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On the 4th of July 1497 he left Lisbon with four ships: the São Gabriel, the São Rafael, the Berrio, and a storage ship of unknown name. He intended that his ships sail to India. No European explorer before him had sailed further than the place that is now called South Africa.

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Kids learn about the biography and life of explorer Vasco da Gama. The first to sail from Europe to Asia around Africa.

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What can we learn from one of Vasco da Gama's ships?

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Shipwreck From Explorer Vasco da Gama's Fleet Discovered | National Geographic

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After 18 years of research, excavations and archaeological analysis, National Geographic grantee David Mearns has successfully discovered one of Vasco da Gama's ships lost at sea in 1503 off the coast of present-day Oman.

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Vasco da Gama: Portuguese Explorer - Fast Facts | History

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Vasco Da Gama - Age of Discovery - World History Watch this video to know more about Vasco Da Gama, who set out on a voyage during the age of discovery. Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheCineKids Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cinecurry Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/cinecurrytweets

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How Magellan circumnavigated the globe - Ewandro Magalhaes

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Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners. Crash Course: World History #21

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In which John Green teaches you about the beginning of the so-called Age of Discovery. You've probably heard of Christopher Columbus, who "discovered" America in 1492, but what about Vasco da Gama? How about Zheng He? Columbus gets a bad rap from many modern historians, but it turns out he was pretty important as far as the history of the world goes.

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Once upon a time.. The Explorers - The first navigators (Entire Episod)

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How did early Sailors navigate the Oceans?

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Leif Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red, the great Nordic explorer and warrior. Erik had been kicked out of Greenland and moved to Iceland. There, he built a settlement/village. His son, Leif, sailed to Norway, where he was converted to Christianity by King Olaf I. On his way back to Iceland, Leif was blown off course, landed and discovered North America. He called the place “Vinland,” because the land was covered with wild grapes.

Leif Eriksson visited North America around 1000 A.D., almost 500 years before Columbus made his journeys. He spent only one winter there before returning to Iceland. He never sailed to America again.

Other Viking explorers visited North America. They were met with fierce attacks from native tribes. Researchers aren’t sure exactly where Leif landed, but they believe it might have been at Labrador or Newfoundland, in Canada.

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Marco Polo's father was Niccolo Polo and his mother died when he was very young. Both his father Niccolo and his uncle Maffeo were wealthy jewel merchants. His father and uncle went to China in 1266 to set up a trading business leaving Marco behind. While in China his father met the Mongol prince, Kublai Khan.

The Polos were some of the first Europeans to travel to China and Mongolia.

On their second trip to China they took Marco along with them. They took 4 years to get there, going along The Silk Road, stopping in many cities along the way, trading different goods.

Marco stayed in China for 17 years as an adviser and aide to Khan.

On his return to Europe (a journey which took three years), he was captured by the people living in Genoa as they were at war with Venice (Marco's birth place).

While in prison he dictated his adventures to his cellmate Rustichello da Pisa who wrote the famous book "The Travels of Marco Polo". The book became very famous and was translated into many languages. Marco's stories greatly influenced Christopher Columbus.

When Marco was released from Prison he married and had three daughters. He died before his 70th birthday on January 8th, 1324.

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The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? - Crash Course World History #22

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Marco Polo was born in Venice, Italy in 1254. Marco Polo was a merchant and explorer who traveled throughout the Far East and China for much of his life. His stories were the basis for what much of Europe knew about Ancient China for many years.

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Who Really Discovered America History Channel

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Click and find out some more information about Leif Eriksson

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Visit this site for this Explorers Timeline detailing Key dates and events. Fast facts and information for students, children & kids via the Explorers Timeline. The Explorers Timeline provides a record of events in the order of their occurrence.

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panama 
                               history

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This is a time line for the Age of Exploration of America.

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The Renaissance sailor first took to the seas to supply Europeans with the many Asian spices they demanded. Peppercorns, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon all came from lands to the east. Also from the East came precious gems and fine silk, a fabric especially sought after for women's clothing. These trading voyages were often paid for by investors.  This occupation was a risky business. Do you think you would have been a successful spice trader? Find out by clicking the link below.

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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum

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Spices were highly valued because they made food taste better and some spices even helped keep food from spoiling (going bad). Spices such as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves were like treasure to Europeans.

All of these spices were grown in India, Ceylon, China, and the Spice Islands (on map below).

Spices were also used in medicine to relieve some diseases. Because of the demand, expeditions were begun to find the spices and bring them directly back to Europe.

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For centuries Europeans brought  goods and spices on a land route from Asia over thousands of dangerous kilometres . In the 15th century, the overland routes were being controlled by the Turkish Empire, which made it even more difficult for European merchants to pass through.

As a result, some European countries, like Spain and Portugal, decided to find out if there was a sea route to India and China.

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- Reasons to explore

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- What is it?

- What developments were made.

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Shipbuilding also improved during the Renaissance, as large ships called galleons and caravels became common. These ships were powered by triangular sails rather than by men using oars/rectangular sails. This meant they could use wind coming from any direction to help them move in the direction they wanted to go rather than moving purely in the direction the wind was taking them.

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Maps, too, became more reliable as Portuguese map makers, called cartographers, incorporated information provided by travelers and explorers into their work.

Watch the video to see how The Waldseemüller Map 1507 was made and how it changed the world.

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United States Army Educational Documentary

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Flat Earth Map or Flat Map of the Earth?  Part 2  History of Map Making 1507

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The Map Makers The Waldseemüller Map 1507 Documentary Exploration and Cartography Historical map maker's real story. FAIR USE STATEMENT [Comment and Teaching] This video may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.

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The astrolabe is a portable device used by sailors to help them find their way. By measuring the distance of the sun and stars above the horizon, the astrolabe helped determine latitude, an important tool in navigation. Another tool, the magnetic compass, which had been invented in the twelfth century, was improved upon during the Renaissance.

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Discover the many renaissance innovations.

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This website is for sale! renaissanceconnection.org is your first and best source for all of the information you're looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, renaissanceconnection.org has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

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Have a look at the link to find out more information about the renaissance.

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Kids learn about the history of the European Renaissance. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including Renaissance art, philosophy, literature, clothing, daily life, artists, people, music, science, Italy, food, and architecture.

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Advances in both knowledge and technology made it possible for people to travel further than they had been before.

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The Renaissance is a period from the 14th to the 17th century, considered the bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern history.  It was an explosion of ideas, education, and literacy. It produced some of the greatest artwork and artists in history. The leaders of the Renaissance were born in Italy’s independent city-states and drew inspiration from Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations (which you will learn more about in P5).

Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo created greats works of art during this time. Writers like William Shakespeare were producing their own masterpieces.

Even today, the buildings and streets of Rome, Florence, and many other Italian cities are filled with stunning Renaissance art and architecture. Famous Renaissance paintings hang in museums all over the world.

The word “renaissance” literally means “rebirth.” In truth, the Renaissance gave birth to the modern world.

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The Age of Exploration (also called the Age of Discovery) began in the 1400s and continued through the 1600s. It was a period of time when the European nations (Spain, Portugal, France and England to name a few began exploring the world. They discovered new routes to India, much of the Far East, and the Americas. The Age of Exploration took place at the same time as the Renaissance.