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Expansion, Exploration, and Encounters

Lesson 2

Europeans Explore the East

Key Terms and People
Prince Henry Portuguese supporter of exploration
Bartolomeu Dias Portuguese explorer who rounded the tip of Africa
Vasco da Gama explorer who gave Portugal a direct sea route to India
Treaty of Tordesillas treaty between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered
lands between them
Dutch East India Company Dutch company that established and directed trade
throughout Asia

Before You Read

In the last lesson, you read about the Mughal Empire in India.
In this lesson, you will read about why and how Europeans began an
age of exploration.

As You Read
Use a timeline to take notes on important events in the European
exploration of the East.

FOR “GOD, GLORY, AND GOLD” Advances in technology made these

Why did Europeans begin to explore voyages possible. A new kind of ship,
new lands? the caravel, was stronger than earlier
For many centuries, Europeans did ships. It had triangle-shaped sails that
not have much contact with people from allowed it to sail against the wind. Ships
other lands. That changed in the 1400s. could now travel far out into the ocean.
Europeans hoped to gain new sources of The magnetic compass allowed sea
wealth. By exploring the seas, traders captains to stay on course better.
hoped to find new, faster routes to 1. What were the two main reasons for
Asia—the source of spices and luxury European exploration?
goods. Another reason for exploration
was spreading Christianity to new lands.
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, an early
Spanish explorer, explained his motives:
“to serve God and His Majesty, to give
light to those who were in darkness and
to grow rich as all men desire to do.”

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Name _____________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

Lesson 2, continued

PORTUGAL LEADS THE WAY; TRADING EMPIRES IN THE INDIAN

SPAIN ALSO MAKES CLAIMS OCEAN
How did Portugal lead the way in Who established trading empires in
exploration? the Indian Ocean?
The son of Portugal’s king, Prince Portugal moved quickly to make the
Henry, was committed to the idea of new Indian Ocean route pay off.
exploring. In 1419, he started a school Through military might, Portugal
of navigation. Sea captains, mapmakers, gained power over islands that were
and navigators met and exchanged ideas rich in desirable spices. They were
there. Portugal made the best use of the called the Spice Islands. Spices now cost
new sailing technology, and the Europeans one-fifth of what they had
Portuguese monarchy also invested in cost before, while still making Portugal
overseas exploration. very wealthy.
Over the next few decades, Portuguese Other European nations joined in this
captains sailed farther and farther down trade. In the 1600s, the English and
the west coast of Africa. In 1488, Dutch entered the East Indies. They
Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern quickly broke Portuguese power in the
tip of Africa. Ten years later, Vasco da area. Then both nations set up an East
Gama led a ship around Africa, to India India Company to control Asian trade.
and back. The Portuguese had found a These companies were more than
sea route to Asia. businesses. They were like governments.
The Spanish, meanwhile, had plans of They had the power to make money,
their own. Christopher Columbus sign treaties, and raise their own armies.
convinced the king and queen that he The Dutch East India Company was
could reach Asia by sailing west. In richer and more powerful than
1492, instead of landing in Asia, England’s company.
Columbus touched land in the islands of By 1700, the Dutch ruled much of
the Americas. Spain and Portugal Indonesia. They had trading posts in
argued over which nation had the rights many other Asian countries and
to the land that Columbus had claimed. commanded the southern tip of Africa.
In 1494, they signed the Treaty of At the same time, both England and
Tordesillas. It divided the world into two France finally gained footholds in India.
areas. Portugal won the right to control Nevertheless, even though Europeans
the eastern parts—including Africa, controlled the trade between Asia and
India, and other parts of Asia. Spain Europe, they had little impact on most
got the western parts—including most people living in these areas.
of the Americas. 3. How did the Dutch and English
2. How did Spain and Portugal solve become Indian Ocean trading
their differences over claims to new powers?
lands?

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Name _____________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

Lesson 2, continued

As you read about the age of exploration, take notes to answer

questions about events listed in the timeline.

1400 1. What technological advances made

possible the age of exploration?
1419 Prince Henry starts
a navigation school.

1487 Bartolomeu Dias 2. What were some immediate and some

rounds the southern long-term outcomes of Columbus’s
tip of Africa. voyage?
1492 Columbus reaches
the Caribbean.
1494 Spain and Portugal 3. What was the most important result of
sign the Treaty of this agreement?
Tordesillas.
1498 Vasco da Gama
reaches the port of
Calicut on the Indian
Ocean. 4. How did Portugal benefit from his
1500 voyage?

1521 Ferdinand Magellan

leads a Spanish
expedition to the
Philippines.
5. Why did Spain set up trading posts in
Asia?
1565 Spain begins
settlements in the
Philippines.

1600 6. How did the Dutch gain control of much

of the Indian Ocean trade?
1619 The Dutch establish
a trading center on
Java.

7. How did the European battles for Indian

Ocean trade affect the peoples of Asia
1664 France sets up its before the 19th century?
own East India
Company.

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225 Guided Reading Workbook