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1419
Prince Henry the Navigator Starts a School for Exploration
Prince Henry of Portugal helped start the Age of Exploration by funding trips and creating a school for sailors. He pushed for exploration along the African coast. -
1488
Christopher Columbus Reaches the Americas
Columbus landed in the Caribbean while trying to find a route to Asia. This marked the start of lasting contact between Europe and the Americas. -
Period: 1492 to
Columbian Exchange BEGINS
Plants, animals, people, and diseases were exchanged between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It changed diets, economies, and even populations around the world. -
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Spain and Portugal agreed to divide up the newly discovered lands. This showed how powerful European countries were trying to control the world. -
1498
Vasco da Gama Reaches India
Da Gama was the first European to sail around Africa to reach India. This opened up new trade routes for spices and goods. -
Period: 1500 to 1550
Transatlantic Slave Trade BEGINS
Millions of Africans were forced into slavery and taken to the Americas. This changed societies on both sides of the Atlantic forever. -
1519
Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage Around the World
Magellan’s crew was the first to sail all the way around the globe. It proved the world was round and way bigger than people thought. -
1521
Hernán Cortés Conquers the Aztecs
Cortés took over the Aztec Empire with fewer men but stronger weapons and disease. This shows how European colonization changed the Americas. -
British East India Company is Formed
This company was super powerful and helped Britain take over trade in India. It shows how businesses helped spread European influence globally. -
First Permanent English Colony at Jamestown
Jamestown became the first lasting English colony in America. It was the beginning of British expansion in the New World.