Voyages of the 15th and 16th century

Thesis: With the voyages of the 15th and 16th century the Atlantic ceased to be a barrier for the Europeans and became a bridge to the New World and the Far East as Europeans began to understand the size and shape of the Earth through exploration.
Ι. Discovery of the New World
A. Spain tries to find passage to Far East through the Atlantic.
1. Columbus’ expedition
a. Discovery of the Earth being round
b. Believing they had found the West Indies, and Indians
c. Exploration of new world begins
B. Circumnavigating the globe
1. Magellan
a. 1520 first man to sail around the globe, through southwest
passage to the Pacific
2. Vasco de Gama
a. Discovery of African passage to Asia
ΙΙ. Impact on Europeans
A. Geographical discoveries
1.True Idea of size and interconnection of the oceans was brought to
Europe
2. Knowledge of true size of Earth
3. Geographers began to add this knowledge
4. Knowledge continued to be added as explorers tried to find a
northwesterly passage to the Pacific