Age of Exploration

E691

era of European history historical period

The Age of Exploration was a period from the 15th to 17th centuries when European powers undertook extensive overseas voyages that led to global maritime trade networks, colonization, and the first sustained contacts between previously isolated continents.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (10)

Surface form	Occurrences
Age of Discovery	129
Age of Discoveries	10
Portuguese Age of Discovery	2
Age of Discovery in the Pacific	1
Age of Exploration and Colonization	1
European Age of Discovery	1
Portuguese Age of Discoveries	1
Portuguese Discoveries	1
Portuguese maritime expansion	1
Portuguese maritime explorations	1

Statements (78)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	era of European history ⓘ historical period ⓘ
alsoKnownAs	Age of Exploration ⓘ surface form: Age of Discovery
endTime	17th century ⓘ
followedBy	Age of Imperialism ⓘ
hasEthicalIssue	colonial exploitation ⓘ cultural destruction of many Indigenous societies ⓘ enslavement of Indigenous peoples ⓘ forced labor systems such as encomienda ⓘ
hasKeyCause	Ottoman control of traditional land routes to Asia ⓘ Renaissance curiosity and humanism ⓘ advances in navigation and shipbuilding ⓘ demand for spices ⓘ desire for gold and silver ⓘ religious zeal for Christian missionary work ⓘ search for new trade routes to Asia ⓘ
hasKeyConsequence	decline of some overland trade routes ⓘ early stages of globalization ⓘ emergence of Atlantic world system ⓘ global diffusion of crops and animals ⓘ rise of mercantilism ⓘ spread of European languages worldwide ⓘ
hasKeyEvent	Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation expedition ⓘ Portuguese exploration of the West African coast ⓘ Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire ⓘ Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire ⓘ Treaty of Tordesillas ⓘ Vasco da Gama's voyage to India ⓘ creation of transatlantic trade routes ⓘ establishment of Portuguese Estado da Índia ⓘ founding of Spanish colonies in the Americas ⓘ voyages of Christopher Columbus ⓘ
hasKeyExplorer	Amerigo Vespucci ⓘ Bartolomeu Dias ⓘ Christopher Columbus ⓘ Ferdinand Magellan ⓘ Francis Drake ⓘ Francisco Pizarro ⓘ Henry the Navigator ⓘ Hernán Cortés ⓘ James Cook ⓘ John Cabot ⓘ Vasco da Gama ⓘ
hasKeyOutcome	Columbian Exchange ⓘ European colonial empires ⓘ European overseas expansion ⓘ beginning of European global dominance ⓘ demographic collapse of many Indigenous populations ⓘ first sustained intercontinental contacts ⓘ global maritime trade networks ⓘ integration of world economies ⓘ spread of Christianity overseas ⓘ transatlantic slave trade expansion ⓘ
hasKeyParticipant	Crown of Aragon ⓘ Crown of Castile ⓘ Dutch Republic ⓘ Kingdom of England ⓘ France ⓘ surface form: Kingdom of France Portugal ⓘ surface form: Kingdom of Portugal Crown of Castile ⓘ surface form: Kingdom of Spain
hasKeyProcess	maritime exploration ⓘ oceanic navigation ⓘ overseas exploration ⓘ
hasKeyTechnology	astrolabe ⓘ caravel ⓘ gunpowder artillery on ships ⓘ improved cartography ⓘ lateen sail ⓘ magnetic compass ⓘ portolan charts ⓘ sternpost rudder ⓘ
hasMainRegion	Europe ⓘ
influenced	European scientific knowledge of geography ⓘ cartography ⓘ development of modern world economy ⓘ naval warfare ⓘ
partOf	Early Modern period ⓘ
startTime	15th century ⓘ