Dbq on Exploration

Imagine you are living in the 1400s in Europe. You are an explorer traveling the vast seas looking for uncharted territory. Your goal is to find new trade routes, goods, and land. This was the goal of many European explorers. Up until this point, the Vikings had developed trade networks. Leif Eriksson, a son of a Viking, sailed from West Norway to Greenland when heavy winds blew his ship to the coast of North America. It was not until 300 years later, in the 1400s, when people became interested in the discovery of new land and when Henry the Navigator advanced exploration by building a navigation school. Advancements in technology and a desire for new goods and new trade routes helped bring about the Age of Exploration, while slavery, disease, and war were some negative effects of the colonization of the New World.
Technology in Europe advanced the causes of exploration, while the desire for goods in Asia and Africa gave Europeans the determination to explore. A special type of ship called a Caravel was used in many European explorations. They were small, sturdy, and used triangular sails which allowed them to sail against the wind. Rudders at the back of the ship improved the ship’s steering. With an improved ship design, sailors were able to sail longer distances with ease. Astrolabes also improved explorations. As stated in document 2, “The Mariner’s Astrolabe was used to determine the latitude of a ship at sea by measuring the noon altitude of the Sun or the meridian altitude of a star of known declination.” Astrolabes improved explorations by charting the position of the stars, so sailors could measure how much longer they needed to travel by sea. Caravels and Astrolabes allowed sailors to travel to Asia and Africa. Europeans wanted Asian spices and they were interested in Asian culture. When Europeans sailed to Africa, they negotiated for gold, ivory, and slaves. European explorers could not have used these goods for trade without finding new trade routes.