Europe and the World

Europe and the 16th Century World

In the 16th century, Europe was still immersed in the medieval belief that the world was flat, based on the theory of Copernicus. The connection from west to east via water was still segmented. America was thought to be connected to India. The Travels of Marco Polo and Travel of John Mandeville were the only guidebooks people read and there was not even proof that Marco Polo did indeed go to China. Maps were scarce, and the Portuguese kept their ocean knowledge secret to themselves.

Spain tried to catch up with Portugal in the explorative journeys in the ocean, and wanted to share some of the gains from the Portuguese. The importance of spices (white and black pepper, myrrh, frankincense, nutmeg, cinnamon, cassia, mace, and cloves) from the Spice Islands for the dull and tasteless European diet was making these goods worth the risks for the search. The Arabian traders had monopolized the spice trade by land and kept the routes secret. King Charles I of Portugal realized the value of being able to bring back spices from the Spice Islands. No one had tried the water route, as it had thought impossible to reach to the East via, the waters. The rewards of finding a water route and its subsequent economic benefits were resistible. A successful journey like this would bring fame and fortunes to the captain who led the fleet.

Portugal had domineered the sea routes at the Atlantic since King Henry the Navigator . who inspired many Portuguese explorations and discoveries as result of his sea journeys. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI gave the western water to Spain and the eastern route to Portugal. This means Portugal controlled the eastern route round the Cape of Good Hope to the East, and the Spanish ships cannot sail that way. The Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, had just made his discovery in the west, and the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella asked the Spanish Pope for rights which would protect the Spanish claims to their discovery.

The Pope had the authority and power over the western monarchies in granting land and sea routes. The line extended from the North Pole to the South Pole was used as the dividing line which then became the cause of too many arguments until the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed for a compromise. The new dividing line allowed the Portuguese to claim Brazil. With the death of Pope Alexander VI and the ascension of new Pope Julius II, the Treaty placed the boundary in the middle of the Atlantic. This meant that if Spain has to go to Far East, the route would be the other way of the Atlantic. With the lack of knowledge at that time about location of oceans and continents, the cosmetologists still went by the theory set up by the Greco-Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy from the second century. This meant that the pilots’ charts were still primitive and did not show the real world. It would take the courage and determination of a good navigator to find a real waterway to the Far East via the authorized ocean passages.

Based on the misunderstanding of how the world was and under the wrong assumptions made by the Treaty of Tordesillas, King Charles I of Spain was at this predicament when he was approached by Magellan to sponsor a fleet to find the Spice Islands. Magellan believed he could find a way west to reach the Far East, and with no positive support from the Portuguese King , he resorted for sponsorship from the Spanish King instead.



		Europe and the 16th Century World In the 16th century, Europe was still immersed in the medieval belief that the world was flat, based on the theory of Copernicus. The connection from west to east via water was still segmented. America was thought to be connected to India. The Travels of Marco Polo and Travel of John Mandeville were the only guidebooks people read and there was not even proof that Marco Polo did indeed go to China. Maps were scarce, and the Portuguese kept their ocean knowledge secret to themselves. Spain tried to catch up with Portugal in the explorative journeys in the ocean, and wanted to share some of the gains from the Portuguese. The importance of spices (white and black pepper, myrrh, frankincense, nutmeg, cinnamon, cassia, mace, and cloves) from the Spice Islands for the dull and tasteless European diet was making these goods worth the risks for the search. The Arabian traders had monopolized the spice trade by land and kept the routes secret. King Charles I of Portugal realized the value of being able to bring back spices from the Spice Islands. No one had tried the water route, as it had thought impossible to reach to the East via, the waters. The rewards of finding a water route and its subsequent economic benefits were resistible. A successful journey like this would bring fame and fortunes to the captain who led the fleet. Portugal had domineered the sea routes at the Atlantic since King Henry the Navigator . who inspired many Portuguese explorations and discoveries as result of his sea journeys. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI gave the western water to Spain and the eastern route to Portugal. This means Portugal controlled the eastern route round the Cape of Good Hope to the East, and the Spanish ships cannot sail that way. The Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, had just made his discovery in the west, and the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella asked the Spanish Pope for rights which would protect the Spanish claims to their discovery. The Pope had the authority and power over the western monarchies in granting land and sea routes. The line extended from the North Pole to the South Pole was used as the dividing line which then became the cause of too many arguments until the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed for a compromise. The new dividing line allowed the Portuguese to claim Brazil. With the death of Pope Alexander VI and the ascension of new Pope Julius II, the Treaty placed the boundary in the middle of the Atlantic. This meant that if Spain has to go to Far East, the route would be the other way of the Atlantic. With the lack of knowledge at that time about location of oceans and continents, the cosmetologists still went by the theory set up by the Greco-Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy from the second century. This meant that the pilots’ charts were still primitive and did not show the real world. It would take the courage and determination of a good navigator to find a real waterway to the Far East via the authorized ocean passages. Based on the misunderstanding of how the world was and under the wrong assumptions made by the Treaty of Tordesillas, King Charles I of Spain was at this predicament when he was approached by Magellan to sponsor a fleet to find the Spice Islands. Magellan believed he could find a way west to reach the Far East, and with no positive support from the Portuguese King , he resorted for sponsorship from the Spanish King instead.