Period 1 (1491-1607), 1.3, European Exploration in the Americas

Continuing where we last left off: 1.2 Native American Societies Before European Contact, we are now starting 1.3, also known as period 1: 1491-1607. If you missed that, feel free to take a look.

The age of exploration and conquest started in the late fifteenth century. This is mostly caused by the desire for new sources of wealth, competition for power and status and the spreading of Christianity. The Crusades, a series of religious wars that took place in the 12th and 13th centuries, had heavy impacts on Europe’s economy. It shifted the trade routes, affected the economic resources and overall shook the stability of the feudal system. As a result, Europeans started looking for new trade routes with the East.

The religious movement Protestant Reformation was led by Theologians Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Catholic Church’s practice of selling Indulgences disgusts both of them. Due to this, the Catholic Church underwent a reform in the sixteenth century (Counter-Reformation) which resulted in the Jesuits. The Jesuits were a Catholic order devoted to spreading their gospel throughout the world.

Next, we will be discussing about the Columbian exchange, Spanish Exploration and Conquest. The Columbian exchange was the transfers of new products and organisms between the New World and the Old World. The introduction of new sources of wealth in the form of precious metals transformed the European economy and helped with the transition from feudalism to capitalism. Things that were brought back from the New World include things such as turkeys, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cocoa and tomatoes. These things revolutionized agricultural and culinary traditions in Europe and provided more options for the diets of the European peasantry. Tobacco was also introduced and started a craze.

The introduction of gold and silver into Spain caused inflation that made ordinary items much more expensive. The taxes also went up a lot because the monarchy needs it to pay for the military so that it would secure its New World empire. This caused a depression in the Spanish economy, and to maintain the empire Spain had to borrow from the European banks, which in turn made Spain go into debt.

Lastly, There were a lot of technological advances and new economic structures. Maritime technologies encouraged exploration and transformed the global economy. Developments include the compass, the astrolabe, the quadrant and the hourglass. Portulanos (detailed maps) also helped navigators find their way around the world.