The Maritime Revolution: Pre 1450

• Pacific Ocean – the Polynesian trade and migrations. Note about the migrations, some of this stuff is happening way pre-1450, ok? Migration and trade is old to the Polynesians, they might’ve even reached the Americas first.
• Indian Ocean – Islamic trade across the Indian Ocean helped spread Islam peacefully. China’s explorer Zheng He sailed around with a huge fleet (and perhaps turned towards the Americas possibly) and got a bunch of tributary states for China, along with a bunch of other opportunities to trade. Africa was also using these trade routes because of the high demand for gold.
• Marco Polo – Traveled to the east and wrote stories of their wealth. He even becomes a member of the Chinese court when the Mongols dominated the area. It was his stories that opened Europe’s eyes of what was available to them in the east.
• Ibu Battuta – The Marco Polo of Islam. The difference is that this guy traveled to the Muslims lands in Africa and India and Marco traveled to the east. As Marco did, Battuta provided the Muslims a detailed description of what other Muslims civilizations are like.
• Atlantic Ocean – In the early Medieval Ages, the Vikings were the master of the Atlantic because of their longboats. They even reach North America hundreds of years before Columbus gets there. There’s also trade being initiated by countries along the Mediterranean Coast. They work their way down south around Africa. Of course, the natives of the Americas are trading too.
• The Europeans – The Europeans chose to use the sea rather than land routes to trade because of the Muslim Middlemen. 1.) To reach China and all the good places in the east, they have to pass the Muslims. It wasn’t bad and dangerous until the Crusades, but when it wasn’t that bad, they had to pay a fee to pass. So by sea, it was cheaper. Second of all, groups like the Hanseatic League already proved everyone that it was safe and can become wealthy easily. Third, the Crusades brought back eastern treasures and goods that opened the Europeans’ eyes. So the demands go up.
• Portuguese – Their geographic location gives them easy access to the Mediterranean. A merchant leaving a port will take him directly to the Americas, Africa with a left turn, and Northern Europe with a right turn. Everything is there, thus making them the pioneers. Vasco da Gama is the first to land in India.
• Prince Henry the Navigator – Portuguese man who created lots of technological advancements even though all he did was sail around Africa.
• Caravel – A new type of ship. It was better than the average ship in many ways. First, it had a lateen, triangular rig. Previously, ships had bulky square masts and the wind blew you in one direction, leaving you at the mercy of the wind. However, with the lateen rig, sailors can use the wind and angle the rig so that it catches the wind in a specific way and blows them anywhere they want. It’s slimmer, lighter, and faster too.
• Spanish – Provided some important navigators such as Columbus (who sailed the ocean blue in 1492), Amerigo, and Magellan. The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the newly discovered lands in America between Spain and Portugal.
• Americas – Moctezuma welcomes Cortes the Conquistador into the Aztec Empire. Cortes, seeing all the gold they have, conquers the Aztecs, goes to Peru, and lay waste to the Incas. Another disadvantage the Aztecs had against Cortes is Moctezuma thought he was Quetzalcoatl, the god of destruction, thus treating him with respect as he kills them. The Spanish are also fighting them with guns against obsidian. Winner: Spanish. They’ve got iron armor; Aztecs have thickly padded shirts, and gold armor and headdresses. Umm, the gold is pretty but like the softest metals of all time.