Iberian Voyage

2 Pages 464 Words

The voyages of Magellan and other Iberians in the 15th and 16th centuries were a major turning point in history. The voyages led to changes in economy, politics, and technology, and developed interaction between different people. After their discoveries, the way people viewed the world dramatically changed. The expeditions had an incredible global impact.
The voyages of the Iberians had tremendous economic and political impacts. Those who ruled the Mediterranean no longer held the power; rather, it was those who held the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The voyages of Vasco da Gama and Bartholomeu Dias opened Indian Ocean trade. New trade routes were created, and the gold and slave trades began to boom. A global economy was beginning to shape. Spain and Portugal emerged as two major powers; dividing the newly discovered areas of the world between them in the Treaty of Tordesillas. Imperialism became a major part of politics. People used any excuse they could to conquer the new lands, in search for riches.
The Iberian voyages led to great technological advancements. The field of navigation was greatly affected by this “Age of Exploration.” Instruments such as the astrolabe, magnetic compass, and the cross-staff were improved. Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator set up a navigational institution at Sagres. Portuguese mariners developed the caravel around this time. The caravel was a small, strong, maneuverable ship designed for ocean voyages. It’s small size also allowed for movement in shallow coastal waters and upriver. Also during this time, Prince Henry’s explorers discovered that they could return to Portugal faster by using the westerly winds.

Another result of the Iberian voyages was the interaction of new peoples. New contacts all over the globe came to be. Both Spain and Portugal tried to influence these people with Christianity. Portuguese trading forts on the shores of Africa and Asia developed from Portugal expl...