EXPLORERS

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about 

The Caribbean in the Age of Exploration

Being in the shipping business and always curious about exploration, I developed a collection of rare maps that focused on the Americas. Several years ago part of the collection was presented at the University of Florida School Of Latin American Studies and this is how they described the exhibit:

“These maps represent the Age of Exploration, a period marked by navigational discoveries and cultural exchanges that forever changed the lives of Caribbean and Latin American peoples. Each serves as an example of the historical evolution of cartography, and as a symbol of the social changes fostered during the 16th and 17th centuries. Although enterprises such as slavery and colonialism also rose during this period, the newfound eagerness to explore the world did lead to scientific breakthroughs, eloquent systems of trade, multiculturalism, and events that make up a large part of our collective history.”

Many of the Age of Exploration maps are unique; found only in the major national libraries in Europe and the United States. But there are many affordable examples to build your own collection or to display at home or office depending on your interest. Facsimiles are also available from many specialized shops.

Today you can punch in your desired GPS coordinates in a computer and be off to your destination. Not so centuries ago when maps were made on manuscripts or vellum or later, printed on paper from block prints or copper engravings. Maps were used not only for navigation but were used in business and to impress friends and associates.

Now you will learn a little about how the brave explorers from the 15th and 16th centuries surmised what the world looked like and how the science and business of cartography developed. We will explore some of the foundation maps and hear some interesting stories particularly about the Caribbean and Americas.

The Benchmark Map of Exploration

His tables were lost until the Middle Ages when they were put to the format of a map. It is a benchmark map from which the Age of Discovery would spring forth. This particular example was made by Martin Waldseemuller and Laurent Fries. Waldseemuller is particularly famous because a later map of his made in the early 1500’s first named the New World for Amerigo Vespuchi. (His other maps to follow). When Columbus sailed it was well known that the earth was round but considering from Ptolemy’s version; it drastically underestimated in the earth’s diameter. Columbus initially thought he had reached the Indies. As exploration pushed further afar, the basic design of the Ptolemaic Map continued well after Columbus’ discoveries until it lost favor to more modern plots.

Columbus Manuscript Maps

These maps made by his own hand depict his various renditions near to Navidad, Haiti (Hispaniola) which was his first site to be settled as well as other islands in the Caribbean including Trinidad and the Gulf of Paria. There are no plumb lines or grids and the inks remained very durable over the almost five centuries since they were drawn.

What the Fuss Was All About — The Spice Islands

The Molucca Islands were an archipelago near to the Celebes known in the Middle Ages as the source for the wildly expensive spices of Nutmeg and Mace. The Nutmeg legacy lives on today in Grenada.

What prompted the usual European powers to fight hardened battles to control these islands? The traditional trading routes though the Silk Road and Italian middle men were closed off. A competition ensued seeking alternative sea routes, with The Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese slugging it out as they pushed further out from Europe. Initially, the push succeeded via the Horn of Africa. But it was Columbus who was searching for a route going the other direction. 

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking