New World

Description

This documentary looks at the expansion of the Islamic and Spanish Empires in the late 15th century. Sultan Mehmet II introduced artillery to bombard Constantinople, which he renamed Istanbul after the Ottoman victory. Hostility towards the West compelled European traders to search for alternative routes to Asia. Bartolomeu Dias charted a path around southern Africa while Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic to the Bahamas. The Aztec empire dominated Central America; Hernan Cortes used manipulative tactics to oust Montezuma and plunder his gold. European diseases decimated the indigenous American population.

Runtime

44 min 12 sec

Series

Subjects

Database

Films on Demand

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