European Exploration Motivations and Advances

The transcript discusses the European age of exploration, driven by the desire for wealth, spreading Christianity, and technological advancements. Portugal led the way with innovations like the caravel and Prince Henry's navigation school. Spain followed with Columbus's voyages, leading to the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing new lands between Spain and Portugal. European nations established trading empires in the Indian Ocean, with the Dutch and English setting up powerful East India Companies.

What were the primary motivations for European exploration in the 1400s?

• To gain wealth, spread Christianity, and find faster trade routes

• To establish new alliances with Asian empires

• To escape political unrest in Europe

• To find new lands for settlement

Which technological advancement allowed ships to sail against the wind?

• The astrolabe

• The sextant

• Triangle-shaped sails on the caravel

• The steam engine

Who was the early Portuguese explorer that expressed motives to serve God and grow rich?

• Vasco de Gama

• Christopher Columbus

• Bartolomeu Dias

• Ferdinand Magellan

What was Prince Henry of Portugal known for in the age of exploration?

• Starting a school of navigation

• Leading the first voyage around the world

• Discovering the Americas

• Signing the Treaty of Tordesillas

What was the significance of the Treaty of Tordesillas?

• It divided the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal

• It ended the war between Spain and Portugal

• It marked the beginning of the Renaissance

• It established the first European trading post in Asia

Which explorer reached the southern tip of Africa in 1488?

• Christopher Columbus

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Vasco de Gama

• Bartolomeu Dias

How did Portugal establish its trading empire in the Indian Ocean?

• By forming alliances with local rulers

• Through military might and control of spice-rich islands

• By signing treaties with the Dutch

• By discovering new continents

What was the role of the Dutch East India Company?

• To explore new territories in the Americas

• To control Asian trade and act like a government

• To establish colonies in Africa

• To negotiate peace treaties with European nations

Which two European nations set up East India Companies to control Asian trade?

• France and Germany

• England and the Netherlands

• Italy and Greece

• Spain and Portugal

By 1700, which nation ruled much of Indonesia and had trading posts in many Asian countries?

• Portugal

• Spain

• The Netherlands

• England