Big Moments
Disease passed along the trade routes led to this devastating plague that wiped out large numbers of Europeans. It was something that was NOT valued.
The Black Death
(or Bubonic Plague)
Food such as vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and grains were valuable for this reason.
survival
Traders on Camels walked hundreds of miles to peddle their wares across this famous trade route linking the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The Silk Road
As their source was so far from trading posts, and traders tended to mark-up prices along the trade routes, Europeans certainly had problems trying to get these valuable goods.
Spices
(silks also accepted)
Monopolies in the south and Muslim controlled Holy Lands in the Middle East PUSHED Europeans out to sea looking for these.
Alternate routes or better routes to the source of trade goods
This is the age when European countries were motivated to travel by sea, connecting people across the globe.
The Age of Exploration
Africans transported this valuable food preservative along the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes to the Mediterranean and then to the Middle East for centuries.
salt
This was the internet of the time period.
The Silk Road
Push or Pull? This force of better technology allowed Europeans to travel farther and longer from home.
push
Push or Pull? For centuries, Europeans fighting in the Crusades traveled far and wide, learning about all kinds of valuable resources. Wanting these goods became their desire and this kind of force/factor leading to exploration.
Pull
For 200 years, Christians and Muslims fought against one another in holy wars called...
the Crusades
Who knew that such fine fabric could be made with threads produced by a lowly worm. The Chinese knew! And they kept it a secret, making this luxury cloth very valuable!
silk
Daily Double! Name TWO of the many obstacles getting in the way of getting valuable goods.
Blocked trade routes, war, distance to sources of goods, ships were not advanced, navigational tools, bandits and warlords, invading armies, extreme weather, sandstorms, dehydration
Push or Pull? This force was the desire for other goods and exploring the open ocean to alternate routes to them.
Pull
Push or Pull? Exploring by sea in the open ocean became a reality because better technology provided this driving force/factor.
Push
Huge growth of art, literature, knowledge, and invention were hallmarks of this time in Europe’s history.
The Renaissance
This luxury item was a valuable trade good along the Silk Road from China. Even in Africa, small fragments of these have been found from ancient bowls and plates, showing this really moved around!
Porcelain
Goods were not the only thing of value that moved along the trade networks. It’s a good thing these were shared, or explorers may never have developed the technology to sail far from home.
Ideas
(knowledge, maps, technologies, beliefs, religions)
This visionary from Portugal created a whole school to solve Europe’s trade problems. He gathered mariners, mathematicians, and astronomers at his new navigation school to develop the technologies and methods that would allow Europeans to explore on the open ocean. The techniques learned through this school helped Europeans explorers overcome obstacles.
Prince Henry the Navigator
The reason early explorers set out on explorations was...
wealth
The “Dark Ages” were a time in Europe where innovation was at a low point. Where was innovation, technology, and science flourishing at the same time?
The Middle East and Asia
Nutmeg, cloves, and pepper were just some of the valuable line-up of spices that were high demand during the age of exploration. Instead of just flavoring food, they also performed this important function.
Preserved Food
Not all that was traded was positive for everyone. Against their will, these people found themselves moved around along trade networks.
Enslaved people
When mariners are on the open ocean, land is often out of site. These newly advanced devices for measuring one’s position on the globe were instrumental in allowing exploration by sea.
Navigational Devices
(astrolabe, quadrant, cross staff, backstaff, chronometer, magnetic compass)
Name the 3 Gs
Gold, God, and Glory