Modern times

Sextant at sea The sextant, invented around 1730, could tell sailors where they were at sea. It measured the angle of the Sun, Moon, or stars above the horizon. AGE OF EXPLORATION (1488–1597) European explorers discover new trade routes and countries across the Atlantic. »pp78–79 VASCO DA GAMA (1497) The Portuguese explorer creates a new direct trade route from Europe to Asia. »pp78–79

1488

NEW WORLD DISCOVERY (1492) Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sails from Spain to find a trade route to Asia, but instead discovers the Americas. »pp78–79 ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE (1500s–1800s) More than 12.5 million Africans are enslaved and transported to the Americas. »pp90–91 THE REFORMATION (1517) Martin Luther begins the Protestant movement with his complaints against the Catholic Church. »pp84–85

END OF THE AZTECS (1521) Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés conquers the Aztec Empire of Central America. »pp80–81

FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789–94) With the motto “liberty, equality, fraternity,” protestors revolt against the monarchy and church. »pp96–97

CONVICTS IN AUSTRALIA (1788) Britain transports 1,500 convicts to Botany Bay, Australia, and sets up a penal colony at Port Jackson (modern-day Sydney). »pp94–95

NAPOLEONIC WARS (1792–1815) French leader Napoleon Bonaparte extends his control across Europe before being defeated at Waterloo. »pp98–99 AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1775–81) The US becomes an independent country with 13 states, free from British control. »pp92–93 RUBBER (1735) French explorer Charles- Marie de la Condamine brings rubber to Europe from Ecuador. »pp120–21

HMS Sirius, flagship of the first transportation to Australia

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (1770s–1870s) Machines begin to do the jobs previously done by people, making and transporting goods quickly and efficiently. »pp104–05

FIRST FREE SETTLERS IN AUSTRALIA (1793) The first voluntary immigrants from Britain move to Australia. »pp94–95 BLACKBEARD (1716–18) Pirate Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, terrorizes the Caribbean and southeast American coast. »pp86–87

SOUTH AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS (1808–26) After 300 years of European rule, most colonies in South America become independent. »pp100–01

VACCINE (1796) Edward Jenner invents the vaccine—a way of triggering the human body to fight Modern times smallpox. »pp120–21 STEAM RAILROADS (1825) The world’s first public steam railroad opens, in northern England. »pp116–17

The end of the 15th century signaled the start of the age of exploration. Europeans possessed new technology to sail and navigate long distances and wanted to find new trade routes. Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas—the New World—brought goods to trade, new foods, wealth, and gold. However, it also led to the colonization of New World countries, piracy, and slavery.

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILROAD (1891–1916) The world’s longest railroad is built across Russia. »pp116–17

1900

SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD RUSH (1886) Johannesburg becomes a large and wealthy city following a gold rush in Witwatersrand. »pp110–111

SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1520–66) Suleiman expands the Ottoman Empire through Europe. »pp118–19 END OF THE INCAS (1531) On his third expedition to Peru, Conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquers the Inca Empire. »pp80–81

AROUND THE WORLD (1521–22) Ferdinand Magellan’s ship completes the first circumnavigation of the globe. »pp78–79 CARIBBEAN PIRATES (1550–1720) British, French, and Dutch ships try to sieze gold being exported from the Americas by the Spanish. »pp86–87 PRIVATEERING (1560–86) The English privateer Sir Francis Drake carries out sea raids all over the Caribbean. »pp78–79; 86–87 COLONIZING AMERICA (1585) The Spanish establish the first European colony in what is now the US. »pp88–89

NEW FOOD (1565) Potatoes first arrive in Europe, brought from Mexico by Spanish ships. »pp82–83

FIRST GOLD RUSH (1693) Gold is discovered at Mina Gerais, Brazil. By 1720, 400,000 Portuguese prospectors have moved to Brazil. »pp110–11

QING DYNASTY, CHINA (1644–1912) Manchu people from the north of China replace China’s Ming ruler and begin the Qing Dynasty. »pp118–19 NEW AMSTERDAM (1614) The Dutch West India Company establishes a new city in North America. In 1664, the English claim it and rename it New York. »pp88–89

Gold nugget EDO PERIOD, JAPAN (1615–1868) A military leader called a shogun rules Japan. No foreigners are allowed into the country. »pp114–15 FRENCH QUÉBEC (1608) The first French colony in the Americas is set up in Québec—now in Canada. »pp88–89

JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA (1607) Settlers arrive to set up the first successful English colony in North America. »pp88–89

DARWIN’S VOYAGE (1831–36) Charles Darwin develops his theory of evolution while traveling the world. »pp102–03 REVOLUTION! (1848) People take to the streets across Europe to fight for better working conditions and voting rights. »pp106–07 JAPAN BEGINS TRADING (1853) Japan is forced by the US into its first trade agreement with a foreign country. »pp114–15

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH (1848–55) More than 300,000 people flock to California to search for gold. »pp110–11

European protestors in 1848

SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA (1880s–1914) European powers enter Africa to end the slave trade, but invade and colonize countries as they do so. »pp118–19

BRITISH RAJ (1858–1947) The British take direct control of India after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. British rule was called the Raj. »pp118–19

MEIJI RESTORATION (1868) Forces opposing Japan’s shogun restore the emperor to power, beginning the Meiji Period. »pp114–15

ELECTRIC LIGHT (1879) Thomas Edison invents a lightbulb that is safe for use in people’s homes. »pp120–21 BATTLE OF LITTLE BIGHORN (1876) American Indians defeat the US Army in a territory war. »pp108–109 AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (1861–65) The deadliest war in US history leads to the abolition of slavery. »pp112–13

Steam locomotive The first steam-powered railroad engine ran in 1804 and steam engines continued to pull trains well into the 1900s. The King Edward II was built in 1930.