In this Grade 7 lesson from California myWorld Interactive Chapter 9, students explore the economic, religious, and political motivations that drove European voyages of discovery in the 1400s and 1500s, including the roles of the spice trade, Christian missionaries, and competition among nations like Portugal and Spain. Students examine how new technology such as the caravel and advances in cartography made long ocean voyages possible, and trace key expeditions by explorers like Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama. The lesson also develops literacy skills in identifying cause and effect as students analyze how these voyages reshaped European understanding of the world.
Section 1
Europeans Seek Riches and Religion
In the 1400s, Europeans craved Asian goods like pepper and cloves. However, Italian and Muslim merchants controlled the land routes to Asia. This made the spice trade extremely expensive for European kingdoms.
To gain wealth and power, nations like Portugal and Spain searched for a direct sea route to Asia. A new route would allow them to bypass the old traders and buy spices for a much lower price.
Section 2
Portugal Pioneers a Sea Route to India
Portugal took an early lead in the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator sponsored expeditions down the coast of Africa, aiming to find a direct sea route to the rich spice markets of Asia.
In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa. His journey proved that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were connected, making a sea route to India seem possible.
Section 3
Columbus's Voyage Reveals a New World
Spain also wanted a sea route to Asia. They sponsored Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who believed he could reach the East by sailing west. In 1492, his ships landed in the Americas, but he was convinced he had found a new route to Asia.
Columbus died without knowing he had encountered a new continent. It was another explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, who later argued that this land was a "New World," entirely separate from Asia. The new continents were eventually named "America" in his honor.
Section 4
An Expedition Sails Around the World
After Columbus, Spain still sought a westward sea route to Asia. The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan proposed a plan to sail south of the Americas. He believed he could find a passage that would lead to the rich Spice Islands.
Magellan's fleet navigated a dangerous strait at the tip of South America and entered a vast, calm sea. He named it the Pacific Ocean. The journey across this massive ocean was much longer and more difficult than anyone had expected.
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Section 1
Europeans Seek Riches and Religion
In the 1400s, Europeans craved Asian goods like pepper and cloves. However, Italian and Muslim merchants controlled the land routes to Asia. This made the spice trade extremely expensive for European kingdoms.
To gain wealth and power, nations like Portugal and Spain searched for a direct sea route to Asia. A new route would allow them to bypass the old traders and buy spices for a much lower price.
Section 2
Portugal Pioneers a Sea Route to India
Portugal took an early lead in the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator sponsored expeditions down the coast of Africa, aiming to find a direct sea route to the rich spice markets of Asia.
In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa. His journey proved that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were connected, making a sea route to India seem possible.
Section 3
Columbus's Voyage Reveals a New World
Spain also wanted a sea route to Asia. They sponsored Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who believed he could reach the East by sailing west. In 1492, his ships landed in the Americas, but he was convinced he had found a new route to Asia.
Columbus died without knowing he had encountered a new continent. It was another explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, who later argued that this land was a "New World," entirely separate from Asia. The new continents were eventually named "America" in his honor.
Section 4
An Expedition Sails Around the World
After Columbus, Spain still sought a westward sea route to Asia. The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan proposed a plan to sail south of the Americas. He believed he could find a passage that would lead to the rich Spice Islands.
Magellan's fleet navigated a dangerous strait at the tip of South America and entered a vast, calm sea. He named it the Pacific Ocean. The journey across this massive ocean was much longer and more difficult than anyone had expected.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter