Middle Ages and Exploration

After the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, Europe entered a long period historians call the MIDDLE AGES (about 500 to 1500 CE). Kings ruled small kingdoms, knights fought on horseback, monks copied books by hand, and most people farmed for a lord. Near the end of the Middle Ages, brave (and sometimes ruthless) sailors set out across unknown oceans — that part of the story is called the AGE OF EXPLORATION.

Life in the Middle Ages — Feudalism

Medieval society was built on FEUDALISM, a kind of pyramid of promises. The KING granted land to powerful LORDS. The lords promised loyalty and soldiers. KNIGHTS fought for the lords in exchange for land or pay. PEASANTS (also called serfs) farmed the lord’s land in exchange for protection and a small plot for themselves. Almost everyone’s job was decided at birth.

Big Events of the Middle Ages

1. 476 CE — the FALL of the Western Roman Empire. Rome’s last emperor is removed and Europe breaks into smaller kingdoms.
2. 800 CE — CHARLEMAGNE is crowned emperor by the Pope, briefly uniting much of western Europe.
3. 1095–1099 — the FIRST CRUSADE. European Christians march to the Holy Land to fight for control of Jerusalem.
4. 1215 — King John of England signs the MAGNA CARTA, an early step toward limiting royal power.
5. 1347–1351 — the BLACK DEATH, a deadly plague, sweeps Europe, killing roughly one in three people.
6. 1450s — the PRINTING PRESS (Johannes Gutenberg) makes books cheap and ideas spread fast.

The Renaissance

Starting in Italy around 1400, the RENAISSANCE ("rebirth") was a burst of new art, science, and learning. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo studied the human body, painted with realistic perspective, and sketched flying machines. Scholars rediscovered Greek and Roman writing. The printing press helped Renaissance ideas spread across Europe.

Why Explore? — Causes of the Age of Exploration

• SPICES — pepper, cloves, and cinnamon from Asia were worth their weight in silver. Europeans wanted a faster, cheaper sea route.
• GOLD and TRADE — kingdoms competed for wealth and new markets.
• FAITH — many sailors and rulers wanted to spread Christianity.
• TECHNOLOGY — better ships (the caravel), the magnetic compass, the astrolabe, and improved maps made long voyages possible.
• CURIOSITY — Renaissance thinking encouraged people to ask "what is out there?" and find out.

Famous Explorers

• MARCO POLO (~1271–1295) — Italian who traveled the Silk Road overland to China. His written stories made Europeans dream of Asian goods.
• ZHENG HE (1405–1433) — Chinese admiral who led massive Ming dynasty fleets across the Indian Ocean to Africa, almost a century before Columbus.
• CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (1492) — sailed west from Spain looking for Asia and instead reached the Caribbean islands, where Taíno people already lived, opening a new chapter of contact between Europe and the Americas.
• VASCO DA GAMA (1498) — Portuguese captain who sailed AROUND Africa and reached India, finding the long-wanted sea route to Asian spices.
• FERDINAND MAGELLAN (1519–1522) — led the first voyage to CIRCUMNAVIGATE (sail all the way around) the world. Magellan died in the Philippines, but his crew finished the journey.
• HERNÁN CORTÉS (1519–1521) — Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico, showing both the daring and the brutality of the era.