Discussion Topic

Technological Advancements in European Exploration

Summary:

European exploration was significantly advanced by technological developments in shipbuilding, navigation, and weaponry. The caravel and later galleons improved ship size and sail configurations, enhancing cargo capacity and economic viability. Navigational aids like the compass, sextant, and improved charts enabled precise latitude determination. Additionally, advancements in artillery and ship armament provided military superiority. These innovations, coupled with later industrial technologies like steamships and telegraphs, facilitated European dominance in exploration and colonial expansion.

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What technological developments aided European exploration?

The answer is that developments in ship and navigational (and, to some degree, military) technology allowed European countries to embark on an age of exploration.

The major change in ship technology was the development of a caravel that was larger than previous ships had been.  This larger ship (and its sail technology) allowed voyagers to carry larger cargoes even as they had to bring smaller crews (because of the better sail configurations).  This made exploration more economical.  This change became even more pronounced later, when much larger ships called galleons were developed.

There were also changes in navigational technology.  Europeans started to use quadrants and astrolabes, along with better tables of numbers to use in their calculations, that allowed them to do a better job of figuring out their latitude.  They started to use compasses more as well.  Finally, they developed ways of making better, more accurate sets of charts and sailing instructions.  All of these developments made it easier for them to know where they were and to pass along knowledge of how to get there.

Finally, there was the development of new and better types of cannons.  The development of larger ships had allowed for more cannons to be carried on each ship.  The development of better cannons made it easier for Europeans to explore far afield with less fear of having their ships taken by pirates or other enemies.  All of these technological advances helped make it possible for Europeans to go exploring.

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What two technologies aided European explorers in ocean navigation?

A number of new technologies allowed Europeans to explore the Atlantic Ocean during the 16th Century.  A new ship design called the caravel made it possible to sail with the wind and also cruise against the wind.  The ship utilized multiple masts, which allowed it to behave this way.  In addition to the sails, the ship was designed to be much sturdier and could weather the storms common on the open seas.

Now that mariners had a better vessel to travel, they still needed to know where they were going.  During this time, explorers could determine exact latitude on the ocean because of two new technologies.  The magnetic compass utilized the Earth's magnetism to determine true north.  The sextant was used to measure celestial angles by using the horizon.  

These two technologies enabled explorers to travel the open ocean without getting lost or sunk at sea.

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What technology enabled increased European exploration?

The use of a compass and maps became standard on late medieval European ships. Some of these ships, such as small, very flexible caravels, carried a combination of square and triangular sails that allowed them to sail against the wind. When Portuguese ships appeared in the Indian Ocean, they proved sturdier than most Indian and Arabian ships, and they carried considerably more guns; this gave them a decisive advantage in a number of key naval battles.

The British and the Dutch had even better artillery than the Portuguese and Spanish. Moreover, the Dutch introduced a very capacious ships called fluyts (flyboats), which needed less human labor than previous ships.

In America, the Spanish used steel swords, rudimentary small firearms, and guns as well as horses and metallic protective armor to conquer the Central and South American Aztec and Inca empires.

European mariners of the Age of Discovery used globes and various astronomical instruments to find the coordinates of their ships in the open ocean. It was much easier to find latitudes than to find longitudes. In the eighteenth century, English artisans invented precise chronometers that finally made it possible to find longitudes accurately.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, new industrial technologies made possible the second big wave of European exploration and colonial conquest. These technologies included repeat rifles, railroads, telegraph lines, quinine for treating malaria, iron- and steel-hulled steamships, and machine guns.

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