include at least three categories of difficulties they encountered.
Traders on the Silk Road faced:
Geographical Challenges: Deserts (like the Gobi), mountains (Himalayas), and long distances.
Security Issues: Bandits, theft, and lack of protection in remote areas.
Political Barriers: War, closed borders, or different rules and taxes in various empires.
Climate & Health: Harsh weather, illness, and limited food or water sources.
Describe three specific contributions made by Henry Hudson that helped Europe in global exploration.
Explored New Routes: Searched for a Northwest Passage to Asia, expanding European geographic knowledge.
Discovered Key Waterways: Explored and mapped the Hudson River, Hudson Bay, and Hudson Strait, which later supported European claims and settlements.
Worked for Multiple Nations: Sailed for both England and the Netherlands, encouraging broader European involvement in exploration.
Why was spreading Christianity so important during the Age of Exploration, and how was religion used to justify colonization?
Missionaries saw it as their divine duty to convert indigenous people.
Christianity was viewed as superior, so colonizers felt it was right to "civilize" other people.
Kings believed expanding religion would strengthen empires.
Colonization was often framed as a way to save souls, masking political and economic motives.
Describe the design of the caravel and explain why it was so revolutionary for long-distance sea travel.
Lightweight frame made it faster.
Used both square and lateen sails, allowing it to sail in any direction.
Could navigate coastlines and open ocean.
Strong enough to survive storms.
Enabled European exploration beyond coastal waters.
Explain how diseases like smallpox and measles affected the indigenous populations in the Americas after European arrival.
Indigenous people had no immunity to new diseases.
Up to 90% of native populations died in some areas.
Caused collapse of societies, cultures, and resistance to colonizers.
A major reason for European conquest success.
Compare how the Silk Road influenced the development of global trade in ancient times to how modern global trade works today.
Silk Road Era:
Trade was overland and slow, relying on caravans.
Only luxury goods were traded due to high transport costs.
Trade was controlled by empires and merchants.
Routes were dangerous and unpredictable.
Modern Global Trade:
Uses ships, planes, and digital transactions.
Includes both luxury and everyday goods.
Heavily supported by international organizations (e.g., WTO).
Trade is faster, safer, and more interconnected.
Explain how Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India impacted global trade, European economies, and Asian-European relations.
Global Trade Impact: Established a direct sea route to Asia, ending the monopoly of land routes.
Economic Impact: Portugal grew rich by controlling spice trade; prices in Europe dropped.
Cultural & Political Impact: Led to European colonization and competition in Asia.
Asian-European Relations: Created alliances and also conflicts with Indian and Muslim traders.
Evaluate how the 3 Gs (God, Glory, Gold) led to both positive and negative impacts on indigenous populations and world history.
A:
Positive:
Introduction of new crops, animals, and technologies.
Connection of continents and new global awareness.
Negative:
Spread of diseases like smallpox that killed millions.
Forced conversions and destruction of native religions and cultures.
Colonization and enslavement of people in Africa and the Americas.
Discuss how a combination of technology, science, and funding made large-scale exploration possible in the 15th century.
Technology: New ship designs (caravels), magnetic compass, sextant.
Science: Better understanding of astronomy and mapmaking (cartography).
Funding: Wealthy monarchs (like Spain and Portugal) sponsored voyages.
Together, these advances removed barriers to exploration and allowed the Age of Discovery to begin.
List and explain at least four categories of items exchanged during the Columbian Exchange, with examples of each.
Plants:
From Americas: Corn, potatoes, tomatoes.
From Europe: Wheat, rice, sugarcane.
Animals:
From Europe: Horses, pigs, cattle.
Transformed native societies (e.g., horse changed Native American life).
Diseases:
Smallpox, measles, and flu from Europe devastated indigenous peoples.
People and Technology:
Enslaved Africans brought to the Americas.
New farming tools, weapons, and ideas exchanged globally.