Quotations
"During the _______________ key developments in Western Europe led to an age of exploration and discovery that brought peoples of vastly different cultures into contact with one another for the first time."
"fifteenth and sixteenth centuries"
True or False: Christopher Columbus was the first European explorer to think that they could reach Asia by sailing west.
False-Many people already knew that the Earth is round and theorized they could reach Asia by sailing west.
Which European occupation frequently advocated for more exploration?
merchants (merchant class)
Who is the author of this article?
Timothy P. Grady
Why is Henrique (Henry) important for Portugal?
Henry "the Navigator" learned from Moslem merchants at Ceuta about caravan trade routes and invested in Portuguese exploration.
"This system, known as ___________, was utilized in the Spanish colonies in the Canaries and became general practice throughout the Spanish Americas though modified over time."
repartimiento
Grady claims technological innovations assisted early European explorers. What were some of those innovations?
Innovations included geographic knowledge from authors such as Ptolemy, the magnetic compass, lateen sails for ships, and artillery on ships.
What kinds of trade goods did Europeans and Africans trade with each other?
Examples of trade goods (and people) include enslaved people, cloth, metal goods such as swords, gold, ivory, alcohol, and jewelry.
What was Christopher Columbus' brother's name?
Bartholomew
What was the significance of the island of Madeira for European colonizers?
Madeira served as a launching point for additional exploration expeditions and became a center of agriculture rooted in enslaved labor.
"_________________ was at least as important, and probably more so, than the desire to find a route west to Asia[.]"
"The motivation of finding new islands to colonize"
How did the Canary Islands become important for European traders from Portugal, Castile, and France?
The Canary Islands became a source of enslaved people, dye sources, sugar, wine, sheep, and cattle.
Grady claims African peoples "participated as equals most of the time in the commercial interaction with Europeans." How does he support this claim?
Grady highlights how African leaders often dictated the terms of the trade, such as customs payments, and existent networks between places such as Senegal and the Congo.
How many people joined Columbus on his second expedition to the "New World"?
1200
What is the significance of the Treaty of Alcacovas?
Spain (Castile and Aragon) agreed to recognize Portuguese monopolies over most of the western coast of African (except the Canary Islands) but Spain could claim any additional discoveries further west.
"Emerging from the social and political turmoil of the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, the beginnings of ____________ provided the financial and political resources necessary for large-scale exploration."
"centralized nation-states"
Grady claims the Ottoman Turks directly impacted Christian European motivations for exploration. How?
The Ottoman Turks sacked Constantinople and interrupted European access to the Silk Road.
What kinds of goods did African rulers prioritize when trading with Europeans and why?
African rulers often prioritized goods for their variety, cultural value/prestige, and only sometimes prioritized goods for their superior quality, such as iron.
When did Granada fall in the Reconquista?
1492
What does this reading tell us about the slave trade?
Grady emphasizes that Europeans did not instigate the slave trade but rather participated in and influenced existent African markets and ideas about wealth.
"While not contributing any major discoveries, Vespucci's voyages demonstrated that ________."
"an entirely new continent existed between Europe and Asia."
What does Grady's chapter tell us about European exploration efforts in the mid to late 1400s? In other words, what is his contribution to historiography?
Grady highlights exploration as a multi-step process before first contacts in the New World.
According to Grady, what is a common misconception about European-African trade?
According to Grady, a common misconception about European-African trade is that this trade originated on the west coast of Africa rather than across the Sahara and to Mediterranean ports.
What did Vasco de Gama bring back from India (the actual India) that made him a Portuguese hero?
pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves
What is the main significance of this reading?
Grady highlights the long-term motivations and processes for Europeans exploring the "New World," such as state building, trade, and competition, as well as the agency of Indigenous People.