HIST 1112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Bubonic Plague, Circumnavigation, Lateen
Document Summary
Land hunger: discovery of aztecs, madeiras, and cape verde islands, acquisition of land to plant sugarcane. The lure of trade: maritime routes to asia. Spices, silk, porcelain: silk roads more dangerous since the collapse of mongolian empire and the spread of bubonic plague, prices and profits increase o. Indian pepper, chinese ginger increasingly essential to diet of european wealthy classes: african gold, ivory, slaves. Missionary efforts: franciscan, dominican missionaries to india, central asia and china, violent efforts with crusades, reconquista, vasco de gama: christians and spices . Introduced in 12th century: square sails replaced by triangular lateen sails. Work better with cross winds: europeans became able to benefit all winds by using a combination of s and t sails, navigational instruments, knowledge of winds and currents. Portuguese breakthroughs: prince henry of portugal (1394-1460) Established fortified trading posts: bartolomeo dias. 1488; rounds cape of good hope, enters indian ocean basin. Storms & restless crew force return: vasco de gama.
