Key Events and Voyages of the 15th and 16th Centuries

Key Events of the 15th Century

• 1488: Bartolomeu Dias, after a journey around the coast of Africa and enduring storms, reached the southern tip of the continent. King John II of Portugal renamed it the Cape of Good Hope.
• 1492: Christopher Columbus, in command of two caravels and a ship, set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, heading into the Atlantic Ocean. In October, he reached the island of Guanahani, which he named San Salvador.
• 1493: Columbus embarked on his second voyage to America. Pope Alexander VI agreed with the Spanish monarchs to grant them dominion over the newly discovered territories.

Key Events of the 16th Century

• 1501: Amerigo Vespucci, for whom the American continent is named, visited Brazil with a Portuguese fleet.
• 1502: Columbus began his fourth voyage, during which he explored the Central American coast.
• 1513: The Spaniard Juan Ponce de León went north and discovered the peninsula of Florida.

Causes of Rising Trade

From the 11th century onward, the European population increasingly demanded Asian goods, such as fabrics and carpets. Spices like pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, along with salt, were in particularly high demand.

Scientific Advancements

New, faster, and safer ships, along with the use of the central rudder, allowed for voyages away from continental coasts and into the open oceans. These advancements were complemented by the incorporation of the compass and sextant. Additionally, there was a revival of old theories explaining the Earth's roundness, and Marco Polo's travelogues, written after his trip to China, gained renewed interest.

Portuguese Voyages

In 1415, Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal founded the Nautical School of Sagres at Cape St. Vincent. In 1416, the explorer Gonçalo Velho discovered the Madeira Islands. In 1487, Bartolomeu Dias traveled the entire west coast of Africa, reaching its southern end.

Columbus's Proposal

Between 1485 and 1486, Columbus traveled to Portugal to present to the king a navigation project to reach the Indies by sailing west. However, he found no support, as the kingdom had already begun its project along the African coasts.

Columbus's Second Voyage

During his second voyage, Columbus explored the smaller islands of the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Antigua, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. He later discovered Jamaica.

Columbus's Third Voyage

After his second voyage, Columbus faced numerous political and legal problems with the Spanish crown, as he was accused of violating the Capitulations of Santa Fe.

Alonso de Ojeda's Journey

Alonso de Ojeda's journey unfolded as follows: He crossed the Atlantic in 1499 and reached the mouth of the Essequibo River. He then followed the Orinoco Delta to Trinidad and explored the coast of Venezuela from Paria to Chichiriviche, where he engaged in battles with the indigenous people. From there, he moved to the islands of Curaçao, which he named the "Island of the Giants." Key discoveries include the coast of Venezuela and Curaçao.

Magellan's Circumnavigation

Ferdinand Magellan discovered the ocean that has since been called the Pacific. He sailed for three months without finding land until he sighted the island of Guam.

Economic Causes of European Expansion

European powers sought to rapidly exploit resources such as gold, silver, and precious stones from the American continent. They also introduced crops like maize, potatoes, and tobacco to Europe. From America, they obtained seeds of fruits, as well as sugar cane, coffee, and wheat.

Political Causes of European Expansion

With the arrival of Europeans in America, the great European overseas empires of Spain and Portugal divided the territories of the Americas between them.

Social Causes of European Expansion

Spain brought its institutions and customs to America, such as marriage and the concept of private property.