Humanities evolution of consciousness about his surroundings has come in spurts of intense discovery, followed closely by periods of lethargy and lackadaisical pursuit. One such period may be explored in the Age of Discovery. Fomented during a time of expanding knowledge and burgeoning expansion of international trade, the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries saw an explosion of European conscience of the known world. A systematic visitation of key parts of this period will garner a greater appreciation for the dawning of global discovery. Integral to any review of a historical period is a careful look at the important factors contributing to the age in question. Building upon this foundation are the people who whether actively or accidentally played part in raising the banner of discovery high and prompting others to press forward in the expansion of collective knowledge. Finally, delving into the deeply held convictions and motives which spurred the intrepid adventurers into previously only theorized territories gives special insight to answering the question, why? By becoming intimately aware of the broad shift in knowledge held by the world during the pivotal Age of Discovery and ensuing Age of Reconnaissance historians may further develop their own guiding principles of expanding knowledge and discovery.
The Age of Discovery marked a pivot point for European perceptions about the extent of their world. For the first time, it was understood that all seas might be one, and that perhaps there was a whole new unexplored world beyond the horizon. This expansion of thought was found not only in geographical exploration, but also in the broadening of empirical discovery and a shift in its relation to the authority figure...
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...ting repercussions through the modern day, with many former territories struggling to find their place within the world.
Unequivocally, the Age of Discovery and congruent Age of Reconnaissance introduced Europe to a world beyond its own shores and led to a rapid expansion of influence and territory. The influx of resources stripped from discovered territories helped to fund a growth and expansion of knowledge unrivaled by any other age. With this explosion of knowledge came the destruction of many peoples previously living beyond the sphere of European influence. Without a doubt, this brief period of time fundamentally shifted and accelerated the course of human history. Few places on Earth escaped at least some small effect of the Age of Reconnaissance.
Works Cited
Parry, J. H. The Age of Reconnaissance. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1981.
The essay starts off by stating, “One could say that the dominant scientific world-view going into the 16th century was not all that “scientific” in the modern sense of the
Barron’s Review Assignment Three “Evaluate the effects of the spread of scientific and technological innovations in Eurasia from 1000 to 1450”. It can be said that Eurasia underwent large changes between 1000 and 1450. Governments are changing their methods of control and trade networks, increasing globalization worldwide. Along with these new changes, scientific and technological innovations in Eurasia took flight and reached new heights unseen.
Western Europe was more concerned with their Maker and the redemption of their souls than with their individual lives on earth. This meant that the development of their own philosophies and schools of thought would occur later than many other postclassical civilizations. However, the time period was not without achievement. It laid the ground for discoveries of tremendous importance that would change the known world forever.
After hearing the letter written about Columbus and his findings of the islands off of the Americas, people became more interested and intrigued, opening the way for European Exploration. The printing press helped spread his letters and many others’, all over Europe, promoting a wider range of knowledge to morepeople. Overall, the printing press affected the Age of Exploration more than the Protestant Reformation through inspiration of other’s findings and
The Exploration Era was a time period when countries and people made journeys overseas to find “the New World.” With the help of the printing press, the discoveries of the Americas were known globally making people curious to explore it themselves. In the map “Distribution of Columbus’ Letter” (Document D), it shows where the letter was published and where it was translated to different. This is due to the printing press. Along with the many documents, the news of Christopher Columbus’ discoveries of “India” or the New World had sparked the curiosity of people all over the world. People became more interested in geography and seeing what’s out there along with the different resources. The New World discovery opened up a new trade route and different trade items. This would create pros and cons like economic growth and slavery. In addition the exploration of the Europeans helped us gain knowledge and get a picture of the Americas. In the “Henricus Martellus’ World Map, 1489” (Document E), it shows the world as they knew it with Europe, Africa, and Asia. The “Martin Waldseemuller's World Map, 1507” was an updated, more correct version of the world we see today. Waldseemuller’s map includes the Americas and was much bigger than Martellus’. The printing press had helped Waldseemuller use this new knowledge to create a map that would depict something
In the mid 1400’s Spain and Portugal began to take separate routes of discovery. Prince Henry of Portugal, in reaction to the shortage of bullion in Western Europe, was interested in sending his captains to the African coast in search of gold. As a result, many Portuguese ports were established along the African coast and “The Portuguese were able to exploit at least a part of the African caravan trade they had sought.” (p.340) While Portugal was focused on expansion along the African coast; the Spanish were the first to discover the “new world” despite the lack of geographical knowledge the Spaniards and Columbus in particular possessed. This “new world” wasn’t quite what Columbus had though it was, however; as Columbus maintained to his death that he had reached Asia. He hadn’t, “He had landed at one of the Bahaman Islands, San Salvador.” (p. 342) Columbus’ distorted reality proved to...
Wolf, A. A History of Science, Technology and Philosophy in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Vol. 2. New York: Harper, 1959.
... failures of these nations as well as their responsibility to affect resolution of this conflict by adopting smarter policy.
Age of Explorations was a time of discovery of the new world during the 15th through 17th century. Many Explorers were in search for new passage ways, new trading ports, new land, new spices, and riches. The three explorers discussed in this paper is Henry Hudson, Jacques Cartier, and Francisco Pizarro. Henry Hudson was an explorer whose main purpose was to find a route to Asia from Europe, he had a series of three voyages trying to achieve this. Jacques Cartier was sent to find riches and a route to Asia as well. Francisco Pizarro served on an expedition, which he discovered the Pacific Ocean.
The Age of Exploration in Europe developed along with the Renaissance. In Western history, both periods served as transitional movements between the early modern and Middle Ages periods. The evolution as well as advancement of abroad exploration was fueled by competition between growing European empires like England and Spain. The size as well as the influence of European empires expanded greatly during this time as it was motivated by profit, religion and power. The exploration’s effects were felt both abroad as well as in the geographical boundaries of Europe itself. The political, cultural and economical influences of Europe’s early stages of international exploration affected the continuing development of European society as well as the whole world.
The foundation for new imperialism rested on the ideas and products of the enlightenment. Advancements in technology, medicine and cartography led to the success of new imperialism (Genova, 2/15). For example, European voyages would have been for naught, if it were not for the enlightenment discover...
Wolf, A. A History of Science, Technology and Philosophy in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Vol. 2. New York: Harper, 1959.
William McNeill’s thesis includes many different regions, all in which hold their own development of world historical views. His understanding as to the best approach came from historiographical traditions documented in even the recent sources we have observed recently. As a student in a world history class, it is important to note that McNeill’s thesis would be very important in discussing the very understanding of what his title implies, “The Changing Shape of World History,” with an emphasis on the four old world civilizations of the middle east, India, China and Europe.
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, radical and controversial ideas were created in what would become a time period of great advances. The Scientific Revolution began with a spark of inspiration that spread a wild fire of ideas through Europe and America. The new radical ideas affected everything that had been established and proven through religious views. "The scientific revolution was more radical and innovative than any of the political revolutions of the seventeenth century."1 All of the advances that were made during this revolutionary time can be attributed to the founders of the Scientific Revolution.
During the fourteenth century, the Renaissance was notable for its development from medieval life and values dominated by the Church toward the abstract ethics of civilization. Instead of the perception stressed by religion that emphasized preparation for the after life, the enlightened citizens of the middle class, became interested in individuals success and emphasized life in this world, rather than the afterlife in which the Catholic church emphasized. This encouraged individuals to surmount in a wide variety of grounds portraying their knowledge because of their strong beliefs in all aspects ranging from art, politics, and personal life. Renaissance thinkers were inspired by the ancient Greeks and Romans instead of medieval life because it was portrayed as undeveloped. The textbook a History in The Making discusses these changes and writes, “A new understanding of the motions of heavens and of mechanic on the earth developed among experimenters in natural philosophy, that is, what came to be called science” (484). This portrayed how the scientific revolution changed and impacted attitudes within Europe in regards to Science and knowledge. The Secularization tainted the traditional scientific method of truth and search for non religious foundations, emphasizing the new doors that had been opened for this