Go onto YouTube and look up ‘Christopher Columbus: Key points’
The Spanish explorations The Spanish explorations were inspired by the great voyages of Christopher Columbus. Although he was born in Genoa (Italy), Columbus got help from the King and Queen of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. They had just conquered the last stronghold of the Moors (or Muslims) in Granada, and united their country. Columbus sailed with three ships westwards because he knew the world was round and he wanted to prove it by reaching Asia and the Spice Islands from this side. However, instead of reaching Asia, he discovered islands off a new continent, the Americas, which became known as the New World (1492). Columbus made three other voyages which explored the main continent even though he still thought he was off the coast of Asia. Columbus was followed by conquistadors (conquerors), such as Hernan Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, who explored and conquered the mainland. Cortés conquered the great Aztec Empire in Mexico, while Pizarro conquered the empire of the Incas in Peru.
Christopher Columbus
NORTH AMERICA
Veracruz Acapulco Colon Pernambuco
PACIFIC OCEAN
SOUTH AMERICA
Santiago
Buenos Aires
Spanish Empire
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Cape Town Line of Tordesillas Portuguese Empire
INDIAN OCEAN
Havana Cartagena AFRICA
EUROPE PORTUGAL
A S I A INDIA
Goa Malacca
Macau Manila
Treaty of Tordesillas After Columbus’ first voyage, the pope got Spain and Portugal to agree to the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494). He wanted to prevent a war between the two countries over the newly discovered lands. The treaty drew a line on the globe from north to south – the line of Tordesillas. All land discovered to the west of this line was Spanish, and all land to the east of the line was Portuguese. As the line ran down through South America, Brazil became Portuguese while the rest of the continent belonged to Spain.
