Exploration Today
Europe's Day to Day News on Global Exploration
By Ryan, Jared, Matthew, and Gregory
International News
Many people are now calling this new time in history "The Age Of Exploration." There have been many new explorers who have found many new places. For example, Christopher Columbus traveled on the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María to try to find the East Indies. However, he ended up finding the Americas instead. His mistake helped people realize that there was a whole other side to the Earth and that the world isn't flat but rather spherical.
Another new explorer of this new age is Prince Henry. He helped lead the way in sponsoring the exploration of Portugal. As Portugal expanded into North Africa, Prince Henry saw great promise there. He wanted to convert Africans, who at the time were either Islam or tribal religions, to Christianity. He started the first school for navigators in Sagres, Portugal. This school taught people science, navigation, and many other great things.
Is He YOUR Man?
Explorers have recently landed in Africa and have made a new discovery. This discovery is the availability of African slaves. If you don't already know, a slave is a person who is owned by another person and works for them without pay. Explorers in Africa have discovered that slaves are easily available, due to the fact that Africans have already been enslaving other Africans for many years. Since this was learned, slave traders have been traveling down to Africa and paying large sums of money to the natives in order for them to sell their fellow Africans as slaves. These slaves are now being brought to Europe and sold to
wealthy Europeans. To many, owning an African slave is considered a status symbol because only very wealthy people can afford to do it. Most of these "status symbols" are treated well, but I do not believe that it justifies the concept of a human being owned by another human being as their property. Ask yourself if you agree with the concept of the slave trade and send us a letter. If we like it, we might publish it right here in Exploration Today.
Discovering Technology
Telescope
Here is one for the explorers and astronomers alike. This new innovation is revolutionary. It allows one to see objects that are extremely far away by making these objects seem closer. With a telescope that is not the most powerful, someone can see earthly objects for example an explorer coul d examine a distant landmark that is up ahead. An astronomer could use a more powerful telescope to examine objects that are in outer space. The telescope has opened up a world of new discovery.
The Caravel
The Portuguese have recently developed a revolutionary new ship. Never before has there been a ship
with such speed and movability. The caravel is also very light and compact, making it very efficient. The
Caravel concept also involves multiple masts and sails. This gives it the ability to catch the wind like no
ship before it.
The Globe Map
Any well-educated citizen these days knows that the world is a sphere and not flat. So, it stands to
reason that a map of the world would be more accurate if it were a sphere and not flat. Martin Behaim’s
globe map is just that. Now, explorers can see the whole world in three dimensions. This is a great
improvement for the use of navigation of large distances, especially the extremely sought after concept
of circumnavigation.
Meet Mowgli
Mr. Mowgli is a native African child who has been feeling, seeing and trying to avoid the effects and movement of Europeans in Africa. At only the age of 13, he is the most educated and important child in his tribe, speaking fluently in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, and Dutch. He is the tribe spokes person and verbal defender against western culture and destruction.
Mr. Mowgli, what is your opinion on the European spread into Africa?
I have mixed feelings about the Europeans coming into Africa. I like it because it brings new ideas and items, such as guns, cotton clothes and trades. These allow our tribes to develop and keep up with the technology of the European people. New tools are being brought and they help us workers take some strain off of our duties. I do not like it because these people make themselves at home, in our home. They just take what they want.
Can you explain what you mean on "they take what they want"?
The European "explorers" and "diplomats" come to our tribes and feel entitled to our supplies and luxuries. They have what some Europeans may call, "hungry eyes." What they see, they want. Some of the time we get a fair trade for guns or cottons, but that situation is of the minority. They have a primary method of getting what they want; swindling. As you might know the African people, including most in my tribe, are uneducated and unable to speak the foreign languages of the Western men. Most of the time they are cheated out of their belongings by a sly man with a tongue sharper than the blade he carries. They know not what they are doing but are mesmerized by their curiousness of the new man.
How else are the European men getting their way in your tribes?
They are instituting themselves in our governments and corrupting them for their own benefit. Their power and wisdom help them skulk their way into the council of our leaders and like a general commands his men, they take over. They also threaten the rulers or hold them hostage and use them at their own disposal.
How are they bringing your religions and traditions to a downfall?
The Europeans are sending missionaries to convert use to Christianity and forget about out customs and religions. They treat us as if we are stupid animals and beat us if we do not accept the new and obscure (to our perception) ideas and teachings. We are given no say about what we want to and do believe.
Lastly, what are your opinions on slavery?
Slavery is an evil by definition. The thought of using your neighbor as your personal property is disgusting. It is an evil malpractice that is even used by malevolent tribal leaders and is a nightmare within itself. As I said before that they take what they want, they take our families to be sold as a piece of property. Usually separated, the former happy families can be brutally beaten and treated like dirt, due to the evil actions of the Slave Traders. Being taken, many of our family members die on the boat to be sold and do not even make it to see land again. Worst of all, this is in the presence of the children or parents. It is an evil that must be stopped and someone must take a stand against it before it becomes a habit.
Who's on the Journey to Heaven
Ferdinand Magellan
Prince Henry the Navigator
King Affonso I of Congo
In 1543, Congo's king, Afonso I died. He was educated by Portuguese missionaries and slightly enjoyed the European culture. During his time as king, he tried to get the Portuguese to help the Congo become a more civilized and more Europe-like nation. He was also a major advocate against the slave trade and tried to keep it from happening in his country. We are still waiting to get the information on who his successor will be.
Travel around the World
Many people lately have been traveling all around the world, discovering new places. We all used to be scared to travel around the world but now, many people are breaking out of their shell. A major discoverer who just recently discover the Americas, is Christopher Columbus. His main destination was the East Indies, but he got lost and landed on the Americas. He didn't realize however that he was lost. He actually though that when he landed in the Americas, he was on the East Indies. This opened up a whole new world of discovery, since people now have a whole new area of earth to explore.
There have been many other explorers who have been traveling around the world in search for new places. One of these people is Afonso de Albuquerque. He traveled throughout the Indian Ocean in search for new lands. Another explorer Vasco de Gama explored the Cape of Good Hope. He wanted to find the spice islands and he ended up finding Calicut. There were many great explorers in our time and there are still many more to come.
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Works Cited
Works Cited
"10 Surprising Facts About Magellan's Circumnavigation of the Globe." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 04 Dec. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-surprising-facts-about-magellans-circumnavigation-of-the-globe>.
"Age of Exploration - Definition." Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Age_of_Exploration>.
"The Age of Exploration." The Age of Exploration. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/the-age-of-exploration.htm>.
"Ferdinand Magellan." About.com Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://geography.about.com/od/historyofgeography/a/magellan.htm>.
"Ferdinand Magellan Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/ferdinand-magellan-9395202>.
"15th Century Timeline 1400 - 1499." About.com Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/Fifteenth.htm>.
"History of the Caravel." History of the Caravel. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://nautarch.tamu.edu/shiplab/01George/caravela/htmls/Caravel History.htm>.
"Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery." Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture2c.html>.
Crossword Puzzle Answers
1. Telescope
4. Pacific
5. Ferdinand Magellan
6. Atlantic
7. Sextant
10. West Indies
12. Globe
13. PrinceHenry
14. Slaves
15. Cartographer
16. Circumnavigate
17.Navigation
Down
2. Christopher Columbus
3. Caravel
8. Trade
9. Affonso
11. Africa