how did portuguese exploration affect Spanish exploration
The Portuguese exploration had a significant impact on Spanish exploration during the Age of Discovery. Here's how:
1. Acquisition of knowledge: Portuguese explorers like Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias discovered new trade routes to Asia, establishing direct contact with the lucrative spice trade. This inspired Spanish explorers, who sought to find their own route to Asia and the riches it provided.
2. Technological advancements: Portuguese navigators developed and refined navigational instruments such as the astrolabe and caravel, which greatly improved their ability to explore unknown waters. Spanish explorers adopted these innovations, enabling them to sail farther and with more precision.
3. Competition for resources: Portugal's success in finding new routes to Asia fueled Spanish desires for their own discoveries, as they sought to compete for the precious resources found in these distant lands. This drove Spanish explorers like Christopher Columbus, who aimed to reach Asia by sailing west, to secure their own wealth and glory.
4. Treaty of Tordesillas: In 1494, Portugal and Spain signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the newly discovered lands outside of Europe between the two powers. This agreement provided a framework for Spanish exploration, as it delineated Spain's sphere of influence and motivated Spanish explorers to claim territories in the Americas.
5. Sharing of knowledge and experience: Spanish explorers had access to Portuguese maps, as well as firsthand accounts of Portuguese expeditions. This information was invaluable to Spanish explorers like Ferdinand Magellan, who used it to plan his circumnavigation of the globe, establishing Spain as a major global power.
In summary, Portuguese exploration directly influenced Spanish exploration by providing knowledge, technological advancements, competition for resources, an international agreement, and the exchange of information. These factors played a crucial role in shaping the course of Spanish exploration during that time.