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Nov 11, 1346
The Black Death
Across Europe, a deadly plague ravaged the population. An estimated one-third of the aforementioned population was killed, making the Black Death the most deadly epidemic in history.. After the plague, interestingly, there was an increase in prosperity. Because there weren't enough people to fill positions, many survivors were hired and paid handsomely, and a new wealthy class emerged. -
Nov 11, 1400
Sailing Ship Improvements
In the year 1400, a number of modifications were made to the standard sailing ship. One of these changes was the increased use of cannons. They were placed on the main deck of the ship, and while rather rudimentary proved effective. Also, people borrowed from the ideas and philosophies of people like Aristotle and Isaac Newton to revolutionise the way ships were constructed. -
Nov 11, 1420
First Caravel Built
A caravel is a small sailing ship and was primarily used by the Portugese. They utilised the lateen sail, a triangular sail of Islamic origin, and thus could navigate both against and with the wind. In 1420, the first of these was built. Another event of note was the first voyage of an Asian ship around the Cape of Good Hope, a strong and treacherous current near Africa. They used a caravel to make the journey. -
Nov 11, 1442
First Black Slaves Auctioned
Portugal's first black slave auction took place in 1442. It was a public affair, instead of private dealings between slave owners, and marks a trend that would continue for centuries. At around the same time, the Catholic heirarchy was meeting in the Council of Florence. -
Nov 11, 1453
Moslem Turks Capture Constantinople, or the Beginning of the Renaissance
Constantinople, once a great Christian city, was captured by the Turks in 1453. This is one of the dates that historians say marks the beginning of the Renaissance, a period of cultural reformation in Europe. The Renaissance sparked people's interest in new lands and places. After the capture of Constantinople, the Portugese obtained financial support in order to find a new route to Asia. -
Nov 11, 1487
Bartholomeu Dias and the Cape of Good Hope
Bartholomeu Dias was the first European explorer toi reach the Cape of Good Hope and the southern tip of Africa. This was done in an attempt to find a new trade route to Asia after the capture of Constantinople in 1453. His exploration essentially cut out the middleman in trade. Europe saved money, because rather than go overland and have to pay the prices other countries set to get through their lands, one could travel directly to India and Asia and get goods directly. -
Nov 11, 1492
Columbus Discovers the West Indies
This event is both very important and a very big mistake; Columbus was also sailing to find a new route to Asia, but instead unwittingly discovered the New World. He landed in the West Indies, and surprisingly never discovered that they were not, in fact, India or any of the countries remotely close to it. Columbus studied the culture of the native peoples he found there, not to mention the slaves he brought back. It was only much later that it was found out to be a part of the New World. -
Nov 14, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was a covenant dividing the undiscovered lands outside of Europe between Spain and Portugal. Everything on one side belonged to Spain, and the other, Portugal; it was made in order to settle a dispute between the two concerning what land should go to whom. It is a testament to just how much of a superpower those two countries were in the field of exploration. Over thirty years later, another treaty divided the land up further, creating another dividing line. -
Nov 14, 1498
Vasco de Gama reaches India
In 1498, the explorer Vasco de Gama reached India by rounding the southern tip of Africa. This route, a new one and one that was made fairly treacherous by the Cape of Good Hope, opened up new opportunities for trade. It also cut out the overland middleman. Trade became easier and cheaper for Europe. -
Nov 14, 1499
Amerigo Vespucci Explores South America
Vespucci's 1499 expedition to South America was the one the finally corrected Columbus' mistake. He realised that the area was not, in fact, part of Asia; instead, it was a New World country, one that had thousands of miles left to be explored. The land was claimed for Portugal in accordance with the Treaty of Tordesillas. Because Vespucci realised their mistake, a fourth continent was named. -
Nov 14, 1514
Smallpox Decimates Native Populations
Europeans, on their voyages to the New World, inevitably brought their native diseases with them. One such disease was smallpox, a particularly volatile illmess that the European population had mostly grown accustomed to, genetically speaking. Natives in the New World were not so lucky. Because their immune systems weren't used to European illnesses, they were nearly wiped out by a smallpox epidemic. -
Period: Nov 14, 1519 to Nov 14, 1522
Ferdinand Magellan Circumnavigates the Earth
(A picture of the route Msgellan's party took.) Ferdinand Magellan became the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. (...Rather, his crew did; Magellan died before the voyage was completed.) On the trip, he named the Pacific Ocean - one of the many things he would give his name to, actually. This voyage would give a new perspective on the world and its scope. -
Nov 14, 1533
Atahualpa is Hanged
After a short stint in the hands of the Spaniards, the Inca emperor Atahuallpa was killed in 1533. He had been captured in battle and held as a puppet king beforehand. His death, along with a civil war and smallpox, weakened the Inca Empire to the point where it was easily conquered by Spain. It's a victory that the Incas had never expected; they outnumbered the Spaniards, and yet they got steamrolled. -
Period: Nov 14, 1577 to Nov 14, 1580
Sir Francis Drake Circumnavigates the Globe
Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, beginning in 1577 and ending in 1580. He took about the same amount of time as Magellan did, though his route was a little different. Before this, very few notable explorers were English. This ushers in a new era of exploration. -
Spanish Armada Destroyed
The destruction of the Spanish Armade marked England's transition into the world's greatest sea power. It was carried out by Francis Drake and another commander in 1588. The battle was the largest in the undeclared Anglo-Spanish war, which lasted from 1585 to 1604. About fifty of the original 130 ships didn't make it back to Spain. -
Paragraph Part 1
The events I chose were picked less on the basis of how they related to one country or particular point during the exploration period than on how they related to the broader concepts surrounding it. For instance, disease plays an important part in how readily Europeans can conquer native populations; that's why I included things on the Black Death and smallpox. Also, there is a definitive shift in the sea powers towards the end - from Portugal and Spain to England, following the [continued] -
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destruction of the Spanish Armada. Finally, I included major explorations - Columbus' voyage to the new world, Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe - in order to provide a basic framework for the discovery of the world.
