European EXPLORATION in the Americas [APUSH Review]

Introduction to European Exploration

Overview of European Exploration Causes

• European exploration was driven by a series of interrelated developments from the century prior, as Europe was previously less significant compared to other world powers like China and Islamic empires.

• The population decline due to the Black Plague and agricultural struggles during a period known as the Little Ice Age set the stage for future changes in Europe.

Key Developments Leading to Exploration

• Warmer climate conditions improved agricultural productivity, leading to increased food supply and population growth in Europe.

• The Renaissance sparked cultural rebirth across Europe, fostering political unification and stronger governments that were eager for trade.

Motivations Behind European Exploration

Economic Motives: Gold

• Europeans sought economic gain through exploration, particularly desiring luxury goods from Asia while facing challenges with existing land routes controlled by the Ottoman Empire.

• The conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453 disrupted trade routes, prompting Europeans to seek alternative maritime paths.

Maritime Innovations

• Portugal led early exploration efforts under Prince Henry the Navigator, establishing trading posts around Africa and entering Indian Ocean trade by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.

Spain's Role in Maritime Exploration

Spanish Expansion Efforts

• Following Portugal's lead, Spain aimed to explore new routes after Columbus proposed westward travel across the Atlantic Ocean.

• Columbus received funding from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella despite underestimating Earth's size; he believed he reached Asia upon landing in the Caribbean.

Religious Motives: God

Context of Religious Tensions

• The 15th and 16th centuries saw religious crises within Europe, primarily dominated by Roman Catholicism amidst rising criticism over church corruption.

Protestant Reformation Impact

• Martin Luther's 95 Theses criticized church practices like simony and indulgences, igniting the Protestant Reformation which split Christianity into Catholicism and various Protestant sects.

Political Motives: Glory

Competition Among Nation States

• As contact between old and new worlds began, competition arose among European states for colonial possessions to shift power dynamics favorably towards themselves.

Diplomatic Resolutions

• Disputes over colonial claims between Spain and Portugal were settled diplomatically through papal intervention via a line of demarcation established in 1494.

Conclusion on Indigenous Perspectives

Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples

• Notably absent from negotiations regarding territorial claims were indigenous peoples of the Americas who would later resist these imposed arrangements.