MARITIME EXPLORATION IN THE AGE OF DISCOVERY, 1415-1800

Περιγραφή

Despite earlier naval expeditions undertaken for reasons of diplomacy or trade, it wasnt until the early 1400s that European maritime explorers established sea routes through most of the globes inhabited regions, uniting a divided earth into a single system of navigation. From the early Portuguese and Spanish quests for gold and glory, to later scientific explorations of land and culture, this new understanding of the worlds geography created global trade, built empires, defined taste and alliances of power, and began the journey toward the cultural, political, and economic globalization in which we live today. Ronald Loves engaging narrative chapters guide the reader from Marco Polos exploration of the Mongol empire to Ferdinand Magellans circumnavigation of the globe, the search for a Northern Passage, Henry Hudsons voyage to Greenland, the discovery of Tahiti, the perils of scurvy, mutiny, and warring empires, and the eventual extension of Western influence into almost every corner of the globe. Biographies and primary documents round out the work.