Question
Document B
Source: Illustration from When China Ruled the Seas by Louise Levathes, 1994.
An illustration compares a Treasure Ship with Columbus's flagship, Santa Maria.
Zheng He’s treasure ship (400 feet) and Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria (85 feet).
Source: Chart compiled from various sources.
Zheng He
Christopher Columbus
Size of Fleet
255 ships
3 ships
Size of Crew
27,500
90
Voyages
7 (1405-1433)
4 (1492-1502)
Legacy
Soon after Zheng He’s death, sea exploration was banned in China.
The fleet was dismantled.
All records of Zheng He’s voyages were destroyed by Chinese officials.
Zheng He was more or less lost to history for 500 years.
After Columbus’s first voyages, European exploration took off.
North and South America were conquered and colonized.
The Columbian exchange followed, marked by the trading of plants, animals, ideas, and people, some of them enslaved.
Document AnalysisHide
What was the size of the treasure ship compared to the Santa Maria?
Enter your response here
Compare Zheng He and Christopher Columbus. What generalization can you make about size of fleet and size of crew?
Enter your response here
How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages deserve acclaim?
Enter your response here
How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages do not deserve acclaim?
Enter your response here
Source: Illustration from When China Ruled the Seas by Louise Levathes, 1994.
An illustration compares a Treasure Ship with Columbus's flagship, Santa Maria.
Zheng He’s treasure ship (400 feet) and Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria (85 feet).
Source: Chart compiled from various sources.
Zheng He
Christopher Columbus
Size of Fleet
255 ships
3 ships
Size of Crew
27,500
90
Voyages
7 (1405-1433)
4 (1492-1502)
Legacy
Soon after Zheng He’s death, sea exploration was banned in China.
The fleet was dismantled.
All records of Zheng He’s voyages were destroyed by Chinese officials.
Zheng He was more or less lost to history for 500 years.
After Columbus’s first voyages, European exploration took off.
North and South America were conquered and colonized.
The Columbian exchange followed, marked by the trading of plants, animals, ideas, and people, some of them enslaved.
Document AnalysisHide
What was the size of the treasure ship compared to the Santa Maria?
Enter your response here
Compare Zheng He and Christopher Columbus. What generalization can you make about size of fleet and size of crew?
Enter your response here
How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages deserve acclaim?
Enter your response here
How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages do not deserve acclaim?
Enter your response here
Answers
GPT-4o mini
### What was the size of the treasure ship compared to the Santa Maria?
The treasure ship, Zheng He’s ship, measured 400 feet in length, while Columbus's flagship, the Santa Maria, measured only 85 feet. This means that Zheng He’s treasure ship was approximately five times longer than the Santa Maria.
### Compare Zheng He and Christopher Columbus. What generalization can you make about size of fleet and size of crew?
Zheng He commanded a vastly larger fleet compared to Columbus, with 255 ships in his fleet versus Columbus's 3 ships. Additionally, Zheng He had a significantly larger crew of 27,500, while Columbus operated with a crew of just 90. A generalization that can be made is that Zheng He’s expeditions were on a much grander scale in terms of both fleet size and manpower compared to Columbus’s voyages.
### How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages deserve acclaim?
Zheng He’s voyages are notable for their scale and ambition, as reflected in the vast size of his fleet and crew, which allowed him to conduct extensive maritime exploration across Asia and beyond. The sheer size of Zheng He’s treasure ship compared to the Santa Maria indicates a significant technological and logistical capability. Furthermore, he undertook seven voyages, demonstrating a sustained commitment to exploration. Despite his achievements being largely forgotten for 500 years, they reveal a sophisticated understanding of navigation and diplomacy that shaped maritime history in China and the Indian Ocean.
### How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages do not deserve acclaim?
While Zheng He’s voyages were impressive in scale, the impact of his expeditions was short-lived, as sea exploration in China was banned soon after his death. The subsequent dismantling of his fleet and the destruction of records about his voyages suggest a lack of long-term significance in the context of historical ocean exploration. Additionally, unlike Columbus’s voyages, which led to the extensive European exploration and colonization of the Americas, Zheng He’s efforts did not result in lasting changes, making them less impactful when assessing the broader scope of maritime exploration history.
The treasure ship, Zheng He’s ship, measured 400 feet in length, while Columbus's flagship, the Santa Maria, measured only 85 feet. This means that Zheng He’s treasure ship was approximately five times longer than the Santa Maria.
### Compare Zheng He and Christopher Columbus. What generalization can you make about size of fleet and size of crew?
Zheng He commanded a vastly larger fleet compared to Columbus, with 255 ships in his fleet versus Columbus's 3 ships. Additionally, Zheng He had a significantly larger crew of 27,500, while Columbus operated with a crew of just 90. A generalization that can be made is that Zheng He’s expeditions were on a much grander scale in terms of both fleet size and manpower compared to Columbus’s voyages.
### How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages deserve acclaim?
Zheng He’s voyages are notable for their scale and ambition, as reflected in the vast size of his fleet and crew, which allowed him to conduct extensive maritime exploration across Asia and beyond. The sheer size of Zheng He’s treasure ship compared to the Santa Maria indicates a significant technological and logistical capability. Furthermore, he undertook seven voyages, demonstrating a sustained commitment to exploration. Despite his achievements being largely forgotten for 500 years, they reveal a sophisticated understanding of navigation and diplomacy that shaped maritime history in China and the Indian Ocean.
### How can you use this document to argue that Zheng He’s voyages do not deserve acclaim?
While Zheng He’s voyages were impressive in scale, the impact of his expeditions was short-lived, as sea exploration in China was banned soon after his death. The subsequent dismantling of his fleet and the destruction of records about his voyages suggest a lack of long-term significance in the context of historical ocean exploration. Additionally, unlike Columbus’s voyages, which led to the extensive European exploration and colonization of the Americas, Zheng He’s efforts did not result in lasting changes, making them less impactful when assessing the broader scope of maritime exploration history.