World History B
Textbook Pages: 197-209
Unit 5: Europe Seeks Asia and Meets the
Americas
Lesson 1: Portugal and Spain, and the Age
of Exploration
Find the following on the map:
a)Portugal
b) Spain
c) Mediterranean Sea
Spain
Mediterranean Sea
Portugal
Why did the Europeans want to travel by sea to
Asia in the Fifteenth Century (1400s)?
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Who was Prince Henry the Navigator?
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What were two improvements that were made in
navigation so that sailors could travel farther?
In the Middle Ages, they traveled by land
for silk.
In the 1400s, people needed
1. Gems
2. Pearls
3. Spices (used for medicine, and to
preserve food and give it flavor)
Why go by sea?
The land route, “The Silk Road,” was
blocked by the Ottoman Turks who
controlled it.
Started the Age of Exploration
Portuguese
Gave money to sponsor sea expeditions
He heard stories of Prester John in Africa
and his riches.
He sent 50 expeditions to Africa. Built
caravels, which were small ships that could
approach the coast without scraping the
bottom.
Maps before this time were very inaccurate
and often were made to show one country
at the center of the world.
With exploration came better
maps and navigation tools.
1. Astrolabe- to find latitude
2. Quadrant- another way to find latitude.
**These tools kept sailors from getting
lost.
3. Caravel Ships- Lighter ships that could
go in open seas and shallow waters.
Who was Bartholomea Dias?
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The Portuguese explorer who first
rounded the southern tip of Africa.
1487- Sailed to the tip of Africa (never
been done before). He faced many storms
and rough waters.
King John II of Portugal named it the
“Cape of Good Hope”
Where is the Cape of Good Hope on a map?
Who was Christopher Columbus?
 1492- Believed he could go west to find the
Indies
 First explorer to travel west to find Asia.
 He calculated the circumference of the
Earth and though he found a shorter route.
 Discovered the Carribbean
 Returned home with one ship
Who sponsored Columbus’ voyage?
Where did Columbus first land in the New World?
What route did he take?
Why did Columbus call the people he met in the
New World “Indians”?
 Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
 San Salvador
 Turn to page 198 in your textbook.
 He thought he had reached the Indies of
East Asia.
Summary: When Europeans soon had a high demand for spices from Asia and no land route
to get there, they turned to the sea to find a way to Asia. Portugal and Spain led the way in
the Age of Exploration (the name for this point in history). Their explorers sailed to the tip of
Africa and discovered two new continents on their quest for the Indies. New navigation tools
such as the quadrant and astrolabe helped these explorers travel farther on open water than
ever before.