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Introduction
The 17th century was a century that favored communities with access to
the Atlantic, particularly those in northern Europe. The first refracting telescope,
invented by Dutch lens grinders in 1600, was a useful tool for European cultures looking
to expand across the ocean. Compelled by choice and by necessity, some Europeans set sail
to establish precarious colonies across the Atlantic. These settlements marked the
beginning of the enduring European and African cultural influence in the Americas. Goods
first trickled, then flowed back into Europe from the Americas and southeast Asia. The Dutch
grew rich from trade, ushering in a brief "Golden Age." The telescope also symbolized the rise
of Western scientific endeavor and the technical superiority that the West would later enjoy.
The lens symbolizes the extraordinary scientific advances made by the
Europeans in the 17th century. Among those inventions was the telescope (1600) which became an instrument
vital to European expansion overseas. This expansion led to colonization and growth of a lucrative trade
in sugar and slaves in the Americas. It also led to a Golden Age in Holland, spawned by Dutch control of
the rich East Asia spice island trade. The telescope brought sharp focus to the shifting world power center
from China to Europe over the next few centuries.
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© 1999 Turner Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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