The Age of Exploration
By Patrick C., Maddie M. and Grace P.
International News
Ferdinand Magellan
c. 1480 - Apr. 27, 1521
Ferdinand Magellan was a great Portuguese explorer who explored for both Portugal and Spain. He was born into the Portuguese nobility. When he was about 25-years-old, he enlisted under Francisco de Almeida to establish a powerful Portuguese presence in the Indian Ocean. He took part in the Battle of Diu, in which the Portuguese defeated a fleet of Muslims and gained supremacy of most of the Indian Ocean. He eventually became allegiant to Spain. He worked under the Spanish monarchs, and soon was sent on an expedition that would circumnavigate the Earth. A fleet was sent out of Spain carrying 270 men with it. Only two ships, the Trinidade and the Victoria, made it to the Moluccas, which was the original destination. Less than twenty men survived the circumnavigation, and Magellan was not one of these men. Magellan was killed by natives of Mactan Island, in the Philippines. Magellan was undoubtedly a great and skilled sailor an exceptional figure in European maritime discoveries.
Prince Henry the Navigator
Mar. 4, 1394 - Nov. 13, 1460
Prince Henry was a Portuguese prince, and he was born in 1394. He was the third son of King John I and Philippa of Lancaster. He is notable for his patronage of Portuguese voyages during the age of exploration. Expeditions that he paid for made discoveries along the coasts of Africa, Madeira, and the Azores Islands. He hoped that in Africa he would find the source of riches of the Muslims. He gathered together cartographers to design accurate maps and scientists to design effective exploration ships. He also trained captains for long voyages. His work in getting the Portuguese involved in exploration eventually helped Portugal become a world power.
Christopher Colombus
c. Oct. 1451 - May 20, 1506
Christopher Columbus was a skilled Italian admiral and master navigator who discovered the Americas. His voyages across the Atlantic opened the way for European exploration and colonization of the American continents. Though he was born in Italy, he was loyal to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Early in his life, Columbus was a seagoing entrepreneur in Lisbon, Portugal. He was very knowledgeable of Portuguese navigation and of Atlantic wind patterns. Columbus made a plan to sail westward over the open seas to get to the Far East. He hoped to find valuable spices and precious gold in India and the East Indies. The names of the three ships were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. Columbus’s work in exploring parts of the Americas became extremely important to Europe later.
Do you want spices? We know you do. Just think of how delicious your food will be with exotic spices including peppers and cinnamon all the way from the Spice Islands! Brave men are traveling over treacherous seas into unknown lands to bring fresh and wonderful foreign spices just for you! Get any of these great spices now at a discount at any trade market near you.
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We first learned about the newly acquired Philippines when Magellan was killed there while trying to circumnavigate the Earth, but the Chinese had long known about these islands. It is said that the Chinese found Ma’i and Luzon long before the Spaniards went to the islands, but there is no solid proof. The Philippines were quite barbaric before the Spaniards came, your place in society hierarchy depended on how much land you own or how many people you have beheaded. The people of the Philippines also had many religious beliefs including witches, elf like creatures, giants, babies that suck peoples blood and half-man, half-horse creatures. Besides the harsh ways of the people, the islands are quite exquisite. There are about 7,100 islands that make up the Philippines, all consisting of incredible wildlife and are surrounded by beautiful waters. Unfortunately, the incredible land is a very poor one now, being considered third world on multiple occasions, but before the Spaniards invaded, they were a well ran and doing well as a colony.
Interview With the Locals
Due to the world spice craze, Moluccas, or the Spice Islands, has been getting shopped by multiple different countries. We interviewed some locals to get their feelings on the craze. A mother of seven said, "I can't believe how many traders come here just for the spices, its incredible. My whole life we've had these spices, but when the others found out about it, trade for them sky-rocketed. People come from all over the world for them! I love letting my kids being exposed to the ways of the foreigners and experiencing their foods." A twenty seven year old man whose life is devoted to trade said, "The amount of business is amazing. Before the spices were popular, my wife and I worked two jobs each. Now, my family is living very comfortably just from my sales on spices!" After hearing from these people, you would think the islands are very happy with the amount of trade coming in, but not all the feelings are mutual. Another man who is retired from the trade industry said, "This land was supposed to be calm, the amount of people coming just for our spices is absurd. I resided here for peace, not foreigners interrupting our peaceful lives." As you can see,
Business
Portugal has gained footholds on the coast of Africa with posts for trading muskets, tools, cloth for gold, a place to repair their ships, and slaves. Slavery has been around for a long time and has been seen in many cultures from the Romans, Egyptians, Indians, and even Aztecs. Slavery had become extremely marketable throughout the world in many regions, but the ones who benefited the most were the Portuguese and the powerful African Empires. In Africa, slaves were people of defeated territories who had lost their freedom, and were usually sold to European ‘explorers’. African slaves would be packed away in extremely close quarters to spend about 6 weeks journeying across the Atlantic Ocean. Once in the Americas or the Caribbean, slaves were forced to work on plantations, but if they were taken to Europe, they were most likely used as a house servant to carry out everyday errands. Overall, the marketing of slaves has had a great impact on both European, African, and American business and wealth, but a negative impact on African societies… some which were completely destroyed.
Are you craving adventure? Do you want to see the world while serving your country? If so, joining an exploration team may be right for you! Courageous men and skilled navigators are traveling overseas and working tirelessly to trade with and claim foreign lands. You could be one of these men. Great navigators like Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco da Gama may need crewmen! Go to Lisbon, Madrid, or any large city near you and you could be the next one on a ship.
Technology
Works Cited
Spices in a Bazaar. Digital image. Britannica. Britannica, Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Spice Trade." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Ferdinand Magellan's Ship Victoria. Digital image. Britannica. Britannica, Web. 10 Dec. 2015
Wallace, Vicki. Astrolabe on a ship. Digital image. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
United States. National Park Service. "Navigation and Related Instruments in 16th-Century England." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 13 Dec. 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Astrolabe." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
"European exploration". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015
"Treaty of Tordesillas." Treaty of Tordesillas. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
"Slavery in America." History.com. A&E Television Networks, Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
"The Philippines Before Magellan." Personally Yours Philippines. 22 June 2008. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.
Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor., and Anthony Esler. Prentice Hall World History: The Modern Era. Print.