4. Explain what a colony is. 5. Why did King John II of Portugal change the name of the Cape of Storms to the Cape of Good Hope? 6. List two ways in which the explorations of the fifteenth century made Portugal a wealthier country.
CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCE
7. Portuguese explorers travelled and traded with the local populations. In pairs or small groups, discuss and answer the following questions: (a) What were the effects that this trade had on the people of Africa and Asia? (b) List the positive and negative impacts that they might experience.
D. Spain Follows Christopher Columbus
Columbus was born in the Italian city of Genoa in 1451. He grew up in a city that had an important maritime (something connected with the sea) tradition and was inspired by the journeys of another Italian – Marco Polo. After studying a map made by a cartographer named Toscanelli, Columbus estimated that Cipangu (Japan) and Cathay (China) were between 4,000 and 5,000 kilometres from Europe.
However, both Columbus and Toscanelli made a couple of mistakes. They estimated that the world was more than three times smaller than it really was and that nothing lay between Europe and Asia. Look at the maps (Fig. 6.16 on page 155) and examine how Columbus and Toscanelli got it wrong.
Fig 6.14 This is one version of what people think Columbus may have looked like but nobody knows for sure.
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DiScOvErInG HiStOrY CHAPTER 6 CHECK-IN
LOOKING AT THE EVIDENCE Look at Fig 6.12 on page 152 and consider the following questions. 1. The Portuguese and the Europeans named places along the African coast: the Ivory Coast, the Grain Coast (now Liberia), the Mina (the Mine or the Gold Coast – now Ghana) and the Slave Coast (now Benin). What can we learn about Portuguese activities and reasons for explorations from the names given to those lands?
2. Why do you think some of these lands changed their names, e.g. the Slave Coast? RECALL
3. In your copybook match the discovery (a) – (d) with the correct explorer (i) – (ii): (a) Natal