In our last episode, we talked about how, after much lobbying effort, Columbus finally convinced the Spanish monarchs to sponsor his plan to sail west in search of Asia. 一In 1492, Columbus signed the “Capitulations of Santa Fe” with the Spanish Monarchs, in which King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle agreed that, should he succeed, Columbus would be granted the Title…
February 27, 2025
In our last episode, we talked about how explorers, especially the Portuguese, started the Age of Discovery for Europe. They sailed along the west coast of Africa and discovered a new maritime route to Asia by sailing around the southern tip of Africa. 一 At the same time, some Europeans were exploring another possibility—the vast Atlantic Ocean to the west….
February 27, 2025
In our last episode, we discussed how Prince Henrique of Portugal started his career at a time when European was lagging behind in maritime technology. 一 One of his main contributions was improving seafaring ships, making them bigger, safer and cleaner. Since he was wealthy, he equipped several exploration fleets with these standards. Even more importantly, he established a pioneering…
February 14, 2025
In our last episode, we discussed how Medieval Europeans tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep due to a lack of spices. Fortunately, throughout history, when there were problems, there were always heroes coming to the rescue. 一 To Europe at that time, the heroes were the sea voyagers who decided to cross the vast ocean to find another…
February 14, 2025
In our last episode, we discussed how Europeans relied on spices from Asia for dining and ceremonial purposes. In addition to this, Europeans at the time had very poor personal hygiene habits. Many people went years without bathing. For example, Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, is said to have bathed only once in his 64 years of life. You might wonder how we get to…
February 10, 2025
