Explorers Changing Established Ways

In the 1500s a fever swept across Europe, a fever of exploration which would forever alter the way Europeans thought, causing them to question their established ways. Explorers such as Columbus, Pizarro, and Magellan courageously faced the unknown, battling stormy seas, risking starvation, and pioneered the way for future world exploration. During the Middle Ages, people believed the Earth was much smaller than it actually was and only the few educated people knew that the Earth was round. There was no knowledge of the Americas or the civilizations which existed there. The majority of knowledge was based on Roman and Greek scientists and philosophers as well as the Bible.  The discoveries of early explorers taught Europeans about the true size of the globe, world geography, and civilizations completely different from their own.

On October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, landed on the east shore of modern day Florida. However, Columbus did know he had stumbled upon a new continent so he named it the West Indies and named the people "Indians". Columbus was being funded by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to find a route west to Asia. Columbus believed that because the Earth is round, he could continue sailing west from Europe and he would reach Asia eventually. Little did he know, the continents of South America and North America formed a virtually impenetrable barrier. Columbus returned with gold, lumber, cocoa, and cinnamon. He believed that he had found a route to Asia but later explorers figured out that he had in fact discovered two new continent. Columbus drastically changed the way Europeans saw the word because they believed that Africa, Europe, and Asia were the only continents. This increase people's  knowlegde of the world and inspired future explorers such as Balboa, Cabot, and Cortes to explore the new land. They would bring back New World crops such as chili peppers, potatoes and corn as well as tales of the magnificant cultures 

In 1536 Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incan empire, destroying their culture and enslaving the Inca people by forcing them to work in mines for the Spanish. In 1532 Pizarro arrived in the Inca city of Tumbez. The Incas were an advanced society with paved road systems, bridges, canals, gold work, and terrace farming. They did not view Pizarro and his horses and firearms as threat, yet Pizarro and his men killed the Inca ruler Atahualpa and sacked the major Inca cities. Pizarro changed the European view that the only advanced civilizations were in Europe and Asia. Europeans learned of cultures they had never come in contact with before. 


Ferdinand de Magellan, a Portuguese explorer of noble birth, made the immensely difficult journey around South America in 1521. He was the first to sail west across the Pacific Ocean which he named after the Latin word for peaceful. Magellan wanted to sail under South America to Asia. However, he did not realize how gigantic the Pacific Ocean. It took Magellan ninety-eight days to cross the Pacific; the majority of his crew died from starvation or scurvy. On March 16, 1521 Magellan and the remainder of his crew reached the Philippines. Even though Magellan died in battle with the natives, his crew returned to Spain, becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe. Circumnavigation proved that the Earth was round, not flat (a misconception held by the uneducated in the 1500s). Magellan's voyage across the Pacific displayed how large the planet Earth is. aiding cartographers.

Top Five Motives of Exploration

What do you think were the top five motives for fifteenth and sixteenth-century Europeans went on voyages of exploration? Explain your answers. 


Trade- Before explorers discovered the New World, they were searching for a shorter route to Asia so that they could trade for spices. Spices were important in preserving food, adding flavor, perfume, and medicine. Prince Henry of Portugal spent many years redesigning ships, preparing maps, and training crew members so that eventually explorers could sail around Africa to Asia. His dream was realized in 1488 when Bartholomew sailed around the Cape of Good Hope. This enabled Vasco de Gama to make the same trip around Africa in 1497 to Calicut. In 1502 Vasco de Gamo made a treaty with the leader of Calicut and seized control of area around the Indian Ocean. A Portuguese trading empire developed. Another example of an explorer motivated by trade was Christopher Columbus who on August 3, 1492 sailed west from Spain to reach the East Indies. He had no idea that the Americas existed. Therefore, when he reached the Caribbean , he named the people he encountered, "Indians".

Conquest- Explorers such as Juan Rodrigez Cabrillo sailed to conquer new lands for their country. He sailed along the coast of modern day California, claiming land from San Diego to Oregon for Spain. Hernan Cortes, another Spanish explorers, overthrew the Aztec empire in 1519. Through conquest, explorers gained land for their country, prestige and awards, and riches. This motivated explorers to find new lands and conquer them.Countries such as Spain, France, Portugal, and England fought to gain territory and power. They endorsed explorers such as Pizarro and Cabot to claim lands, bring back riches, and enslave the native inhabitants. Pizarro, an Italian explorer, was successful in destroying the Inca empire. The gold from his expedition made Spain the richest country in Europe. The Inca people were forced to work in Spanish mines.


Christianity- Explorers spread the Christian faith through conversion of the native people. While Cabrillo did not personally convert the Native Americans of California, his discovery and exploration lead missionaries to later set up strict Christian missions. Magellan, whose sailors were the first to circumnavigate the world, baptized people of the Philippines by force and killed those who refused to become Christians. Today, the major religion of the Philippines is Catholicism. Another example of a European who spread the Christian faith is Francis Xavier. While he is not strictly an explorer, Xavier journeyed through India, Japan, and Indonesia where he set up convents and monasteries. In 1547-1529 Xavier converted 300,000 Japanese people to Christianity. However, the Japanese banned missionaries in 1550 along with the Jesuits so Xavier's efforts were fruitful in converting the Japanese.


Curiosity- It was one of the Renaissance ideals which lead explorers to discover new lands or routes. The Renaissance was a period of rebirth and return to classical ideals. Scholars around the world were studying the classics of Aristotle and Plato. People became more interested in secular subjects such as the humanities and human achievement. Meanwhile, the Scientific Revolution started in the 1500s; it was a shift in scientific thinking which stated that mathematical laws governed the universe. Both the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution were drastic changes which influenced the way people, such as explorers, saw the world around themselves. They inspired explorers to investigate the globe and broaden their horizons. Through the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and explorers the world became a much larger place, not limited by Medieval thinking.

Mapping-When explores began sailing the seas in late 1400s they quickly realized that their maps were inaccurate; maps did not even have the Americas. In 1499, Amerigo Vespuci discovered Brazil; later, a German cartographer read Vespuci's journals and named America after Vespuci. Using tools such as the astrolabe and portable compass, cartographers and explorers were able to more accurately describe the world.