tr
Setting the Stage
{
n
Europe Enters the Modern Age
In the last u n it, yo u learn e da b o u t t h e Re n a is s a n caen d t h e Re f o rma t io n .
In this u n it, yo u 'll learn a b o u t E u ro p ed u rin g t h e e a rly mo d e rn a g e . T h is
period lastedfrom the 1400sto the 1700s.
The early modern age was a time of major discoveriesand new ways of
thin kin g .lt beganwith a se rie so f v o y a g e sb y E u ro p e a ne x p lo re rsd u rin g t h e
1400s,1500s,and early 1600s.Historianscall this time the Age of Exploration.
Be forethe 1 4 0 0 s,E u ropea n sh a d o n ly limit e d k n o wle d g eo f o t h e r c o n t inen ts.B egin n ingin about 14 1 8 ,s e v e ra lc o u n t rie ss e n t e x p lo re rsb y s e a t o
other parts of the world. Portugaland Spain led the way.They were followed
r
(
+(
\
1J>
*o*."'fu-'iP.t"$
A M ER IC A
{}r
$
V IZ
(t-
\:\-
:ii
AFR ICA
,,\7' t,,\N ' t' 1C
O(.1'.t\N
g
[,\l
PA C II:I(OC :EA N
\
I NDI TI N
O CEAN
tt-
-"-::iczc
...1p*
N' .
I
*dF=
I
€1-- Portugal'svoyagesof exploration
1,500
1,500
3,000miles
3,000 kilometers
-fr
<--
England'svoyagesof exploration
l--l
Tenitoryclaimedor controlledby Portugal(.1600)
**
France'svoyagesof exploration
{-
Spain'svoyagesof exploration
+
@
Tenitoryclaimedor controlledby Spain(1600)
The Netherlands'
voyages
of exploration
JS,st"rr{{..4t4;
#
t{} e{,}^^
{
*J|
lr;
by E n g land,Fra n ce,a n d the Ne t h e rla n d s . T h ejo
ir u rn e y st o o k e x p lo re rs
to A frica ,A sia , and No rth an d S o u t hA me ric a . T h e ird is c o v e rie sc h a n g e d
Europeans'kn o wle d g eo f t h e wo rld f o re v e r.
Countrie sra cedto ta ke ad v a n t a g eo f t h is n e w k n o wle d g e . T h e ys o u g h t
1\
r ichesthro u g h trade.Theya ls o c la ime dla rg e p a rt so f t h e wo rld f o r t h e mse lve s.A s th e y co mpete dwit h o n e a n o t h e r,E u ro p e a n sh a d a n e n o rmo u s
i mp a ct o n p e o p leliving in d is t a n tla n d s .
A se condgre a t ch a n g ed u rin g t h is p e rio dwa s t h e S c ie n t if icRe v o lu t io n .
Between1500a n d 1700,sc ie n t is t su s e d o b s e rv a t io n se, x p e rime n t s a, n d lo g i c
t o ma k e d ra ma t icd is c o v e rie sF. o r e x a m p le , ls a a cNe wt o n f o rmu la t e dt h e la ws o f
g ra v it y . T h e s ela ws e x p la in e db o t h t h e
movementof physicalobjectson Eafthand
l.t
./
t h e mo t io n s o f p la n e t sin t h e h e a v e n s . T h e
L
methods used by Newton and other sci-
ASIA
entistsled to rapid progressin many fields.
A d v a n c e sin s c ie n c eh e lp e dp a v e t h e
1,.,\(' l t--l (
O ( l :.1 \'
/'),
wa y f o r a p e rio dc a lle dt h e E n lig h t e n me n t .
The Enlightenmentbeganduring the 1600s.
It was a time of optimisticfaith in prog re s s b a s e do n re a s o n(ra t io n a lt h in k in g ) .
In fact, it is often calledthe Age of Reason.
E n lig h t e n me ntth in k e rswa n t e d t o
apply observationand reasonto problems
+
a
in human society.Thisapproachled to new
ideas about government,human nature,
a n d p e o p le ' srig h t sa s h u ma n b e in g s .
The far-reachingchangesof the early
mo d e rn a g e h e lp e dt o s h a p et h e wo rld
{
we live in today. Let'sbegin our study of
this impoftant time with the voyagesof
d is c o v e ryt h a t t o o k p la c ed u rin g t h e A g e
o f E x p lo ra t io n .
,W
,'"