Himalayan mountains by Arabs
1300’s-For better trade routes to Asia
Only other option was through land/mtns
Arabs and Venetians controlled spice trade.
Chinese and Indian traders sold spices to Arab merchants, who sold it to Venetians and made lots of money

Europeans began looking for ways to make their own fortunes

Spices- pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
Why do you think they did this?

To flavor and preserve meat
Perfumes, cosmetics, and medicine.

1.Huge fortunes from trade
2.Stop the spread of Islam
3.New ideas were from Renaissance

Early advancements-
Hourglasses
Compass (Chinese)
Astrolabe (Arabs)-altitude of the sun or stars

Needed…
Accurate maps
Better ships
Trained Sailors

Maps
Very inaccurate…
Made by Cartographers

1300-Skills started to improve

Ptolemy-astronomer’s work started to come back
His maps helped shape original ideas gave European explorers ideas of the NEW WORLD.
Used grid system (latitude and longitude)

Late 1400’s-ships used new sails perfected by Arabs. Had ability to sail against the wind.
Used multiple masts, with several smaller sails one above the others. Made ships much quicker.
Moved rudder from side to the rear-made more mobile.
1400’s Caravel
Used all new improvements.
Up to 65 feet long
Could carry 130 tons of cargo
Could sail into shallow water
Also carried rifles and cannons.

1493- wanting to divide unconquered world, ask Pope for help
Line of Demarcation-imaginary line running down the middle of the Atlantic from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Spain was to control all lands to the west, Portugal to the east.
Portuguese thought they were getting swindled, so they signed the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494