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1405: Zheng He launched the first of his seven voyages of exploration. The significance of this voyage is that it took place before Europeans began to sail beyond its borders. The purpose of these voyages was to impress the world with the power and splendor of Ming China.
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1419: Prince Henry founded a navigation school in Portugal. The purpose of this school was to promote Portuguese exploration. Mapmakers, instrument makers, shipbuilders, scientist and sea captains gathered there to perfect their trade.
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1433: Ming China adopts isolationist policy following Zheng He’s seventh voyage. The reason for the isolationist policy was to keep the influence of outsiders in China to a minimum. To keep the influence of outsiders to a minimum, only the government was to conduct foreign trade.
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1492: Christopher Columbus lands in Hispaniola. Even though, he was mistaken in his though that he had reached the East Indies, his voyage would open the way for Europeans colonization of the Americas – a process that would forever change the world.
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1494: Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas. This treaty between Portugal and Spain, declared that newly discovered lands to the west of an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean would belong to Spain and newly discovered lands to the east of the imaginary line would belong to Portugal.
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1498: Vasco da Gama reaches India. With the tip of Africa finally rounded by Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama began exploring the east African coast until he reached the port of Calicut, on the coast of India. Da Gama and his crew were amazed by the spices, rare silks and precious gems that filled Calicut’s shops.
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1603: Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun of Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu completed the unification of Japan in 1600. He defeated his rivals at the battle of Sekigahara and his victory earned him the loyalty of daimyo throughout Japan. These loyalties lead to making Tokugawa the sole ruler, or shogun of Japan.
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1644: Manchus establish Qing Dynasty in China. The Manchus from Manchuria invaded China and the Ming Dynasty collapsed. The Manchus took the Chinese name of Qing Dynasty. They upheld China’s traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. They also made the country’s frontiers safe and restored China’s prosperity.