age of discovery voyages

A Brief History of the Age of Exploration

The age of exploration brought about discoveries and advances

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• Key Figures & Milestones
• Physical Geography
• Political Geography
• Country Information
• Urban Geography

The Birth of the Age of Exploration

The discovery of the new world, opening the americas, the end of the era, contributions to science, long-term impact.

• M.A., Geography, California State University - East Bay
• B.A., English and Geography, California State University - Sacramento

The era known as the Age of Exploration, sometimes called the Age of Discovery, officially began in the early 15th century and lasted through the 17th century. The period is characterized as a time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea in search of new trading routes, wealth, and knowledge. The impact of the Age of Exploration would permanently alter the world and transform geography into the modern science it is today.

Impact of the Age of Exploration

• Explorers learned more about areas such as Africa and the Americas and brought that knowledge back to Europe.
• Massive wealth accrued to European colonizers due to trade in goods, spices, and precious metals.
• Methods of navigation and mapping improved, switching from traditional portolan charts to the world's first nautical maps.
• New food, plants, and animals were exchanged between the colonies and Europe.
• Indigenous people were decimated by Europeans, from a combined impact of disease, overwork, and massacres.
• The workforce needed to support the massive plantations in the New World, led to the trade of enslaved people , which lasted for 300 years and had an enormous impact on Africa.
• The impact persists to this day , with many of the world's former colonies still considered the "developing" world, while colonizers are the First World countries, holding a majority of the world's wealth and annual income.

Many nations were looking for goods such as silver and gold, but one of the biggest reasons for exploration was the desire to find a new route for the spice and silk trades.

When the Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinople in 1453, it blocked European access to the area, severely limiting trade. In addition, it also blocked access to North Africa and the Red Sea, two very important trade routes to the Far East.

The first of the journeys associated with the Age of Discovery were conducted by the Portuguese. Although the Portuguese, Spanish, Italians, and others had been plying the Mediterranean for generations, most sailors kept well within sight of land or traveled known routes between ports.  Prince Henry the Navigator  changed that, encouraging explorers to sail beyond the mapped routes and discover new trade routes to West Africa.

Portuguese explorers discovered the Madeira Islands in 1419 and the Azores in 1427. Over the coming decades, they would push farther south along the African coast, reaching the coast of present-day Senegal by the 1440s and the Cape of Good Hope by 1490. Less than a decade later, in 1498, Vasco da Gama would follow this route all the way to India.

While the Portuguese were opening new sea routes along Africa, the Spanish also dreamed of finding new trade routes to the Far East. Christopher Columbus , an Italian working for the Spanish monarchy, made his first journey in 1492. Instead of reaching India, Columbus found the island of San Salvador in what is known today as the Bahamas. He also explored the island of Hispaniola, home of modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Columbus would lead three more voyages to the Caribbean, exploring parts of Cuba and the Central American coast. The Portuguese also reached the New World when explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral explored Brazil, setting off a conflict between Spain and Portugal over the newly claimed lands. As a result, the  Treaty of Tordesillas  officially divided the world in half in 1494.

Columbus' journeys opened the door for the Spanish conquest of the Americas. During the next century, men such as Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro would decimate the Aztecs of Mexico, the Incas of Peru, and other indigenous peoples of the Americas. By the end of the Age of Exploration, Spain would rule from the Southwestern United States to the southernmost reaches of Chile and Argentina.

Great Britain and France also began seeking new trade routes and lands across the ocean. In 1497, John Cabot, an Italian explorer working for the English, reached what is believed to be the coast of Newfoundland. A number of French and English explorers followed, including Giovanni da Verrazano, who discovered the entrance to the Hudson River in 1524, and Henry Hudson, who mapped the island of Manhattan first in 1609.

Over the next decades, the French, Dutch, and British would all vie for dominance. England established the first permanent colony in North America at Jamestown, Va., in 1607. Samuel du Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608, and Holland established a trading outpost in present-day New York City in 1624.

Other important voyages of exploration during this era included Ferdinand Magellan's attempted circumnavigation of the globe, the search for a trade route to Asia through the Northwest Passage , and Captain James Cook's voyages that allowed him to map various areas and travel as far as Alaska.

The Age of Exploration ended in the early 17th century after technological advancements and increased knowledge of the world allowed Europeans to travel easily across the globe by sea. The creation of permanent settlements and colonies created a network of communication and trade, therefore ending the need to search for new routes.

It is important to note that exploration did not cease entirely at this time. Eastern Australia was not officially claimed for Britain by Capt. James Cook until 1770, while much of the Arctic and Antarctic were not explored until the 20th century. Much of Africa also was unexplored by Westerners until the late 19th century and early 20th century.

The Age of Exploration had a significant impact on geography. By traveling to different regions around the globe, explorers were able to learn more about areas such as Africa and the Americas and bring that knowledge back to Europe.

Methods of navigation and mapping improved as a result of the travels of people such as Prince Henry the Navigator. Prior to his expeditions, navigators had used traditional portolan charts, which were based on coastlines and ports of call, keeping sailors close to shore.

The Spanish and Portuguese explorers who journeyed into the unknown created the world's first nautical maps, delineating not just the geography of the lands they found but also the seaward routes and ocean currents that led them there. As technology advanced and known territory expanded, maps and mapmaking became more and more sophisticated.

These explorations also introduced a whole new world of flora and fauna to Europeans. Corn, now a staple of much of the world's diet, was unknown to Westerners until the time of the Spanish conquest, as were sweet potatoes and peanuts. Likewise, Europeans had never seen turkeys, llamas, or squirrels before setting foot in the Americas.

The Age of Exploration served as a stepping stone for geographic knowledge. It allowed more people to see and study various areas around the world, which increased geographic study, giving us the basis for much of the knowledge we have today.

The effects of colonization still persist as well, with many of the world's former colonies still considered the "developing" world and the colonizers the First World countries, holding a majority of the world's wealth and receiving a majority of its annual income.

• Profile of Prince Henry the Navigator
• A Timeline of North American Exploration: 1492–1585
• The History of Cartography
• Biography of Ferdinand Magellan, Explorer Circumnavigated the Earth
• The Portuguese Empire
• Explorers and Discoverers
• Biography and Legacy of Ferdinand Magellan
• Biography of Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer
• Amerigo Vespucci, Explorer and Navigator
• Biography of Juan Sebastián Elcano, Magellan's Replacement
• Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Explorer and Cartographer
• The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• American History Timeline 1601 - 1625
• The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• Captain James Cook
• Biography of Christopher Columbus

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Europe and the age of exploration.

Salvator Mundi

Albrecht Dürer

The Celestial Map- Northern Hemisphere

Astronomical table clock

Astronomicum Caesareum

Michael Ostendorfer

Mirror clock

Movement attributed to Master CR

Portable diptych sundial

Hans Tröschel the Elder

Celestial globe with clockwork

Gerhard Emmoser

The Celestial Globe-Southern Hemisphere

James Voorhies Department of European Paintings, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2002

Artistic Encounters between Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas The great period of discovery from the latter half of the fifteenth through the sixteenth century is generally referred to as the Age of Exploration. It is exemplified by the Genoese navigator, Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), who undertook a voyage to the New World under the auspices of the Spanish monarchs, Isabella I of Castile (r. 1474–1504) and Ferdinand II of Aragon (r. 1479–1516). The Museum’s jerkin ( 26.196 ) and helmet ( 32.132 ) beautifully represent the type of clothing worn by the people of Spain during this period. The age is also recognized for the first English voyage around the world by Sir Francis Drake (ca. 1540–1596), who claimed the San Francisco Bay for Queen Elizabeth ; Vasco da Gama’s (ca. 1460–1524) voyage to India , making the Portuguese the first Europeans to sail to that country and leading to the exploration of the west coast of Africa; Bartolomeu Dias’ (ca. 1450–1500) discovery of the Cape of Good Hope; and Ferdinand Magellan’s (1480–1521) determined voyage to find a route through the Americas to the east, which ultimately led to discovery of the passage known today as the Strait of Magellan.

To learn more about the impact on the arts of contact between Europeans, Africans, and Indians, see  The Portuguese in Africa, 1415–1600 ,  Afro-Portuguese Ivories , African Christianity in Kongo , African Christianity in Ethiopia ,  The Art of the Mughals before 1600 , and the Visual Culture of the Atlantic World .

Scientific Advancements and the Arts in Europe In addition to the discovery and colonization of far off lands, these years were filled with major advances in cartography and navigational instruments, as well as in the study of anatomy and optics. The visual arts responded to scientific and technological developments with new ideas about the representation of man and his place in the world. For example, the formulation of the laws governing linear perspective by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446) in the early fifteenth century, along with theories about idealized proportions of the human form, influenced artists such as Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) and Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). Masters of illusionistic technique, Leonardo and Dürer created powerfully realistic images of corporeal forms by delicately rendering tendons, skin tissues, muscles, and bones, all of which demonstrate expertly refined anatomical understanding. Dürer’s unfinished Salvator Mundi ( 32.100.64 ), begun about 1505, provides a unique opportunity to see the artist’s underdrawing and, in the beautifully rendered sphere of the earth in Christ’s left hand, metaphorically suggests the connection of sacred art and the realms of science and geography.

Although the Museum does not have objects from this period specifically made for navigational purposes, its collection of superb instruments and clocks reflects the advancements in technology and interest in astronomy of the time, for instance Petrus Apianus’ Astronomicum Caesareum ( 25.17 ). This extraordinary Renaissance book contains equatoria supplied with paper volvelles, or rotating dials, that can be used for calculating positions of the planets on any given date as seen from a given terrestrial location. The celestial globe with clockwork ( 17.190.636 ) is another magnificent example of an aid for predicting astronomical events, in this case the location of stars as seen from a given place on earth at a given time and date. The globe also illustrates the sun’s apparent movement through the constellations of the zodiac.

Portable devices were also made for determining the time in a specific latitude. During the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, the combination of compass and sundial became an aid for travelers. The ivory diptych sundial was a specialty of manufacturers in Nuremberg. The Museum’s example ( 03.21.38 ) features a multiplicity of functions that include giving the time in several systems of counting daylight hours, converting hours read by moonlight into sundial hours, predicting the nights that would be illuminated by the moon, and determining the dates of the movable feasts. It also has a small opening for inserting a weather vane in order to determine the direction of the wind, a feature useful for navigators. However, its primary use would have been meteorological.

Voorhies, James. “Europe and the Age of Exploration.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/expl/hd_expl.htm (October 2002)

Further Reading

Levenson, Jay A., ed. Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration . Exhibition catalogue. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1991.

Vezzosi, Alessandro. Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance . New York: Abrams, 1997.

Additional Essays by James Voorhies

• Voorhies, James. “ Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) .” (October 2004)
• Voorhies, James. “ Francisco de Goya (1746–1828) and the Spanish Enlightenment .” (October 2003)
• Voorhies, James. “ Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) .” (October 2004)
• Voorhies, James. “ School of Paris .” (October 2004)
• Voorhies, James. “ Art of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in Naples .” (October 2003)
• Voorhies, James. “ Elizabethan England .” (October 2002)
• Voorhies, James. “ Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) and His Circle .” (October 2004)
• Voorhies, James. “ Fontainebleau .” (October 2002)
• Voorhies, James. “ Post-Impressionism .” (October 2004)
• Voorhies, James. “ Domestic Art in Renaissance Italy .” (October 2002)
• Voorhies, James. “ Surrealism .” (October 2004)

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3.3: European Voyages of Exploration: Intro

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The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction

Beginning in the early fifteenth century, European states began to embark on a series of global explorations that inaugurated a new chapter in world history. Known as the Age of Discovery, or the Age of Exploration, this period spanned the fifteenth through the early seventeenth century, during which time European expansion to places such as the Americas, Africa, and the Far East flourished. This era is defined by figures such as Ferdinand Magellan, whose 1519–1522 expedition was the first to traverse the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and the first to circumnavigate the globe.

The European Age of Exploration developed alongside the Renaissance. Both periods in Western history acted as transitional moments between the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Competition between burgeoning European empires, such as Spain and England, fueled the evolution and advancement of overseas exploration. Motivated by religion, profit, and power, the size and influence of European empires during this period expanded greatly. The effects of exploration were not only felt abroad but also within the geographic confines of Europe itself. The economic, political, and cultural effects of Europe’s beginning stages of global exploration impacted the longterm development of both European society and the entire world.

Empire and Politics

During the eighth century, the Islamic conquest of North Africa, Spain, France, and parts of the Mediterranean, effectively impeded European travel to the Far East for subsequent centuries. This led many early explorers, such as Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus, to search for new trade routes to the East. Previous travel accounts from the early expeditions of figures such as Marco Polo (during the late thirteenth century) encouraged many Europeans to search for new territories and places that would lead to the East. Ocean voyages were extremely treacherous during the beginnings of European exploration. The navigation techniques were primitive, the maps were notoriously unreliable, and the weather was unpredictable. Additionally, explorers worried about running out of supplies, rebellion on the high seas, and hostile indigenous peoples.

The Spanish and Portuguese were some of the first European states to launch overseas voyages of exploration. There were several factors that led to the Iberian place in the forefront of global exploration. The first involved its strategic geographic location, which provided easy access to venturing south toward Africa or west toward the Americas. The other, arguably more important, factor for Spain and Portugal’s leading position in overseas exploration was these countries’ acquisition and application of ancient Arabic knowledge and expertise in math, astronomy, and geography.

The principal political actors throughout the Age of Exploration were Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, England, and France. Certain European states, primarily Portugal and The Netherlands, were primarily interested in building empires based on global trade and commerce. These states established worldwide trading posts and the necessary components for developing a successful economic infrastructure. Other European powers, Spain and England in particular, decided to conquer and colonize the new territories they discovered. This was particularly evident in North and South America, where these two powers built extensive political, religious, and social infrastructure.

Economic Factors

Before the fifteenth century, European states enjoyed a long history of trade with places in the Far East, such as India and China. This trade introduced luxury goods such as cotton, silk, and spices to the European economy. New technological advancements in maritime navigation and ship construction allowed Europeans to travel farther and explore parts of the globe that were previously unknown. This, in turn, provided Europeans with an opportunity to locate luxury goods, which were in high demand, thereby eliminating Europe’s dependency on Eastern trade. In many ways, the demand for goods such as sugar, cotton, and rum fueled the expansion of European empires and their eventual use of slave labor from Africa. Europe’s demand for luxury goods greatly influenced the course of the transatlantic slave trade.

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries small groups financed by private businesses carried out the first phase of European exploration. Members of the noble or merchant class typically funded these early expeditions. Over time, as it became clear that global exploration was extremely profitable, European states took on a primary role. The next phase of exploration involved voyages taken in the name of a particular empire and monarch (e.g., France or Spain). The Iberian empires of Spain and Portugal were some of the earliest states to embark on new voyages of exploration. In addition to seeking luxury goods, the Spanish empire was driven by its quest for American silver.

Science and Culture

The period of European exploration introduced the people of Europe to the existence of new cultures worldwide. Before the fifteenth century, Europeans had minimal knowledge of the people and places beyond the boundaries of Europe, particularly Africa and Asia. Before the discovery of the Americas, Europeans did not even know of its existence. Europeans presumed that the world was much smaller than it was in actuality. This led early explorers such as Columbus and Magellan to believe that finding new routes to the Far East would be much easier than it turned out to be.

Profound misconceptions about geography and the cultures of local populations would change very slowly throughout the early centuries of European exploration. By the sixteenth century, European maps started to expand their depictions and representations to include new geographic discoveries. However, due to the intense political rivalries during the period, European states guarded their geographic knowledge and findings from one another.

With the growth of the printing press during the sixteenth century, accounts of overseas travels, such as those of Marco Polo in the late thirteenth century, spread to a wider audience of European readers than had previously been possible. The Age of Exploration also coincided with the development of Humanism and a growing intellectual curiosity about the natural world. The collection and study of exotic materials such as plants and animals led to a new age of scientific exploration and inquiry. These initial surveys and analyses influenced future revolutionary developments in numerous fields of science and natural history in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Religious Factors

One of the tenets of Catholicism decreed that Christianity ought to be the universal religion and faith among all mankind. The Crusades in the centuries preceding the Age of Exploration exposed Europeans to new places, people, and goods. It also reflected the zealous nature of medieval Christianity and foreshadowed the fervent missionary work that would form a major part of all early global expeditions. The pope played an important and validating role in these voyages by sanctioning and encouraging worldwide exploration. This often included the approbation of enslaving Africans and indigenous peoples. Missionaries were frequently a part of the early expeditions of Spain with the aim of bringing Christianity to the native inhabitants. Europeans typically viewed indigenous populations as barbaric heathens who could only become civilized through the adoption of Christianity.

• The age of European exploration and discovery represented a new period of global interaction and interconnectivity. As a result of technological advancements, Europeans were able to forge into new and previously undiscovered territories. They understood this to be a “New World.”
• European exploration was driven by multiple factors, including economic, political, and religious incentives. The growing desire to fulfill European demand for luxury goods, and the desire to unearth precious materials such as gold and silver, acted as a particularly crucial motivation.
• The period of European global exploration sparked the beginning phases of European empire and colonialism, which would continue to develop and intensify over the course of the next several centuries.
• As European exploration evolved and flourished, it saw the increasing oppression of native populations and the enslavement of Africans. During this period, Europeans increasingly dealt in African slaves and started the transatlantic slave trade.
• European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction. Authored by : The Saylor Foundation. Located at : https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/HIST201-3.1.1-EuropeanExplorationIntro-FINAL1.pdf . License : CC BY: Attribution

History for Kids

Age of Discovery

The Age of Discovery, also referred to as the Age of Exploration, was a remarkable period spanning from the early 1400s to the early 1600s. During this time, powerful European nations embarked on grand voyages across the oceans in search of new trade routes and lands to conquer. This era not only reshaped maps but also introduced Europeans to previously unexplored cultures and territories. Let’s navigate through the key aspects of this transformative period.

Table of Contents

Prelude to Discovery 

Long before the official Age of Discovery, various nations worldwide, particularly during the Middle Ages, initiated explorations to seek new routes for the lucrative spice and silk trades. 

One of the most famous explorers of this era was Marco Polo, whose extensive travels across Asia from 1271 to 1295 were documented in “The Travels of Marco Polo.”

However, in 1453, the Ottoman Empire’s control of Constantinople blocked European access to key trade routes, prompting European nations to turn their gaze toward the sea.

Portuguese Expedition 

Portuguese explorers were pioneers of European overseas exploration. Portugal’s interest in maritime voyages dates back to 1317, influenced by inland problems like the bubonic plague, wars, and droughts.

By 1415, Portuguese expeditions had reached and occupied parts of Africa, establishing dominance in navigation, warfare, and trade.

Between 1497 and 1502, Vasco da Gama’s voyage led to the discovery of India and Brazil, laying the foundation for Portugal’s enduring colonial empire in Asia.

Portugal’s control over the Indian Ocean secured a monopoly on the spice trade and facilitated interactions with traders from China, Japan, Java, Bengal, Persia, and Arabia.

In essence, Portugal emerged as the world’s first global sea power.

Spanish Expedition 

Christopher Columbus, sailing under the Spanish flag, made significant voyages, landing in the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama’s Almirante Bay.

To avoid conflicts over newly discovered lands, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing the world between them.

Spain continued to establish settlements in the New World, including New Granada, Peru, Buenos Aires, and Santiago, under the support of the Spanish crown.

The expedition led by Portuguese national Ferdinand Magellan, backed by Spain, successfully circumnavigated the globe in 1522 under the leadership of Juan Sebastián Elcano.

Interested to Learn More about the Ancient Aztecs?

English Expedition 

Following Spain and Portugal’s successes, England, under King Henry VII, commissioned John Cabot in 1496 to seek a route to Asia via the North Atlantic.

Cabot reached the coast of Newfoundland but did not establish a colony. Eighty-one years later, Francis Drake completed the second circumnavigation of the world during a single expedition from 1577 to 1580.

Throughout the 1600s, England established American colonies primarily relying on slave labor. In 1607, Captain John Smith founded Jamestown, England’s first permanent settlement in the Americas, setting the stage for England’s emergence as a dominant European empire.

Until the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, England transported 3.5 million African slaves to the Americas, accounting for 75% of all transatlantic slave transport.

French Expedition 

Competing with Spain, Portugal, and later Britain, France, led by King Francis I, established colonies in North America, the Caribbean, and India in the 17th century.

Explorer Jacques Cartier was sent to explore Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River in 1534, leading to the founding of New France. This marked the first European exploration into North America’s interior.

France’s colonies in the Americas were primarily focused on economic interests, distinguishing them from other colonial powers more engaged in the slave trade.

The French expedition expanded to the West Indies, West Africa, and India, creating trading posts and colonies.

Impact of the Age of Discovery 

The Age of Discovery fostered cultural interactions and globalized economies. However, European occupation also brought diseases, wars, and the near-extinction of native settlements.

Additionally, this era witnessed extensive European involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, resulting in the transportation of around 10 million African slaves to the Americas.

Map Illustrating Exploration Routes

Portrait of Christopher Columbus

https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-exploration/The-Age-of-Discovery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Discovery

The Age of Discovery: A New World Dawns

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The Age of Discovery (also known as the Age of Exploration) refers to an exciting era in European history when a number of extensive overseas voyages took place. This period lasted roughly from the beginning of the 15th century until the middle of the 17th century and is most famously associated with Portugal and Spain, though many other regions were just as curious and set out on their own journeys of discovery around the world.

The Age of Discovery is also said to have ‘spread’ to Northern Europe and Russia, since these countries conducted their own explorations as well, though they set out much later than the Spanish and Portuguese. The Age of Discovery was brought about by a combination of several factors and had an impact not only on the history of Europe, but on the whole world.

Major Factors Behind the Age of Discovery

Trade was an important factor that led to the Age of Discovery. Around the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongol Empire was established by Genghis Khan. This was the largest contiguous land empire in history and stretched from China in the east to Central Europe in the west. Thanks to the Mongol Empire, trade flowed between the East and West via the Silk Road .

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A foreigner depicted as a camel driver; Chinese terracotta sculpture from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD). Cernuschi Museum, Paris, France. (Guillaume Jacquet/ CC BY SA 3.0 )

During the 14th century, the Mongol Empire was disintegrating, making travel along the Silk Road more dangerous. Although trade could be conducted via a maritime route there was a problem - the Mediterranean was dominated by the Venetians and the Red Sea, which gave access to the Indian Ocean, was blocked by the Ottoman Turks. Nations on the western end of the continent were certainly the biggest losers in such an arrangement.

Politics also contributed significantly to the Age of Discovery. In the Iberian Peninsula, the Reconquista had been going on since the 8th century AD and was nearing its end during the 15th century. Although the fall of Granada in 1492 marks the completion of the Reconquista , by the middle of the 13th century all of the Iberian Peninsula, apart from the Emirate of Granada, was in Christian hands.

The Reconquista gave rise to new European kingdoms, namely Portugal and Spain, whose rulers encouraged and funded the overseas voyages. In addition, the Age of Discovery was made possible by the development of ships that could travel across open waters.

Finally, the role of religion should not be overlooked. For instance, one of the motivations behind Portuguese exploration was the legend of Prester John. The Portuguese hoped to find this legendary king who was rumored to rule over a Christian kingdom in the East and form an alliance with him against the Muslims.

Prester John of the Indies. Close-up from a portolan chart. (The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford/ CC BY 4.0 )

Early Explorations

It should be mentioned briefly that travel and exploration were already happening in the centuries prior to the Age of Discovery. For instance, during the Middle Ages, Italian traders (the most famous being Marco Polo ), as well as Christian missionaries (such as the Franciscan Odoric of Pordenone) were already traveling to the East. Other civilizations were also conducting their own travels.

The Maritime Silk Road, for instance, facilitated the movement of traders from China, Southeast Asia, India, and the Arabian Peninsula; while the famous Moroccan scholar and explorer, Ibn Battuta, traveled extensively during the 14th century - visiting not only much of the Islamic world, but also areas not under Muslim rule , including Central Asia, Southeast Asia, India, and China.

Ibn Battuta in Egypt. ( Public Domain )

Voyages to Unknown Lands

One of the differences between European exploration during the Medieval period and the Age of Discovery is that during the latter the explorers began their journeys from the western end of the continent and were sailing into uncharted waters.

As mentioned earlier, the passage to the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea was blocked to the Europeans by the Turks . Therefore, the alternative route to the East for the Europeans was to go to the southern end of Africa before turning eastwards. At that point of time, the continent of Africa had not been fully explored, and it was not possible for the Europeans to travel inland, since North Africa was also under Muslim rule. Therefore, the Europeans were forced to sail along the western coast of Africa, seek its southern end, and then sail onwards to the East.

Major Finds by Portuguese Explorers

The Portuguese explorers are credited with making the first discoveries of this period. 1415 is regarded as the foundation of the Portuguese Colonial Empire, as the Portuguese crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and conquered the Moorish city of Ceuta in that year. The Portuguese discovered Madeira by chance.

In 1419, two Portuguese captains in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator were driven by a storm to an island which they named Porto Santo. In the following year, the captains returned to claim the island for Portugal and discovered a larger island (Madeira) to its southwest. In 1427, the Azores were discovered, and in the following decades the Portuguese continued their exploration along the west coast of Africa.

Cape Bojador (on the northern coast of Western Sahara) was crossed in 1434, while Senegal and Cape Verde were reached in 1445. In the following year, the Portuguese had made it as far south as what is currently Sierra Leone . Subsequently the Portuguese explored the Gulf of Guinea, and they discovered the Congo in 1482. Four years later, they were at Cape Cross, in modern day Namibia.

In 1488, Batolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope. This was a significant event, as it meant that the Portuguese had finally reached the southern end of Africa and could now sail eastwards into the Indian Ocean. Nevertheless, it would take the Portuguese some time before they arrived in India. In 1498, Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut, in southwestern India, making him the first European to arrive in India by an oceanic route.

Vasco da Gama. ( Public Domain )

For much of the 15th century the Portuguese were free to explore the oceans without any opposition from other European states. Spain (at that time the Crowns of Castile and Aragon), which would have been the main rivals of the Portuguese, was occupied with other matters during that century. As previously mentioned, the Reconquista only ended in 1492 after the fall of Granada. Additionally, the Spanish were more concerned at that time with the Mediterranean, as a number of areas outside Spain, including southern Italy, Sardinia, and Sicily, were under the Crown of Aragon.

The Spanish and Portuguese Compete to Reach the East

Nevertheless, the Spanish had no intention of losing out to the Portuguese and the two powers were locked in competition, each wanting to be the first to reach the East by sea. In January 1492, shortly after the conquest of Granada, a Genoese explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus finally succeeded in obtaining the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I to voyage across the Atlantic. Columbus presented a radical proposal to the Spanish monarchs – he believed that it was possible to reach Asia by sailing westwards. Earlier on, Columbus had presented his project to the Portuguese king, John II, but was rejected. Columbus was rejected by Ferdinand and Isabella as well, at least twice, before securing their patronage in 1492.

‘Columbus before the Queen’ (1843) by Emanuel Leutze. ( Public Domain )

Contrary to popular belief, Columbus was not denied sponsorship because of the belief that the earth was flat, but rather because the experts at the Portuguese and Spanish courts believed that Columbus had grossly underestimated the distance between Europe and Asia. In this matter, the Portuguese and Spanish experts were right. Columbus, however, was extremely lucky, as there was a previously unknown land mass, i.e. the Americas, on the western route between Europe and Asia.

As a result, Columbus is remembered in the West as the man who discovered the New World. Had the Americas not existed, Columbus might have been relegated to a footnote in history and perhaps remembered as the ‘man who sailed west and never returned’. In the years following the discovery of the New World, Columbus maintained that he had found the western route to Asia, and may have genuinely held that belief, despite the increasing evidence that the land he had discovered was not Asia, but another continent.

Columbus aside, the discovery of lands to the west of Europe (be it Asia or another continent) escalated the conflict between Portugal and Spain. When Columbus returned from his first voyage in 1493 Spain claimed the new lands he ‘discovered.’ This was disputed by the Portuguese, who referred to the papal bulls of 1455, 1456, and 1479 to stake their claim on the new territories.

In response, the Spanish simply obtained new papal bulls to counter the old ones. Conveniently for them, the pope at the time was Alexander VI, a native of Valencia and a friend of the Spanish king. Therefore, papal bulls that favored the Spanish were easily obtained. One of these bulls, Inter caetera , stated that all lands to the west and south of a pole-to-pole line of 100 leagues west and south of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde islands would belong to Spain, apart from any lands ruled by Christians, which would be left untouched. Another bull, Dudum siquidem , entitled  Extension of the Apostolic Grant and Donation of the Indies , gave Spain all the mainlands and islands of ‘India’ to Spain, even if they were situated east of the line.

Pope Alexander VI. Detail from a fresco of the resurrection, painted in 1492 - 1495 by Pinturicchio. ( Public Domain )

The Treaty of Tordesillas

The Portuguese were not at all pleased with this arrangement and they began negotiations with the Spanish. As a result, the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed on June 7, 1494, and later sanctioned by the pope, Julius II, in 1506. According to this treaty, the world was to be divided into two hemispheres between the Spanish and the Portuguese.

Although the Portuguese accepted the line set by the pope in the Inter caetera , they requested the Spanish have it moved 270 leagues to the west. Therefore, a north-south meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, roughly halfway between those islands and the ones newly discovered by Columbus, was established.

The treaty allowed Spain and Portugal to conquer any new lands they were the first to discover (except those ruled by Christians) - the former to the west, and the latter to the east, even if they passed each other on the other side of the globe. Consequently, the Spanish colonized much of South America in the decades that followed, while the Portuguese continued their exploration of the East. Incidentally, the coast of Brazil fell within the east half of the meridian, and therefore could be claimed by the Portuguese when it was discovered in 1500.

Other Explorers Join in

A problem with the Treaty of Tordesillas became apparent in 1512 when the Moluccas were discovered by the Portuguese. Although the islands were claimed by Portugal, a counterclaim was made by Spain in 1521, as they are said to be in the western hemisphere. A solution was reached in 1529 when the Treaty of Zaragoza was signed. Another line, the anti-meridian, was fixed at 297.5 leagues to the east of the Moluccas.

Although the two treaties pleased the Spanish and Portuguese, they excluded other European powers, who in turn did not recognize the validity of the texts. Thus, these treaties did not stop them from conducting their own voyages of exploration when the time came. The English and the Dutch who inhabited the northern part of Europe were entertaining the idea of a northern sea passage to the East.

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These explorers were much less successful than Columbus . Beginning in the middle of the 16th century, a number of voyages were launched in order to seek the Northeast Passage. The passage, however, eluded the explorers, and was only found during the second half of the 19th century.

Expeditions were also conducted to find the Northwest Passage, which linked Asia to America via the sea. Like its northeastern counterpart, the quest for the Northwest Passage began as early as the 16th century. Nevertheless, it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that the passage was found.

1765 globe by Guillaume Delisle, showing a fictional Northwest Passage. (Minnesota Historical Society/ CC BY SA 3.0 )

Finally, while the Age of Discovery is regarded as a glorious era by Europeans, it was a very different story for the peoples they encountered during their voyages. Many of these civilizations ended up being colonized by the Europeans, sometimes through brutal conquest. This is most visible in the Aztec and Inca Empires, both of which were highly advanced civilizations at the time of Spain’s arrival in the New World. Nevertheless, they were destroyed in a short period of time by a small number of Spanish conquistadors.

One of the factors that aided the conquistadors in their conquest of these civilizations was the spread of diseases, such as smallpox , which was common in Europe but unheard of in the Americas. These diseases decimated the indigenous peoples of the New World - causing labor shortages, sadness, and pain. In turn this had a hugely negative impact on another continent; African slaves were forcibly brought to the New World to work on plantations.

Top image: The Age of Discovery was a time when European explorers journeyed across the world. Source: oleskalashnik /Adobe Stock

By Wu Mingren                            

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McClure, J., 2018. Did the Age of Exploration bring more harm than good?. [Online] Available at: https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/age-of-exploration-bring-more...

Mitchell, J. B., 2020. The Age Of Discovery. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-exploration/The-Age-of-Discovery

National Geographic, 2020. Jun 7, 1494 CE: Treaty of Tordesillas. [Online] Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/jun7/treaty-tordesillas/

New World Encyclopedia, 2015. Treaty of Tordesillas. [Online] Available at: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Treaty_of_Tordesillas

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New World Encyclopedia, 2019. Spanish Empire. [Online] Available at: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Spanish_Empire

Pariona, A., 2017. What Was The Age Of Exploration Or The Age Of Discovery?. [Online] Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-was-the-age-of-exploration-or-t...

The Mariners' Museum & Park, 2020. Age Of Discovery. [Online] Available at: https://exploration.marinersmuseum.org/age-of-discovery/

Voorhies, J., 2002. Europe and the Age of Exploration. [Online] Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/expl/hd_expl.htm

www.historycrunch.com , 2020. Causes of the Age of Exploration. [Online] Available at: https://www.historycrunch.com/causes-of-the-age-of-exploration.html#/

Wu Mingren (‘Dhwty’) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods.... Read More

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The Age of Discovery

Voyages of exploration and science.

About 650 years ago, European explorers turned to the sea to find faster trade routes to cities in Asia and Europe. Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal recognized the oceans’ importance to trade and commerce and he established a center of learning for the marine sciences. You could think of it as the first oceanographic institution. Mariners came to the center in Sagres, Portugal, to learn about the oceans and currents and how to make maps. These early maps provided the basis for important expeditions. In the late 1400s, Cristopher Columbus became the first European to sail westward across the Atlantic Ocean and return home. In the early 1500s Ferdinand Magellan sailed all the way around, or circumnavigated, the globe.

In the early 1700s, several European countries (mainly Spain, France and Britain) sought to expand their empires and discover new lands for raw materials, colonies or trade, and for spices from the East Indies, which they believed would help cure the Plague. They launched expeditions to survey faraway lands across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and in doing so also explored the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.

One of the most famous voyages of discovery of this time began in 1768 when the HMS Endeavour left Portsmouth, England, under the command of Captain James Cook. Over 10 years Cook led three world-encircling expeditions and mapped many countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands. He was an expert seaman, navigator and scientist who made keen observations wherever he went. He was also one of the first ship captains to recognize that a lack of Vitamin C in sailors’ diets (due mostly to a lack of fresh fruit) caused scurvy, a serious disease that killed many sailors in those times. Cook always sailed with lots of pickled cabbage, which he insisted that the sailors eat. Scurvy was never a problem on his ships because the cabbage contained lots of Vitamin C.

In 1728, John Harrison, a British cabinetmaker and inventor, started working on an important instrument to aid seafarers navigating across large areas of ocean, far away from land or coastlines. At the time, pendulum clocks kept time. Obviously, these clocks did not work well on a ship on the rolling ocean! In 1736, after years of work, Harrison invented a clock that used a spring instead of a pendulum. It was the first marine chronometer, an instrument that could give accurate time on a rolling ship. With it, sailors could figure out how far east or west they had gone from 0° Longitude, or the prime meridian, and what longitude they were sailing past. By 1761, Harrison had built four clocks, each better than the one before. The last clock was tested on a voyage between England and Jamaica, and it kept excellent time. It ran only about 5 seconds slow per day, and the ship steered a clear course to Jamaica, a true feat in those days.

Photos of Harrison’s chronometers kindly provided by the National Maritime Museum , Greenwich, London.

About the map

Featuring over 50 voyages, this interactive map illustrates a selection of well-known, or influential voyages that took place between the late-fifteenth and early twentieth centuries. These voyages focus on European maritime exploration and they follow a great number of different sea-routes, some travelling across vast oceans for a period of years; while others focus on exploring specific regions. The purposes for these voyages include empire-building and ‘discovery’, science, trade, and search and rescue attempts.

The voyages represented are by no means exhaustive but are intended to be used as a starting point for learning about some of the most well-known expeditions in the history of exploration.

To begin, press the Play all button and let the map play through all voyages plotted on the Global View, or drag the timeline to a start date that interests you and the map will play from there.

Alternatively, browse through the voyage list and select a specific voyage by clicking on the play button for that voyage; this will play that voyage in isolation.

Click on the voyage title, or on the coloured route while the map is playing to see background information on the voyage, as well as an interactive list of ports stopped at throughout the voyage and to link back to a relevant document from the collection.

You can return to the globe by clicking on the Global View button.

Colour-coded by nationality of the sponsor country, it is possible to makes comparisons between expeditions from different countries.

Use the filter search to find a specific nationality, or filter by Commander so you can more easily find specific people involved with each expedition.

The images in this site are © the source archives within this collection.

About the data

This data has been compiled using the primary source documents from Age of Exploration, as well as research carried out by our editorial team in collaboration with, and with feedback from, our academic editorial board.

Where dates are uncertain, we have highlighted these as ‘approximate’. It is possible to download the data as a csv file should you wish to further interrogate the data. Click ‘Download data’ to do so.

This series contains 16 animated historical maps. For a preview, please consult the maps below:

▶ the circumference of the earth and the route towards the west, ▶ magellan’s voyage 1519-1522.

▶ Decolonization after 1945

▶ The United States: a territorial history

▶ The Portuguese and Spanish Empires

▶ European Colonies in North America

The Age of Discovery (Part I)

During the first half of the 15th century, the Portuguese were encouraged by Prince Henry the Navigator to explore the coasts of Africa. In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed further west into the Atlantic Ocean and discovered islands that he thought were close to Asia. A few years later, Vasco de Gama reached India by sailing around Southern Africa. In 1522, one of the ships in Magellan’s fleet returned to Europe and brought proof that it was possible to circumnavigate the Earth. In a few decades, the way that Europeans saw the world had been completely transformed.

North Atlantic sailings prior to Christopher Columbus

Video extract

Before Christopher Columbus, other European sailors had reached the coasts of America, which we know since there are traces of their presence on these shores. However, this maritime exploit by a few hundred men did not lead to long-term settlement.

The travels of Marco Polo

Marco Polo left Venice with his father and uncle in 1271. Travelling to Ormuz, Central Asia and Mongolia, the three men reached Khanbalik, today’s Beijing, and were welcomed to the luxurious Mongol court. Marco Polo became an adviser to Emperor Khublai Khan and travelled extensively through China.

The voyages of Ibn Battuta 1325-1355

Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier half a century after Marco Polo. For more than thirty years, he travelled to the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, India and China. Ibn Battuta dictated the story of his travels, known as the “Rihla”, to the secretary of the Sultan of Fez.

The maritime expeditions of Zheng He

In the early 15th century, China launched an exceptional venture: seven major maritime expeditions to explore the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, the official archives, with plans of the ships and their logs, were destroyed several decades later, which explains why many aspects of this extraordinary adventure are unknown to us today.

Trade in the Indian Ocean in the 15th century

In the 15th century, trade in the Indian Ocean was centred on Southern ports on the Arabian peninsula, the Islamic trading posts on the African coast, and ports on the Indian coast. This triangle was then linked to Malacca by merchant ships travelling to Sri Lanka and the Bay of Bengal, thus making a huge semi-circle stretching from Japan and China to the Spice Islands and Java.

Portuguese Exploration of the African coastline

In order to circumvent the Muslim monopoly on trans-Saharan caravans, around the year 1420 the Portuguese sought access to rich African resources by ship. Encouraged by Henry the Navigator, they sailed out to Africa but had no knowledge of the coastal waters beyond Cape Bojador.

Vasco da Gama’s voyage 1497-1498

King Manuel I of Portugal chose Vasco da Gama to lead the first maritime expedition to India. The passage was opened up by Bartolomeu Diaz who had sailed around the Cape of Good Hope ten years earlier.

The voyage of Pêro da Covilha

During the 15th century, the Indian Ocean was still a great mystery to Europeans. In 1487, the King of Portugal gave Pêro da Covilha and Alfonso de Paiva a mission to report on sailing conditions between Africa and India and to make contact with the legendary Christian kingdom of Prester John.

Portuguese Volta (The ‘Loop’)

During the 15th century, the Portuguese did not know that the world turned on its own axis nor did they have the scientific knowledge to understand atmospheric circulation. It was thanks to their wide-ranging experience as navigators that they overcame the difficult sailing conditions encountered in the Atlantic Ocean.

Portuguese expansion in the Indian Ocean

Portuguese expansion in the Indian Ocean, after Vasco da Gama’s first voyage, was remarkable. The first two Viceroys, Francisco de Almeida and Afonso de Albuquerque, founded a network of trading posts and fortresses along the coast. The Treaty of Saragossa 1529 confirmed Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean.

The Treaties of Tordesillas (1494) and Saragossa (1529)

The first successful expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean raised the question of what to do with the archipelagos and new lands discovered by these navigators. In 1479, Portugal and Castile signed an initial treaty confirming Castile’s dominion over the Canaries, while recognizing Portugal’s monopoly on the African coast.

The circumference of the Earth and the Route towards the West

Complete video

In the 3rd century BCE, Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth with remarkable precision. In later centuries, other Greek geographers, including the most famous of them all, Ptolemy, suggested a much lower figure for the circumference for our planet. This under-estimation was adopted by 15th century map-makers.

Christopher Columbus’ first voyage 1492-1493

Christopher Columbus sailed under the Portuguese flag, but it was Isabella of Castile who provided the funds for his project to sail to Asia by a western route. His flotilla of three ships set sail from Southern Spain on 3 August 1492. He headed first for the Canary Islands, before setting off across the Atlantic Ocean and discovering islands near the American continent.

Christopher Columbus’ three subsequent voyages

In the years following his first voyage, Christopher Columbus carried out three more journeys, but with better resources than in the past. He explored the ring of Caribbean islands, founded the colony of La Isabella on the island of Hispaniola, discovered the huge delta of the Orinoco and sailed along the coast of today’s Honduras.

The first explorations in the New World

Following Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World, several expeditions tried to reach China and the Indies by sailing west. Gradually, the Europeans found themselves sailing along the coast of a new continent.

Magellan’s voyage 1519-1522

The expedition led by Magellan was expected to sail as far as the Spice Islands to the west by sailing around the American continent. It was financed by Spain, which hoped to gain access to these islands and their spices without crossing the Indian Ocean, then dominated by the Portuguese.

Age of Discovery

• 1.1 Past the Age of Discovery
• 2 Eat and drink
• 3.1 Christopher Columbus
• 3.2 John Cabot
• 3.3 Vasco da Gama
• 3.4 Ferdinand Magellan
• 3.5 Hernán Cortés
• 3.6 Jacques Cartier
• 3.7 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
• 3.8 St. Francis Xavier
• 3.9 Sir Francis Drake
• 3.10 Matteo Ricci
• 3.11 Henry Hudson
• 3.12 Samuel de Champlain
• 3.13 Abel Tasman
• 3.14 Vitus Bering
• 3.15 James Cook
• 3.16 Louis Antoine de Bougainville
• 3.17 George Vancouver
• 3.18 Matthew Flinders
• 3.19 Fabian von Bellingshausen
• 4.2 Americas

The Age of Discovery , also known as the Age of Exploration , was the period from the 15th century to the late 18th, when Europeans set sail to discover and explore other lands. It also marked the beginning of European colonialism and the start of the Mercantilist Age, as well as the beginning of globalization.

While the European explorers did discover many uninhabited islands, for the most part they were exploring lands that had been discovered and settled by other people thousands of years before. The widely-used term "Age of Discovery" reflects the Eurocentric view of the world that existed at the time.

For this article, we focus on seaborne exploration and consider the Age of Exploration to end with the navigators Cook, Vancouver, Tasman and Flinders exploring the Pacific in the late 18th century. This excludes various expansions over land — the Russian Empire , the Ottoman Empire , Imperial China , America's Old West and so on — and more recent explorations in the Arctic , Antarctica and Space .

The article In the footsteps of explorers takes a broader approach to exploration, including explorers from other time-periods and those not from Europe.

Understand [ edit ]

Though the great voyages of the Age of Discovery were neither the world's first nor the first major ones by Europeans, they were very influential. Trade routes had been maintained between the Roman Empire and the East via the Silk Road for many centuries.

The period from the 5th to the 15th century AD is in Europe known as the Middle Ages , earlier implied to be a "dark" age between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance and Age of Discovery. This view is today dismissed, and there were indeed many great explorers during the time, both Europeans and others. Vikings reached North America around 1000 CE. Marco Polo 's book, published around 1300, told of the riches of the East and strongly influenced later exploration. The Islamic Golden Age produced explorers such as Ibn Battuta , who travelled further than any known person before him. China's Ming Dynasty sent the Ming Treasure Voyages across the South China Sea and Indian Ocean in the 15th century, making it as far the east coast of Africa .

The European Age of Discovery began in 1415, as the Portuguese captured the Moorish port of Ceuta in North Africa, marking the start of the Portuguese Empire . They were pioneers in the Age of Exploration, discovering the system of ocean currents and prevailing winds in the Atlantic Ocean, and striving to improve their shipbuilding and seamanship skills in order to use it. The understanding of the trade winds, and the development of triangular sails capable of crosswind sailing, enabled Europeans to sail across oceans and establish global empires.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to expand over the seas since the Vikings . First they discovered and settled some nearby and until then uninhabited archipelagos, Madeira in 1418 and the Azores in 1427.

Inaugurated around 1433, the Sagres nautical school, sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), was set up to study the maritime exploration of the Atlantic Ocean, which led to the reaching of Greenland , Newfoundland , Labrador , and the west coast of Africa. The discovery of a passable route around Cape Bojador by Portuguese mariner Gil Eanes in 1434 was a major breakthrough for European seamanship, of almost mystical significance. After Prince Henry's death, his pupils continued to voyage further and further, enabling Portugal to begin a major chapter in world history with the New World discoveries and a monopoly over trade between the Orient and Western Europe. The Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias would become the first European to sight and sail around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. Explorers Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral reached India in 1498 and Brazil in 1500, respectively, setting in motion the colonial scheme of occupation and exploitation.

Other countries soon joined in. Spain sent Columbus on a series of voyages starting in 1492, and also sent out voyages under other commanders; in 1519 they sent out the Magellan expedition, the first circumnavigation of the world. In the process, Magellan would become the first European to sail through "the Strait that shall forever bear his name", in 1520. This would be the main route for ships sailing between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans until the first European sighting and rounding of Cape Horn further south by the Dutch navigator Willem Schouten in 1616. John Cabot explored Newfoundland and nearby areas for the British starting in 1497. French exploratory voyages began around 1508 under Giovanni da Verrazzano, and what is now Quebec was claimed for the Kingdom of France by Jacques Cartier by 1540.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Indonesia , in 1512, with British, Dutch and Spanish traders not far behind. In medieval Europe, pepper cost more than its weight in gold, so the Spice Islands were an extremely valuable colony. Several small wars were fought over them, with the Dutch ending up in control.

The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed in 1494 after the Pope mediated in a dispute between Portugal and Spain; it divided the non-Christian world between those two powers. The Protestant powers and even Catholic France ignored it.

• Spain was granted the right to occupy much of the New World, plus most of the Pacific. They soon grabbed most of the Americas, except Portuguese Brazil and various areas where the British, Dutch or French beat them to it.
• Portugal got Brazil and was granted a free hand in the Old World, except for Christian Europe. They rushed to establish bases (though generally not large colonies) all along the trade routes to the riches of the East. They held Angola , Goa , East Timor and Macau until the late 20th century. They were also in Sri Lanka , Malacca , the Spice Islands and Taiwan until the Dutch or the British displaced them.

The treaty allowed either nation to intrude into the other's zone provided the area was not yet colonized, they formed alliances with local rulers, and they spread the Faith. At least in the mind of the Spanish King, this justified taking the Philippines in the 1560s.

Past the Age of Discovery [ edit ]

It was the Portuguese, from their base in Macau, who first began serious trade with China and Japan. Later, other European powers and the U.S. joined in. However, both countries would maintain relatively isolationist trade policies until the 19th century, when the British forced China into very unfavorable trade terms following their victory in the First Opium War in 1842, and the Americans forced Japan to open up during the Black Ships incident in 1853.

Italy did not develop its own colonial empire until the late 19th century — they took Eritrea in 1882, Somalia in 1889, Libya in 1911, Ethiopia in 1936, and had a few small concessions in China — but many of the explorers in the early days were Italians. These included Columbus, Cabot, Verrazzano, Amerigo Vespucci and Magellan's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta.

Along with military conquest and commerce, the other goal of imperialism was Christianizing the indigenous peoples, which was the role of missionaries. And except in Muslim , Hindu , Sikh and most Buddhist areas, and nations with their own longstanding Christian churches, they were very successful in attaining converts, eventually leading to Christianity becoming the world's most prolific religion, a position it maintains today. Many of the early missionaries to nations far from Europe took fascinating journeys which can be retraced, and there are many historical missions around the world with functioning churches and museums that can be visited.

The Europeans often maintained control over their colonies through a "divide and conquer" strategy, in which they would deliberately stoke tensions between different groups. Moreover, many people were shipped between far flung regions of the colonial empires to provide labour for the respective colonial masters. This has resulted in significant ethnic and religious tensions that have persisted even after the colonies gained independence, sometimes even resulting in civil wars, ethnic cleansings or genocides.

At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the industrial era, the inland of many continents, as well as the polar regions, remained uncharted. Among famous inland expeditions were the Lewis and Clark expedition across North America, and the voyages of Sven Hedin across Central Asia. The North and South Pole were reached by humans only in the 20th century.

Eat and drink [ edit ]

The Age of Discovery also had a huge impact on global culinary culture, and many ingredients now seen as integral parts of many European cuisines such as potatoes, tomatoes and cocoa actually have their origins in the Americas . Turkeys are native to North America, and originally domesticated by the ancient Mesoamericans, but are today an integral part of the traditional English Christmas dinner. Similarly, chillis have become an integral part of many Asian and African cuisines despite their origin in what is today southern Mexico and Central America , having been brought to these areas by Spanish and Portuguese traders in the 16th century. Maize (corn), which is native to southern Mexico, has become a staple in many African cuisines. Sweet potatoes are originally from South America, but today China is the largest grower.

Unlike native American ingredients, native Australian ingredients have a comparatively minor impact on the global culinary scene, the sole exception being the macadamia nut, which is now one of Hawaii 's major exports.

Crops and animals originally domesticated in Ancient Mesopotamia — barley, wheat, cattle, sheep and others — spread to Europe in ancient times, and the Age of Discovery spread them to the rest of the world. Today agriculture in many temperate zone former colonies — including Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina — is largely based on them.

Coffee had its origins in the Horn of Africa , but is now also grown in many other parts of the world, including parts of the Americas and Southeast Asia. Tobacco has also spread widely from its origins in the Americas.

Tea was introduced into Europe from China during the Age of Discovery, with Russia being the main player in the overland caravan routes via Siberia and Central Asia , while Portugal and the Netherlands initially dominated the sea routes though later the British took over much of the trade. The United Kingdom in particular took a liking to this new beverage, and tea drinking became a status symbol among the British nobility, thus giving rise to the traditional afternoon tea. The British also introduced commercial tea growing to their colonies in attempt to break the Chinese monopoly, and today, India , Sri Lanka , Kenya and Malaysia are major tea producers.

Explorers [ edit ]

This section lists many of the more famous explorers of the period.

Christopher Columbus [ edit ]

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was a Genoese colonizer and explorer who made several voyages across in Atlantic in the service of the Spanish crown from 1492-1502, thus kickstarting the Age of Discovery and the formation of the Spanish colonial empire . While he never set foot in what are now the states of the United States of America , his voyages are celebrated in the form of the public holiday Columbus Day.

John Cabot [ edit ]

John Cabot, or Giovanni Caboto, (c. 1450 – c. 1500) was a Venetian working for the English King who made three trips west from Bristol in 1497 and 1498. The records are scanty and their interpretation controversial, but it seems that he was the first European since the Vikings to reach Newfoundland .

One of his sons, Sebastian, was also an explorer; working for the English King between 1504 and 1512 he explored the North American coast as far south as Chesapeake Bay and became the first to look for the Northwest Passage, following the north coast of what is now Quebec until the weather forced him to turn back. Later he worked for Spain exploring South America.

Vasco da Gama [ edit ]

Vasco da Gama (c.1460-1524) was a Portuguese explorer who became the first European to reach India by sea, going around Africa in the process. His voyages thus allowed Portugal to establish a colonial empire in much of Africa and Asia.

Ferdinand Magellan [ edit ]

Ferdinand Magellan (c.1480-1521) was a Portuguese explorer in the service of the Spanish crown who organised the first circumnavigation of the globe, and became the first European to reach Asia from the east, by first sailing through the strait that was later named after him . Magellan himself was killed in a tribal war in Mactan in what is now the Philippines , and the circumnavigation was completed by his subordinate commander Juan Sebastián Elcano.

Hernán Cortés [ edit ]

Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) is best known as the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec empire, paving the way for the rise of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. The conquistadors were the earliest Spanish explorers in the Americas, but they were motivated mostly by greed and glory, seeking dominion over the indigenous peoples and appropriation of their gold and silver (which they found in abundance in Mesoamerica). Cortés conquered a large area stretching from Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico across Central Mexico to the Pacific coast.

Jacques Cartier [ edit ]

Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) was a Breton who explored the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (which he named, because he arrived there on the Saint's feast day) and the Saint Lawrence River for France between 1531 and 1542. He was the first European to reach what were then indigenous settlements and are now Quebec City and Montreal . He could not go beyond Montreal due to rapids.

He did not command the third voyage in 1541-42. This was to be France's first attempt at establishing a permanent settlement in the New World, and overall command was given to de Roberval who was to be governor of the colony; Cartier was chief navigator. The colony failed, but by then Cartier was already retired in St Malo which now has a Jacques Cartier Museum .

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo [ edit ]

In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (c.1497-1543) was a Spanish explorer who sailed north from Mexico to explore the North American west coast. He is recognized as the first European to set foot in what is now the U.S. state of California and his crew sailed as far north as the Rogue River in Oregon before winter weather caused the ship to turn south to return to Mexico. The place where Cabrillo first landed in San Diego is the site of a U.S. National Monument . Cabrillo would never finish his exploration of the west coast, he died in the Channel Islands in 1543 after shattering his leg in a fall.

St. Francis Xavier [ edit ]

St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was a Navarrese Catholic missionary who was one of the founders of the Society of Jesus ( Jesuits ). He led evangelization efforts in much of the Portuguese colonial empire in Asia, in particular Goa and Malacca , and became the first Christian missionary to reach Borneo , the Maluku Islands and Japan . He was on a diplomatic mission to China when he fell ill and died on the island of Shangchuan near Taishan , Guangdong . Initially buried on a beach on the island, his body was later exhumed and moved to St Paul's Church in Malacca (now in ruins). He would later be moved again to the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa , where he lies to this day.

• 21.748896 112.774402 1 St. Francis Church , Shangchuan Island, Taishan , China . Church built in memory of St. Francis Xavier on the spot where he died. ( updated Jul 2023 )
• 31.591154 130.551173 5 Xavier Park ( ザビエル公園 ), Kagoshima , Japan . Park commemorating the stay of St. Francis Xavier in Kagoshima, with statues of him and his two Japanese disciples Anjiro and Bernardo, the former of whom was the first record Japanese Christian, and that latter of whom was the first Japanese to set foot on European soil. The park is also home to the ruins of the Xavier Church that was built in his honour in 1908, but destroyed in a World War II bombing raid. ( updated Jul 2023 )
• 31.603706 130.571803 6 Monument of St. Xavier’s Landing ( ザビエル上陸記念碑 ), Kagoshima , Japan . Located in Gionnosu Park, on the site where St. Francis Xavier first landed in Japan. ( updated Jul 2023 )

Sir Francis Drake [ edit ]

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) was an English explorer and privateer, famous for sailing around the world, including leading the first circumnavigation of the globe under a single commander from 1577 to 1580, and for his many raids on Spanish waters. The most notable of these were his attack on Cartagena de Indias in April 1586 with 23 ships and 3,000 men, burning 200 houses and the cathedral, and departing only after a ransom was paid a month later; and the "singeing of King Philip's beard" in 1587, against Cádiz , A Coruña and the Spanish Armada, occupying the harbours and destroying 37 naval and merchant ships. Legend says, on his return, he raided and destroyed the old Sagres school, a Spanish asset at this time; when Golden Hinde arrived and docked at the Tower of London, Queen Elizabeth I went aboard with the French ambassador, announced him "Sir", and handed the Frenchman a sword to perform the deed (and embroil the French and Spanish empires against each other). His legacy is mixed; in Latin America, El Draque is remembered mostly as a pirate, whereas the Anglosphere sees him as a bona fide explorer.

Matteo Ricci [ edit ]

Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest who led Roman Catholic evangelization efforts in China. Born in Macerata , then part of the Papal States, he joined the Society of Jesus while studying in Rome at the Roman College in 1571. He set off from Lisbon on a missionary expedition to Asia in 1578 and arrived in the then-Portuguese colony of Goa later that year. He was then dispatched from Goa to Macau , then a Portuguese trading post, in 1582, where studied Chinese language and culture, becoming one of the first Westerners to master the Chinese writing system and literary classics. From Macau he would later travel into the Chinese heartland, eventually reaching the capital Beijing in 1598. While in Beijing, Ricci became an advisor to the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty, becoming the first Westerner to be invited into the Forbidden City. Ricci introduced Western knowledge to China, including by publishing the first world map in the Chinese language in 1602, and managed to convert several important Chinese officials to Christianity by, rather controversially, promoting interpretations of Christian doctrine that were compatible with China's dominant philosophy of Confucianism, and incorporating elements of Confucian rites into Chinese Catholic rites, before dying in Beijing in 1610. Although Chinese law at that time required foreigners who died in China to be buried in Macau, due to Ricci's contributions to China, the emperor granted a special exception for him to be buried in Beijing as per his wishes.

• 22.197425 113.541239 7 Statue of Matteo Ricci , Macau . Unveiled in 2010 on the anniversary of Matteo Ricci's arrival in the city, the statue sits on the site where the College of St. Paul, where Ricci had stayed while in Macau, once stood. ( updated Jul 2023 )
• 23.047291 112.477692 10 Former site of Temple of Flowers of the Saints ( 利玛窦仙花寺遗址 ), Zhaoqing , China . The former site of the Temple of Flowers of the Saints, the first Roman Catholic church in the Chinese mainland, which was founded by Matteo Ricci. A plaque commemorating the former existence of the church now stands on the site. ( updated Jul 2023 )

Henry Hudson [ edit ]

Henry Hudson (1565-1611?) was an Englishman who led several expeditions to the New World. Most were under the English flag, searching for the Northwest passage, though on one he explored areas further south for the Dutch East India Company, leading to that company founding "New Amsterdam" which later became New York City . The Hudson River, Hudson's Bay and various other things were named for him.

Samuel de Champlain [ edit ]

Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635) was a French colonist, navigator, cartographer, draftsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He made over twenty trips across the Atlantic Ocean, and founded Quebec City and New France in 1608. An important figure in Canadian history, Champlain created the first accurate coastal map during his explorations, and founded various colonial settlements.

Abel Tasman [ edit ]

In November 1642, Dutch East India Company commander Abel Tasman (1603-1659), exploring from Mauritius under orders of Anthony van Diemen, governor-general of the Dutch East Indies , found Tasmania island, and claimed it. He named it "Van Diemen's Land" after his patron; it was re-named to its current name after him in 1856. A cape and a group of islands in northern New Zealand are still called by names given by Tasman, and Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island is named for him. He reportedly reached Fiji and Tonga , later returning to Batavia .

His second voyage took place in 1644; he mapped a part of Australia's northern coast, but failed to find the Torres Strait and a possible trade route, and the expedition was deemed a failure.

Vitus Bering [ edit ]

Danish cartographer and explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering (1681-1741), also known as Ivan Ivanovich Bering, an officer in the Russian Navy, explored the Bering Sea region and claimed Kamchatka (1725-28) and Alaska (1741) on behalf of the Russian Empire . The Bering Strait, the Bering Sea, Bering Island (where he is buried, after dying while underway), the Bering Glacier and the Bering Land Bridge were all named in his honor. He was neither the first Russian to sight North America (that having been achieved by Mikhail Gvozdev during the 1730s), nor the first Russian to pass through the strait which now bears his name (an honour which goes to the relatively unknown 17th-century expedition of Semyon Dezhnev). Reports from his second voyage were jealously guarded by the Russian administration, preventing Bering's story from being retold in full for at least a century after his death. Nonetheless, Bering's achievements, both as an individual explorer and as a leader of the second expedition, have never been doubted. Captain James Cook, despite knowledge of Dezhnev's earlier expedition, chose to use the name "Bering Strait".

James Cook [ edit ]

Born in 1728, Cook joined the Royal Navy in 1755, eventually rising to the rank of captain. He saw action in the Seven Years' War and subsequently surveyed and mapped much of the entrance to the Saint Lawrence River during the siege of Quebec, which brought him to the attention of the Admiralty and Royal Society. This led to his commission in 1766 as commander of HM Bark Endeavour for the first of three expeditions around the Pacific Ocean, during which he achieved the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand, as well as the first European contact and waypoint naming on the eastern coastline of Australia. He was killed at Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii on 14 February 1779, in a conflict with locals.

Louis Antoine de Bougainville [ edit ]

Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville (1729–1811) from Saint-Malo was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the Seven Years' War in North America and the American Revolutionary War against Britain. Bougainville later gained fame for his expeditions, including a scientific circumnavigation of the globe in 1763, the first recorded settlement on the Falkland Islands which he named "Isles Malouines", and voyages into the Pacific Ocean. Bougainville Island of Papua New Guinea , as well as the Bougainvillea genus of tropical ornamental plants, were named after him.

George Vancouver [ edit ]

Vancouver was a British officer of the Royal Navy best known for his 1791–95 expedition, to lay formal British claim and start colonization of North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions previously mapped by James Cook. The Canadian city of Vancouver , as well as the nearby Vancouver Island were named after him. The colony was called British Columbia , and became a province of Canada in 1871.

Matthew Flinders [ edit ]

Captain Matthew Flinders (1774–1814) was an English navigator, cartographer and officer of the Royal Navy who led the second circumnavigation of New Holland, that he would subsequently call "Australia", and identified it as a continent. Flinders made three voyages to the Southern Ocean between 1791 and 1810.

Today, Flinders is often forgotten about in his home country (England), but he is well known to Australians, and many places in Australia are named after him.

Fabian von Bellingshausen [ edit ]

Bellingshausen (1778-1852) was a Russian naval officer, cartographer and explorer of Baltic German extraction, who participated in the First Russian circumnavigation of the globe (1803–1806). A great admirer of Cook's voyages, Bellingshausen was one of the officers of the vessel Nadezhda ("Hope"), commanded by Adam Johann von Krusenstern.

Bellingshausen was appointed to command the second Russian circumnavigation of the globe (1819–1821), intended to explore the Southern Ocean and to find land in the proximity of the South Pole. Mikhail Lazarev prepared the expedition and was made Bellingshausen's second-in-command and the captain of the sloop Mirny , while Bellingshausen himself commanded the sloop Vostok . During this expedition Bellingshausen and Lazarev became the first explorers to see the land of Antarctica , on 27 January 1820. They circumnavigated the continent twice and never lost each other from view. Thus they disproved Captain Cook's assertion that it was impossible to find land in the southern icefields.

Returning to Kronstadt , the naval base at the approaches of St Petersburg, on 4 August 1821, Bellingshausen was made counter admiral. He fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 and attained the rank of vice admiral in 1830. In 1831 he published his book on his Antarctic travel, and in 1839 became the military governor of Kronstadt, where he died in January 1852, and was buried with full military honors.

• 59.992575 29.781838 13 Statue of Bellingshausen , Sovetskaya ulitsa, Ekaterinskii Park, Kronstadt . ( updated May 2020 )

See [ edit ]

Wikivoyage has itinerary articles for some of the greatest voyages of the Age of Discovery:

• Voyages of Columbus — Spain to the Caribbean, 1492
• Cape Route — Vasco da Gama, Portugal to India by going south around Africa, 1498
• Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation — around the world, by going past the southern tip of mainland South America, 1519-1521
• Voyages of James Cook — United Kingdom to the Pacific , 1766-1780
• Voyages of George Vancouver — United Kingdom to the west coast of North America , 1791–1795
• Voyages of Matthew Flinders — United Kingdom to Australia , 1791-1810

Europe [ edit ]

In Lisbon , the capital of Portugal, see the Torre de Belém where Portuguese explorers embarked on their voyages to distant lands, and where they disembarked on their return to the motherland. The Museu da Marinha (Maritime Museum) in the Belém district, evokes Portugal's domination of the seas. Its collections include model ships from the Age of Discovery onward. The oldest exhibit is a wooden figure representing the Archangel Raphael that accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India.

Seville was the main base for Spanish expeditions in this period and has the General Archive of the Indies , a library of documents on Spanish exploration and colonization.

In Saint-Malo , France, you can visit the Jacques Cartier Museum in his former house, which has been restored and fitted out to evoke the daily life and travels of Cartier who explored and claimed Canada for France in the mid-16th century.

In Bristol , in the United Kingdom, you can board the Matthew of Bristol , a replica of the ship used by John Cabot (an Italian also known as Giovanni Caboto) to explore the coast of North America for England.

In London , in the United Kingdom, you can board a replica of Sir Francis Drake's The Golden Hinde built using traditional methods. Buckland Abbey, in Yelverton near Plymouth , was owned by Sir Francis Drake, and is now a museum. A number of mementos of his life are displayed there.

Americas [ edit ]

In Santo Domingo , the capital of the Dominican Republic, you can visit the "Faro a Colon", a huge lighthouse and monument built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the Americas in 1492. It is also a museum that claims to house his remains. Santo Domingo was the first major European settlement in the New World. Christopher Columbus walked these streets! The Cathedral of Seville , Spain, has the results of DNA testing to back its claim to having the explorer's remains.

In Punta Arenas , Chile, the Museo Nao Victoria hosts a replica of the Nao Victoria , one of the ships used by Juan Sebastián Elcano, a Spaniard, who completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth (1519-21). It also has a replica of the HMS Beagle .

Sitka in Alaska is a Russian-born city, the former capital of Russian Alaska.

Africa [ edit ]

Mossel Bay , South Africa, has a Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex with information about European explorers and a replica of the ship used by 15th-century Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias.

At Kwaaihoek , Alexandria, near Port Elizabeth in South Africa, the Dias Cross Memorial is a replica of the cross erected in 1488 by Bartolomeu Diaz, the famous Portuguese navigator.

Asia [ edit ]

Malacca was first colonised by the Portuguese in 1511, after Alfonso de Albuquerque defeated the Malacca Sultanate in a war. The Dutch would gain control of it after defeating the Portuguese in a war in 1641. It would remain under Dutch rule until the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824, when the British took over Malacca in exchange for the Dutch taking the British colonies in Sumatra. Today, you can visit the Portuguese settlement, where descendants of the Portuguese colonisers who intermarried with the locals reside, and some continue to speak a Portuguese-based creole. It is also a good place to sample the distinctive Portuguese Eurasian cuisine. Other sites dating back to the Portuguese colonial era include the ruins of the A Famosa fort and the Church of Saint Paul. Several Dutch colonial buildings also survive, including the Stadhuys and the adjacent Christ Church.

Penang was colonised by the British in 1786, when the Sultan of Kedah sold it to Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company, making it the first British colony in Southeast Asia. Today, George Town , the capital of Penang, is known for being one of the best preserved examples of a British colonial capital in Southeast Asia. Light died of malaria in 1794, and is buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery on the island, where his grave can be visited.

Macau was colonised by Portugal in 1557, when China's Ming Dynasty granted them the right to establish a permanent trading post as gratitude for helping the Chinese to eliminate coastal pirates, making it the first European colony in East Asia. Portugal would hold on to Macau until 1999, when it was returned to China, which incidentally also marked the end of European colonialism in Asia. Today, Macau is home to an exceptionally high concentration of well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, particularly around the Largo do Senado , complete with the traditional Portuguese pavement, and you could easily mistake it for somewhere in Europe were it not for the people and Chinese-language signs. There is also the Ruins of Saint Paul, the remnants of a Portuguese Roman Catholic church that was destroyed in a fire in 1835. Another legacy of Portuguese rule is the unique Macanese cuisine, with perhaps its most famous dish being the Macanese egg tart, which was originally derived from the Portuguese pastel de nata .

Taiwan ' s history is more complex. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to sight it in 1544 and named it Ilha Formosa (beautiful island), the name by which it first became known to the West. Formosa was the usual name in English until it was replaced by the Chinese name "Taiwan" in the late 20th century. The Spanish held parts of it in the early 1600s but were driven out by the Dutch, who were driven out by Ming Dynasty loyalist Koxinga (known in China as Zheng Chenggong) in 1661. He set up an independent kingdom which lasted until the Qing Dynasty invaded in 1683. The Qing kept control until 1895 when Japan took the island. Japan was forced to give it back to China in 1945 after their defeat in World War II .

Gulangyu in Xiamen has a museum for Koxinga who drove the Dutch out of Taiwan. Although popularly remembered as a pirate in the West, he is one of the few historical leaders considered a hero by the governments in both Beijing and Taipei; defeating the foreign devils makes him a good guy in everyone's books. There are also numerous sites dedicated to him across the strait in Tainan , including the Chih-kan Tower and several temples. Tainan is also home to the ruins of several forts that were built during the Dutch colonial period.

The first Europeans to reach the Philippines were a Spanish expedition under Magellan in the 1520s, during which Magellan himself was killed in Mactan by local tribal chief Lapu-Lapu. The Spanish returned to colonize in the 1560s and held it until 1898 when the Americans took it over (along with Cuba , Puerto Rico and Guam ) after the Spanish-American War. Today many attractions in the country are remnants of the Spanish colonial period, with the city of Vigan being perhaps the best preserved example of a Spanish colonial city in the country.

See also [ edit ]

Wikivoyage also has a number of articles on things that were influenced by European exploration and colonialism.

The "Big Five" colonial empires were:

• British Empire including its "jewel in the crown", the British Raj
• Dutch Empire
• French Colonial Empire
• Portuguese Empire
• Spanish Empire

Other articles on related topics include:

• Austro-Hungarian Empire
• Atlantic slave trade
• Danish Empire
• German Empire
• Italian Empire
• Swedish Empire
• Russian Empire and its successor, the Soviet Union
• Indigenous cultures of North America
• Indigenous cultures of South America
• Indigenous Australian culture
• Maori culture
• Western food in Asia

The Belgians also built a smaller colonial empire. Wikivoyage does not have an article on the Belgian colonial empire (as of October 2022). The descendants of European colonists in thirteen British colonies in North America would declare independence as the United States of America in 1776, with the new country beginning its expansion shortly after, and subsequently building a colonial empire of its own in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Christopher Columbus

By: History.com Editors

Updated: August 11, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he stumbled upon the Americas. Though he did not “discover” the so-called New World—millions of people already lived there—his journeys marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and colonization of North and South America.

Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery

During the 15th and 16th centuries, leaders of several European nations sponsored expeditions abroad in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in this “ Age of Discovery ,” also known as “ Age of Exploration .”

Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped along the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods as well as enslaved people from Asia and Africa to Europe.

Did you know? Christopher Columbus was not the first person to propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing west from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea is almost as old as the idea that the Earth is round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)

Other European nations, particularly Spain, were eager to share in the seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of the 15th century, Spain’s “ Reconquista ”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom after centuries of war—was complete, and the nation turned its attention to exploration and conquest in other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap of wood and made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking to the sea: They sailed south along the West African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that the journey by boat from Europe to Asia should be not only possible, but comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage . 

He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile .

Columbus wanted fame and fortune. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter.

Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña , the Pinta and the Santa Maria . On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much. In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.

He kept a detailed diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, it also recorded his initial impressions of the local people and his argument for why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted the journal to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas. He found the Hispaniola settlement destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, along with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to continue his mostly fruitless search for gold and other goods. His group now included a large number of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu of the material riches he had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 enslaved people to Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities had to send a new governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for gold and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains.

In 1502, cleared of the most serious charges but stripped of his noble titles, the aging Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown to pay for one last trip across the Atlantic. This time, Columbus made it all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon two of his four ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, the explorer returned to Spain, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation on the American continents. The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. African coffee and Asian sugar cane became cash crops for Latin America, while American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy —he is remembered as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage

Ten years after his 1492 voyage, Columbus, awaiting the gallows on criminal charges in a Caribbean prison, plotted a treacherous final voyage to restore his reputation.

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Best Diplomats

Age of Discovery: Its Impact on the Past and Present

• Post author: Oleksandra Mamchii
• Post published: February 6, 2024
• Post category: Blog / History
• Post comments: 0 Comments

Picture Christopher Columbus boldly sailing the ocean blue in 1492, stumbling upon the Americas and turning everyone’s maps upside down. Not to be outdone, Vasco da Gama took a detour around the bottom of Africa, discovering a nifty shortcut to India. It was an era of surprises, where explorers navigated uncharted waters, stumbled upon exotic cultures, and unintentionally stirred the pot of global interactions. 

The Age of Discovery wasn’t just about maps and compasses; it was a grand adventure that connected distant corners of the Earth, leaving a legacy that still shapes our world today. To know more about the Age of Discovery, continue reading ahead. 

This article explores the historical context, key explorers, competition among European powers, impact on indigenous peoples, economic consequences, technological advancements, and the enduring legacy of the Age of Discovery. Join us as we delve into this remarkable era that continues to shape our interconnected world.

Overview of the Age of Discovery

The Age of Discovery, occurring from the late 15th to the early 17th century, was a transformative period in history that reshaped the world and laid the groundwork for today’s globalized era. Driven by economic ambitions, technological innovation, and political rivalries, European nations undertook unprecedented maritime expeditions with lasting effects on human civilization .

Explorers ventured into unknown waters, uncovering new territories and establishing connections across the globe. Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the Americas and Vasco da Gama’s journey around the Cape of Good Hope exemplify the daring exploration, cultural exchanges, and geopolitical shifts characterizing this age.

Pre-conditions Leading to the Age of Discovery

The Age of Discovery was an important phase in the world history, however, it did not emerge all of a sudden. There were certain pre-conditions that led up to the age of discovery. 

1. Economic Factors:

The Age of Discovery was significantly influenced by economic factors that fueled the desire for new trade routes and resources. European nations sought to break free from the constraints of existing trade routes controlled by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean powers. 

The lucrative spice trade, in particular, served as a major economic incentive. Spices like pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg were highly valued for their ability to preserve and enhance the flavor of food. By finding direct routes to Asia, explorers hoped to cut out middlemen and reduce the costs associated with obtaining these precious commodities. 

The potential for vast wealth and increased trade motivated monarchs and investors to sponsor exploratory voyages, paving the way for a new era of economic expansion.

2. Technological Advancements:

Technological innovations played a crucial role in making long-distance exploration possible. The development of more advanced and seaworthy ships, such as the caravel, equipped with improved navigational tools like the astrolabe and quadrant, enhanced sailors’ ability to traverse open seas. 

The invention of the magnetic compass provided reliable navigation, allowing explorers to maintain a more accurate course. These technological advancements not only increased the safety and efficiency of maritime travel but also empowered explorers to venture into previously uncharted waters. 

With these tools at their disposal, sailors were emboldened to take on daring journeys, navigating across vast oceans and discovering new lands with greater confidence.

3. Political Motivations:

Political competition among European powers was a key driver behind the Age of Discovery. Nations vied for dominance in the race to establish overseas colonies and control trade routes. The desire for territorial expansion and the accumulation of wealth led to fierce rivalries between countries like Portugal, Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands. 

Monarchs and leaders sought to strengthen their nations’ economic and political power by claiming territories and establishing trade monopolies. The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, negotiated between Spain and Portugal, aimed to divide the newly discovered lands between the two powers, highlighting the geopolitical dimensions of exploration. 

The quest for political supremacy and the competition for resources became intertwined with the broader motivations that fueled the Age of Discovery, shaping the course of history and international relations.

Key Explorers and Voyages

1. christopher columbus and the americas.

Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer sailing under the Spanish flag, stands as a central figure in the Age of Discovery, forever altering the course of history with his daring voyages. In 1492, Columbus set sail with the goal of finding a westward route to Asia, but instead, he stumbled upon the islands of the Caribbean, marking the first direct European contact with the Americas. His journey across the Atlantic Ocean opened up new possibilities and initiated a wave of exploration that would reshape the world.

Columbus’s first expedition consisted of three ships—the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Niña. On October 12, 1492, he made landfall in what is now the Bahamas, believing he had reached Asia. Despite his initial misconception, Columbus’s voyages laid the foundation for further exploration and the eventual European colonization of the Americas . Subsequent expeditions in 1493, 1498, and 1502 expanded his discoveries to islands such as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Trinidad. Columbus’s journeys had profound consequences, connecting the Old World with the New World and initiating the Columbian Exchange—a global exchange of plants, animals, and cultures that had a lasting impact on both hemispheres.

While Columbus is often celebrated for his role in exploration, it is crucial to acknowledge the complexities surrounding his legacy. His encounters with indigenous peoples led to significant cultural clashes and had devastating consequences for Native American populations. Nevertheless, Columbus’s voyages remain a pivotal chapter in the Age of Discovery, shaping the interconnected world we know today.

Also Read: Supreme Court Cases That Changed America Forever

2. Vasco Da Gama and the Sea Route to India

Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, played a key role in the Age of Discovery by finding a maritime route to India, opening up lucrative trade opportunities and establishing Portugal as a major player in the spice trade. In 1497, King Manuel I of Portugal entrusted da Gama with the ambitious task of reaching India by sea. Da Gama’s expedition aimed to navigate around the southern tip of Africa, known as the Cape of Good Hope, and reach the shores of India, avoiding the overland routes controlled by rival powers.

In July 1497, da Gama set sail from Lisbon with four ships, including the São Gabriel, São Rafael, and the Berrio. After a challenging and perilous journey, he successfully rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1498, proving that a sea route to India was indeed possible. Da Gama continued up the eastern coast of Africa, eventually reaching the port of Calicut on the southwestern coast of India. This groundbreaking achievement marked the first direct sea route from Europe to Asia and had a profound impact on global trade.

Vasco da Gama’s successful navigation to India paved the way for subsequent Portuguese expeditions and the establishment of direct trade links with the East. The spice-rich regions of India were now accessible to European powers without relying on the traditional land routes controlled by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean intermediaries. Da Gama’s accomplishment bolstered Portugal’s economic power, contributing to its dominance in the Indian Ocean trade network and shaping the dynamics of European exploration and expansion during the Age of Discovery.

3. Ferdinand Magellan and the Circumnavigation

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer sailing under the Spanish flag, is renowned for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, a monumental achievement that unfolded during the Age of Discovery. In 1519, Magellan set sail from Seville with five ships, determined to find a westward route to the lucrative Spice Islands of Southeast Asia. Though Magellan did not live to see the completion of the journey, his expedition made history by proving that it was possible to sail around the world.

Magellan’s fleet, including the flagship Trinidad, the Victoria, the Concepción, the Santiago, and the San Antonio, faced numerous challenges during the arduous journey. Navigating through the treacherous waters of South America, Magellan discovered the eponymous strait that bears his name, providing a crucial passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. While the fleet faced storms, mutinies, and other hardships, the surviving ship, the Victoria, eventually completed the circumnavigation in 1522 under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano.

This remarkable feat not only demonstrated the vastness of the Earth but also highlighted the potential for global exploration. The circumnavigation had profound implications for navigation, geography, and trade, reshaping the understanding of the world’s size and interconnectedness. Magellan’s expedition showcased the tenacity of explorers during the Age of Discovery and expanded European knowledge of the world’s geography, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of exploration and maritime history.

European Powers and Age of Discovery: Competition for Colonies

During the Age of Discovery, the competition among European powers for colonies and overseas territories became a defining feature of this transformative era. The major players in this race for expansion included Portugal, Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands, each vying for dominance in a global game of territorial acquisition and economic supremacy.

1. Portugal:

Portugal, under the leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator, was a pioneer in early exploration. Portuguese sailors like Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias played critical roles in establishing sea routes to India and rounding the Cape of Good Hope. Portugal’s early successes positioned it as a major player in the spice trade, with a network of trading posts and colonies in Africa , Asia, and South America.

Spain, motivated by the discoveries of Christopher Columbus, quickly entered the fray. The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 aimed to divide the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal, granting Spain control over much of the Americas. Spanish explorers, including Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, undertook expeditions that led to the conquest of powerful indigenous empires in the Americas, such as the Aztecs and the Incas.

3. England, France, and the Netherlands:

As Spain and Portugal forged their empires, England, France, and the Netherlands sought to challenge their dominance. English explorers like John Cabot explored the North American coast, while French explorers, including Jacques Cartier, ventured into Canada. The Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company established Dutch colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, contributing to the Netherlands’ emergence as a major trading power.

4. Competition and Conflict:

The competition for colonies often led to conflicts among European powers. The quest for resources, land, and trade routes fueled wars and rivalries, such as the Anglo-Spanish War and the Anglo-Dutch Wars. The desire for territorial control extended beyond the Americas to Africa and Asia, where European powers established trading posts and colonies to secure valuable goods and resources.

This intense competition for colonies during the Age of Discovery laid the groundwork for the establishment of vast overseas empires, fundamentally altering global power dynamics and setting the stage for centuries of imperial expansion and influence.

Age of Discovery and Impact on Indigenous Peoples

The Age of Discovery had profound and often devastating consequences for indigenous peoples around the world as European explorers and colonizers made contact with previously isolated civilizations. This interaction resulted in significant social, cultural, economic, and demographic changes for indigenous communities.

1. Cultural Encounter and Clash:

The arrival of European explorers marked a collision of cultures. Indigenous peoples encountered new technologies, religions, and social structures brought by the Europeans. The exchange of ideas and goods, known as the Columbian Exchange, had both positive and negative impacts on cultures. However, the clash of beliefs, customs, and social systems often led to misunderstandings and conflicts.

2. Displacement and Colonization:

European powers sought to establish colonies in the newly discovered lands, leading to the displacement and colonization of indigenous territories. The arrival of settlers, missionaries, and administrators often resulted in the forced relocation of indigenous communities. The imposition of European laws, languages, and customs further eroded traditional ways of life.

3. Exploitation and Forced Labor:

Indigenous peoples became subjects of exploitation, with European colonizers often exploiting their labor for economic gain. The demand for labor in mines, plantations, and other industries led to the forced enslavement and mistreatment of indigenous populations. This exploitation contributed to the depopulation of some regions, as diseases introduced by the Europeans also took a heavy toll on indigenous communities lacking immunity.

4. Cultural Erosion and Assimilation:

The colonization process led to the erosion of indigenous languages, traditions, and social structures. Missionary activities aimed at converting indigenous populations to Christianity further accelerated cultural assimilation. Indigenous belief systems and practices were suppressed or incorporated into European frameworks, resulting in a loss of cultural diversity and heritage.

5. Loss of Land and Resources:

European powers often claimed vast territories, leading to the dispossession of indigenous lands. Land was viewed as a commodity to be exploited for economic gain, resulting in the loss of traditional hunting and farming grounds. The depletion of natural resources further marginalized indigenous communities, leading to economic hardships and social disintegration.

6. Resistance and Adaptation:

Despite the challenges, many indigenous communities resisted European colonization. Some engaged in armed resistance, while others adapted to the new circumstances by forming alliances, adopting new technologies, or blending aspects of their cultures with those of the colonizers. The resistance and adaptation of indigenous peoples contributed to the complex and dynamic history of the Age of Discovery.

Also Read: Top 6 Richest Countries in South America

Consequences of Age of Discovery

The consequences of the Age of Discovery were wide-ranging and impacted various aspects of human history. These consequences can be categorized into several key areas:

1. Economic Consequences:

• Global Trade Networks: The establishment of new maritime routes opened up global trade networks, connecting distant regions and facilitating the exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas.
• Wealth and Prosperity: European nations gained economic wealth through the control of trade routes, access to valuable resources, and the establishment of colonies that provided raw materials and markets.

2. Cultural and Social Consequences:

• Cultural Exchange: The Columbian Exchange facilitated the transfer of plants, animals, and cultural elements between the Old World and the New World, contributing to the diversification of global cultures.
• Cultural Clash: The encounter between European colonizers and indigenous peoples led to cultural clashes, sometimes resulting in the suppression or assimilation of indigenous cultures.

3. Political Consequences:

• Colonial Empires: European powers established vast colonial empires, extending their influence across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. This reshaped global power dynamics and contributed to the rise of imperialistic nations.
• Geopolitical Shifts: The competition for colonies and resources led to geopolitical shifts, with conflicts and alliances forming among European powers.

4. Technological Consequences:

• Advancements in Navigation: The need for more efficient sea routes spurred advancements in navigation tools and shipbuilding, enhancing maritime capabilities.
• Technological Diffusion: The exchange of technologies between Europe and other continents contributed to the diffusion of knowledge and innovation.

5. Demographic Consequences:

• Population Movements: The Columbian Exchange also included the exchange of diseases, leading to demographic shifts and population movements. Diseases introduced by Europeans had devastating effects on indigenous populations with no prior exposure or immunity.

6. Environmental Consequences:

• Introduction of New Species: The Columbian Exchange led to the introduction of new plant and animal species to different parts of the world, impacting ecosystems and agriculture.
• Environmental Exploitation: The demand for resources, especially in colonies, led to environmental exploitation and changes in land use patterns.

7. Social Injustice and Exploitation:

• Forced Labor: The Age of Discovery witnessed the widespread use of forced labor, including the enslavement of African populations and the exploitation of indigenous labor in colonies.
• Social Inequality: The establishment of colonial societies often perpetuated social hierarchies, with colonizers enjoying privileges while indigenous populations and enslaved individuals faced systemic discrimination.

Legacy of the Age of Discovery: Impacts on Modern World

The legacy of the Age of Discovery is profound, leaving a lasting impact on the modern world in various aspects. This enduring legacy can be observed in:

1. Globalization:

The Age of Discovery laid the groundwork for modern globalization by connecting distant parts of the world through trade routes, cultural exchanges, and the movement of people. The interconnected global economy we see today has its roots in the expansion of trade networks during this era.

2. Cultural Exchange and Diversity:

The Columbian Exchange brought about the exchange of plants, animals, and cultures between the Old World and the New World. This intercultural exchange has contributed to the rich cultural diversity we see in the modern world, influencing art, cuisine, language, and traditions.

3. Economic Structures:

The economic structures established during the Age of Discovery, including colonial trade systems and exploitation of resources, have left a lasting impact on global economic systems. The legacy of colonialism is evident in economic disparities between former colonizing and colonized regions.

4. Technological Advancements:

The necessity for more efficient navigation during the Age of Discovery spurred technological advancements in shipbuilding, navigation tools, and cartography. These innovations not only facilitated further exploration but also laid the foundation for future advancements in technology and transportation.

5. Political Boundaries:

The geopolitical shifts and territorial divisions established during the Age of Discovery continue to influence modern political boundaries. Many current nations and borders have historical roots in the colonial divisions and treaties negotiated during this period.

6. Environmental Impact:

The introduction of new plant and animal species during the Columbian Exchange has had long-term effects on ecosystems. The environmental exploitation initiated during the Age of Discovery has left a legacy of resource depletion, deforestation, and changes in biodiversity that continue to shape environmental challenges today.

7. Demographic Shifts:

The demographic shifts caused by the Columbian Exchange, including the exchange of diseases, migrations, and population movements, have had a lasting impact on the demographic makeup of various regions, contributing to the shaping of modern societies.

8. Social Injustice and Inequality:

The social hierarchies and injustices established during the Age of Discovery, including slavery, exploitation, and discrimination, have left a lasting impact on modern social structures. Issues related to social justice and inequality can be traced back to historical legacies of colonization.

Learn The Impact of History on Modern World With Best Diplomats

The world we see today was not made in isolation; it was impacted by events of the past. To become a well rounded individual, it is imperative that you learn the ability to connect the dots. You should know which important historical events have shaped modern history. 

For those seeking a comprehensive perspective on history and current affairs, consider joining the Best Diplomats platform. This inclusive United Nations Simulation program caters to individuals interested in American history and global politics, providing a valuable opportunity for engagement and learning.

In conclusion, the Age of Discovery stands as a transformative chapter in human history, marking a period of unprecedented exploration, cultural exchange, and geopolitical shifts. From the daring voyages of Christopher Columbus to the circumnavigation led by Ferdinand Magellan, European powers navigated uncharted waters, connected disparate corners of the world, and forever altered the course of civilization. 

The economic aspirations, technological innovations, and political competitions that fueled this era laid the foundation for the modern globalized world we inhabit today.

Why is the Age of Discovery considered a significant period in history?

The Age of Discovery is considered significant due to the unprecedented exploration and maritime expeditions undertaken by European powers. This era reshaped global trade routes, connected diverse cultures, and laid the groundwork for the modern interconnected world.

What were the main motivations driving exploration during the Age of Discovery?

Economic aspirations, technological innovation, and political competition were the primary motivations driving exploration during the Age of Discovery. European powers sought new trade routes to bypass existing monopolies, access valuable resources, and establish overseas colonies.

How did the Age of Discovery impact indigenous peoples and their societies?

The impact on indigenous peoples was complex and varied. While the Columbian Exchange facilitated cultural exchanges, it also led to clashes, exploitation, and the imposition of European values.

What were the key technological advancements during the Age of Discovery?

The Age of Discovery witnessed crucial technological advancements that facilitated maritime exploration. Improved ship designs, such as the caravel, enhanced navigational capabilities, while instruments like the astrolabe and quadrant improved accuracy in navigation. 

Oleksandra Mamchii

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The Ages of Exploration

Christopher columbus interactive map, age of discovery.

Quick Facts:

Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean searching for a new sea route to the spices in India. He never made it to Asia, but instead discovered a “New World” to Europeans.

Click on the world map to view an example of the explorer’s voyage.

How to Use the Map

• Click on either the map icons or on the location name in the expanded column to view more information about that place or event

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A Timeline of the Age of Discovery

A Brief History

This article presents a chronological timeline of key events that occurred during the Age of Discovery.

Digging Deeper

On October 10, 1492 , the famous first voyage of Christopher Columbus and his small fleet of three ships almost came to an end right at the point of “discovering” the New World.

On October 12, 1492 , Christopher Columbus, the Italian adventurer sailing into the unknown in the name of the Spanish Crown, landed in the Bahamas, the landing that became known as the “discovery” of America (or, “The New World” if you prefer).

On March 15, 1493 , Christopher Columbus made his triumphant return from his first voyage to the New World, a momentous occasion in human history and especially noteworthy for the Spanish Crown that he sailed for.

On March 5, 1496 , in the wake of the tremendous news about the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World, King Henry VII of England granted “letters patent” to John Cabot, an Italian sailor and adventurer, along with his sons, to explore the world on behalf of the English Crown.

On February 3, 1509 , the Arabian Sea portion of the Indian Ocean witnessed a naval battle that had centuries of effects on the global balance of power when a Portuguese fleet defeated a combined fleet of Asian warships at the Battle of Diu, India.

On December 27, 1512 , the King and Queen of Spain issued the Laws of Burgos, a set of rules for how Spaniards were to treat Native Americans in the Caribbean islands colonized by Spain.

On March 10, 1535 , Tomás de Berlanga, a Spanish Bishop based in Panama, accidentally discovered the Galapagos Islands while sailing to Peru.

On July 7, 1550 , chocolate is thought to have been introduced to Europe from the Americas.

On December 13, 1577 , Francis Drake set out from Plymouth, England on his ship, The Golden Hind, on a voyage that would take the ship and crew around the world, the first circumnavigation of the globe by an English vessel. This voyage of course goes down in history as a famous one, as do the rest of the voyages listed here.

On January 25, 1585 , Walter Raleigh, an English explorer and adventurer, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I of England, perhaps because he named a region of North America “Virginia” in honor of the Virgin Queen.

On July 22, 1587 , a detachment of English settlers landed at Roanoke Island, in what is now North Carolina, with the intention of establishing a colony.

On August 18, 1587 , Virginia Dare was born in the Roanoke Colony in what is now North Carolina.  Each year the current residents of Roanoke Island celebrate her birthday with an Elizabethan Renaissance Festival.

On July 19, 1588 , during the Anglo-Spanish War’s Battle of Gravelines, the ultimately doomed Spanish Armada was sighted in the English Channel.

On May 24, 1607 , 100 English settlers went ashore at a site chosen for the Jamestown Colony, the first permanent English settlement in mainland North America.  That is when things went wrong!

On July 25, 1609 , the excellently named British ship, Sea Venture , encountered serious storms while crossing the Atlantic Ocean en route to Virginia, and was purposely run ashore to prevent loss of the ship and passengers.

On April 5, 1614 , a milestone in European and Native American relations was reached when John Rolfe, English colonist, married Pocahontas, Native American princess!

On August 1, 1620 , the British ship,  Speedwell , sailed from Delfshaven along with the  Mayflower  to bring separatists known as Pilgrims to the New World.

On August 5, 1620 , the Mayflower set out from England with another ship, the Speedwell , on its first attempt to take Puritans to the New World.

On August 5, 1620 , 2 small English sailing ships left Southampton Water in England on a trip to the New World, carrying a group of Puritans seeking a land where they could practice their brand of religion without interference.

On September 6, 1620 , the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, England, headed for The New World in America.  Many Americans are under the false impression that these were the first white settlers of North America, and of course, they got history wrong! 

On March 16, 1621 , only about 4 months after landing at Plymouth Rock and setting up their new colony in what was then called Plymouth Colony (Now Massachusetts and Maine) the Pilgrims that had traveled across the Atlantic on the  Mayflower  had their first friendly contact with a Native person, and that contact came as quite a shock!

On March 22, 1621 , the European (basically British) colonists of Plymouth Colony, a “Pilgrim” venture for displaced religious zealots to find a place to practice their religion in peace, signed a peace treaty with Chief (or “Sachem”) Massasoit of the Wampanoag Native American coalition of tribes that had occupied what is now Massachusetts.

On May 24, 1626 , Peter Minuit, Director of New Netherland, bought the island of Manhattan (in modern day New York City) from Native-Americans for goods valued at 60 guilders, the equivalent of $24. 

On August 12, 1676 , John Alderman, known as a “Praying Indian” because he was a Native American converted to Christianity, shot and killed Chief Metacomet of the Wampanoag people, thus ending the conflict known as King Phillip’s War.

On August 7, 1679 , a small ship named  Le Griffon  (The Griffon) that had been built under the direction of famous explorer of the New World René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was towed to a point on the Niagara River from which it became the first European sailing vessel worthy of the designation “ship” to ever sail the Great Lakes.

On May 7, 1718 , the city of New Orleans in what is now the State of Louisiana was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the French Governor of Louisiana in what was then New France, the French colonial enterprise in North America.

On February 12, 1733 , James Oglethorpe founded the English Province of Georgia, later to become the Colony of Georgia in 1752, the Southernmost and last of the 13 Colonies that would later become the United States of America.

On January 31, 1747 , The London Lock Hospital opened, the first clinic specifically for the treatment of venereal diseases!

On July 12, 1776 , famous explorer English Captain James Cook set sail from Plymouth on what was to be his final voyage.

On February 14, 1779 , Captain James Cook, navigator, map maker, and explorer, was killed by native Hawaiians at the island of Hawaii near what is now Kealakekua.

On April 20, 1828 , French explorer René Caillié became the first European to return alive from a visit to the ancient African city of Timbuktu.

Question for students (and subscribers):  Do you have a favorite explorer?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

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Historical Evidence

For more information, please see…

Mancall, Peter C.  Travel Narratives from the Age of Discovery: An Anthology .  Oxford University Press, 2006.

Dr. Zar graduated with a B.A. in French and history, a Master’s in History, and a Ph.D. in History. He currently teaches history in Ohio.

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This day in history on july 7th, history short: do american women have a right to go topless, the last voyage of captain james cook, <span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier=" 2895 http://www.crackedhistory.com/p=2895"> 16 comments.

I didn’t know chocolate was introduced to Europe from the Americas so early in time. I’m also surprised to find out it took 197 years after chocolate being introduced to open the first hospital that treated venereal diseases.

I was a little thrown off by the whole Pocahontas thing, also I never know they had specific hospitals for venereal diseases, that was a little weird to me.

I did not know that they had hospitals for venereal diseases back then. Let alone the venereal diseases.

I didn’t know that Jamestown Colony was the first permanent English settlement in America, interesting to know now!

The part about the hospital for venereal diseases caught me off guard as well.

History that is introduced in textbooks always seems to be misguiding in some way. I feel like the books that are not correct should be pulled, and require an accurate account or timeline of events to take its place.

Intesting to learn that chocolate did not originate in Europe. For some reason I thought it did. I wish I could my a landmass the size of Manhattan for 24 dollars. Quite a bargain indeed.

It’s kind of scary to think about how much the European people persecuted the Native Americans. Although Europeans did not “invent” slavery (no one really did as an individual or a group), it is scary to think about the power and influence that these people had over the seemingly relatively peaceful people of the Native populations. I guess that it is important to remember that although this is called the “age of discovery,” not everything was progressive as it might seem, at least from the standpoint of what we currently consider progressive.

It is interesting Europe discovered chocolate from the Americas because their chocolate is so much better. I also enjoyed the pocoahauntus reference.

I think the text books put more emphasis on the pilgrims rather than the native americans because it makes for a better story.

All I have to say is… Thank goodness for the introduction of chocolate to Europe! — DAVID WARDLE

I am very glad for chocolates introduction to Europe but now in the 21st century we are starting to have a shortage.

So Europe discovered chocolate from America? Who knew right..

Unbelievable to think that Manhattan was bought for only $24!

Thank goodness for chocolates!

Great article, I love articles like this. Yeah chocolate!

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