When did the Vikings arrive?
Year 1000 about 500 years before Columbus
How long did the Vikings stay at L’ans aux meadows
They would come for approximately 2 seasons each year.
What were the Vikings famous for?
Forging iron
Longhouse - eating, sleeping, house the weaponry
Pillaging other communities to take control and steal wealth
What was the life like
Harsh life
No timber in Greenland which is why they traveled further west to North America
Wise woman - Fortune tellers
How did the Vikings find their ways across the Atlantic Ocean without maps?
Excellent shipbuilders and navigators
stars to navigate - polaris
relied upon landmarks
currents
bird migrations
the sun
sunstone - Iceland Spar
Why the Portuguese explore?
to find a new route
sailed east to find Asia
an eastern sea route to Asia did not lie through the Mediterranean Sea, as it was already well mapped.
the Portuguese thought it might be south of the Mediterranean and around Africa
eventually people were sailing below Africa's southern tip
Page 42
Who was Christopher Columbus?
He was an Italian sailor who was also a businessman and adventurer.
What did he do?
He explore far off lands
He searched out sponsors to help support his need of exploring
When did he explore?
In fourteen-ninety two (1492) Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue
Where did he go?
The King and Queen of Spain wanted him to find Asia, however he found Caribbea. This then brought other Spanish explorers to the area and they found Central America, South America and eventually located the Aztec and Incan Empires.
Why did he seek sponsorship to travel?
Christopher needed money to travel to these lands so Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand “foot the bill” for the travel and agreed to pay Columbus 10% of what he made while the King and the Queen kept the rest as profit for Spain.
What other Explorers where there? (page 43)
French, British, Dutch and Italian explorers eventually crossed the ocean to explore the new land.