Class 10/3

Today, we talked about pre- and post-Columbian exploration and looked at maps from Ways of the World #tbt

Why were the Europeans able to do what they did (travel and trade wise) even before Columbus?

• The eastern world had more advanced technologies, which made European exploration easier
• Big 3 technologies: 
1. Caravels (boats)
2. Astrolabes (helped sailors find their latitudes by following the sun)
3. Compasses
• Spain and Portugal were the most successful seafaring countries because of their proximity to the Atlantic, and they succeeded through trial and error
• Prince Henry encouraged Portuguese exploration, even after failures

• Trade is what brought Europe out of the Middle Ages
• In the Middle Ages, sea trade hugged the coasts, and the Silk Road was protected by the Mongols

• Columbus was a bad ruler but a good sailor 
• The Columbian exchange was based on gold, God, & glory (most conquistadors only cared about the gold)
• Columbus set the example for other conquistadors
• Cortez & Pizarra = bad dudes
• de Las Cosas = didn't like encomienda system, so not all bad

What does the intellectual worldview of the Renaissance have to do with exploration?

• People wanted to learn more about their world and how it worked, which they could do through exploration. Additionally, people became more nationalistic as a result of the movements that occurred during the Renaissance (reconquista, etc), which made them want to bring glory to their countries through exploration
• Rediscovery of Ptolemy's Geography (classic) led people to believe that there was a shortcut around the globe to India, and that the Earth is round

This map is obviously not right, but it was a step in the right direction

Do the natives fit into the Renaissance worldview?

• Yes, the treatment of the natives fits into the Renaissance worldview. The only people who reaped the benefits of the Renaissance were upper-class white men, so their horrible treatment is consistent with the treatment of marginalized groups at this time. 

Does the Reformation change how Europeans view the world?

• After the Reformation, people were more likely/willing to question and challenge accepted beliefs, which made people's minds more open to exploration and discovering new lands and people.