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Period: Feb 21, 1271 to Jul 4, 1295
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was an Italian explorer, who traveled from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295. Because of his exploration to the West, other areas such as China, India, and Indonesia started to experience Western culture. -
Apr 17, 1492
Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand
On the 17th of April, in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain signed a formal agreement to sponsor Christopher Columbus on his voyage to try to find a route to the Indies. Two effects this had were that it led to many riches for Spain and it also started Spain's Golden Century, also known as the "Siglo de Oro". -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus
In 1492, Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator, sailed for King Ferdinand of Spain across the Atlantic Ocean, discovering the "New World". His fleet consisted of the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. An effect this had is that more people and countries had the nerve and inspiration to explore new places. -
Jul 8, 1497
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, started his voyage from Europe to India on July 8th, 1497. He sailed from Lisbon. An effect this had was that a sea route was opened from Europe to the East. -
Apr 25, 1507
Amerigo Vespucci
The Florentine explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, sailed to the northern part of South America and into the Amazon River. He was also the first person to recognize North and South America as distinct continents. Because he recognized this and explored both continents, the America's were named after him on April 25th, 1507. -
Period: Sep 20, 1519 to Sep 8, 1522
Ferdinand Magellan
A Portuguese sailor, Ferdinand Magellan, led the first European voyage of discovery to circumnavigate the globe. Even as a little boy, he studied mapmaking and navigation. An effect this had was that people now knew that the earth was spherically shaped and more people were not afraid to travel the world. -
Period: Nov 28, 1577 to Sep 26, 1580
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, an English navigator, circumnavigated the globe from 1577 to 1580. He also helped defeat the Spanish Armada. An effect his voyage had was that he was named the most renowned seaman of the Elizabethan era for his navigation. -
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Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes was an English phillospher who thought that "People are naturally greedy, cruel, and selfish." Because of this, people signed a social contract that they will give up their freedom to live in an organized society. An effect he had back then was that people saw that they could not survive without a strong central government that would protect them. His ideas left an everlasting influence on political thought and government. People still study and talk about his work today. -
Philip II
Philip II was one of Spain's absolute monarchs, controlling a lot. He led and fought many battles that started riots. On April 25th 1588, Philip sent out a fleet of ships called the Spanish Armada to try to overthrow England. England won the battle against the Armada. An effect this event had was that the queen of England became very well known and praised, but Spain never recovered as a country. -
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John Locke
John Locke was an English philospher and physician who believed that people were not all that bad and everyone had natural rights which are life, liberty, and property. John Locke was very influential and changed the world in many ways. HIs ideas about government such as those in the Two Treatises of Government were put into the United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution. John Locke's thoughts have affected the way government is separated and ran even today. -
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Louis XIV
Louis XIV started ruling France at the age of 5 when his father, Henry IV, died, and he ruled for 72 years. He called himself the sun king, because he thought everything revolved around him. An effect he had on the country was choosing to make Jean-Baptiste Colbert his chief financial advisor, which resulted in France becoming the wealthiest state in Europe. -
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Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English philospher, writer, and an advocate of women's rights. Mary Wollstonecraft had a short, but effective career. During her career she wrote many things, but is most famous for writing "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" where she writes that women are not naturally lower-ranking than men, but seem that way bacause they lack education. An effect she had was people looked at women differently and they had many more rights that they maybe never would have had.
