Main Reasons For European Exploration In The 15th And 16th Century

1. There are a few reasons why the European Exploration expands dramatically in the 15th century. First, many European countries at that time have got plenty of food or resources, and due to the Mediterranean trade and so on, many Europeans got enough wealth from that, and the technology like compass was available. More importantly, due to the Black Death which killed about a third of the European population, the remaining population started to take greater risks and they want more wealth from Asia and Africa, some counties may focus on the state wealth, others may have individuals who focus more on the individual wealth.

The motivations that encouraged exploration of sea were the cultivation of cash crops, establish new trade routes to Asian markets, expand the influence of Christianity, and to avoid and compete against Muslim trade and intermediaries. To avoid the Muslim intermediaries, the Europeans demand for direct access to Asia and Africa was high priority. This

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, European exploration and expansion thrived. Portugal led the way in this movement of exploration with their development of efficiently built ships known as caravels, seafaring devices such as compasses and astrolabes, and cutting-edge naval academies. Various European countries, including Spain, England, France, etc., followed Portugal’s example by utilizing their progressive naval technology. These technological advancements led to the crossing of oceans and eventually the circumnavigation of the world. These Portuguese sailing techniques were implemented by explorers such as Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Hernando Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, and Bernal Castillo allowing them to travel by sea to places such as Africa, East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Americas. These nations and explorers were persuaded to put in the time and effort to complete these complex expeditions by three essential motivations. Financial gain, political dignity, and religious expansion were fundamental motivators for the European Age of Exploration.

Europeans had many reasons to explore the world and try to find new land. One of the reasons being technology and knowledge were greater than they had ever been which made it an easier task to explore. Technology gave possibilities of not getting lost as easy, knowing where to head toward, and many others. Cartography, the art and science of map making, was created in the early 1400s. This made maps more relevant and usable. Knowledge grew with the more exploring that happened. The more land that was discovered by explorers, the more accurate the maps got. This gave everyone more knowledge on the rest of the world and also reconsidered the idea of trade routes and how to make them better.

The Renaissance and the Age of Exploration brought on new ideas, technology, and tools that allowed the Europeans to travel across sea. The Europeans traveled to Africa in search of grains, spices, ivory, gold and slaves. Upon further exploration they found China. In China they found what they were searching for, they found silk cloth, spices and goods. The Europeans wanted to gain power by expanding their empire and search for gold. New technology, firepower, greed, and curiosity drove the Europeans to explore western

The desire for new trade routes by the Europeans was one reason the Age of Exploration began. In Document 1 it is written that the Europeans were afraid of the Ottoman Empire due to their rapid expansion and powerful military. This shows that Europe was afraid to challenge them and they were pushed to expand and find other trade routes. Document 2 depicts the power the Ottoman had and the control they held over Mediterranean Sea trade, therefore preventing the Safavid and Europeans from trading. Because of this, Europe

The European economy was the primary motive for European explorers to voyage and conquer the unknowns.

Possibly the biggest reason Europeans set out to explore the New World was the hope of riches they would find. A Portuguese merchant expressed how many luxury items would be able to be imported from the New World, bringing money to the mother country. To this merchant, the riches resulting from exploration were a great reason to continue to explore (Doc 5). Europe did indeed receive a lot of wealth from their colonies in the new world, so this aspect of their goal was fulfilled.

century in which Europeans embarked on extensive overseas expeditions. European nations, such as Portugal, Spain, England, and the Netherlands, participated heavily in global trade and set up many trade colonies and routes. Many people will say that the European’s only reason for exploration was to spread Christianity, obtain gold, and gain glory through their conquests and acquisition of lands. Some people might also say that the Ottomans heavily influenced the Europeans to participate in this period of exploration. Although the goals of “God, gold, and glory” are often associated with the Age of Exploration, the Ottoman Empire had a greater influence on the desire of European states to establish overseas empires and employ mercantilist economy

European nations in the 15th century began exploring new lands with three motives: religion, wealth, and glory. It was made possible by advances in naval fleet building and navigation, first pioneered by the Portuguese. Europeans began to be involved in extensive exploration, coming in contact with Africa, Americas and their prime target Asia. The main targets of the pioneering Portugese and Spanish was to find and alternate trade route for the Indies trade and also promote Christianity to the new lands. As the century unfolded, the search for newer territories to colonize and shortern routes to the exotic land of spices and silk became the initial driving force for the intensive early exploration by the Europeans .

Thus, a primary cause of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries was Europe’s desire to find new routes to Asia in order to participate in trade with the Middle East.

People living the the 15th century had multiple reasons for venturing beyond its confinement of land. Scientific curiosity of the world played a major part in the advancement of naval travel, but it was not the main cause of exploration in these times. The Age of Exploration was sparked by Europeans wanting to find sea routes to East Asia, which they called the Indies. Merchants and crusaders were bringing goods to Europe from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. These trade routes were controlled by the Muslims and the Italians. However, flaws

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries small groups financed by private businesses carried out the first phase of European exploration. Members of the noble or merchant class typically funded these early expeditions. Over time, as it became clear that global exploration was extremely profitable, European states took on a primary role. The next phase of exploration involved voyages taken in the name of a particular empire and monarch (e.g., France or Spain). The Iberian empires of Spain and Portugal were some of the earliest states to embark on new voyages of exploration. In addition to seeking luxury goods, the Spanish empire was driven by its quest for American silver.

1. Why did Europeans embark on exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries and how were they able to do it? Include the rise of nations, technology and motivations.

One of the main reasons European Exploration started snowballing is the fall of Constantinople. This reason itself is why European Exploration began. The Ottomans controlled all the sea trade in the eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and the rest of North Africa, and the power extended into Europe also. After the fall of the great Ottoman Empire it had sparked curiosity into European explorers to discover new sea routes, lands, and territories. They were preparing for this moment and they took full advantage of it, and that was starting with Portugal. In “Document 3” the map describes “A map of exploration routes coming from Portugal. Rulers of Portugal began to fund voyages of exploration under the rule of Prince Henry, ‘The Navigator’ a nickname earned for his interest in new navigation technologies he brought to Europe from the Arab world.” In the map it had presented the new sea routes around the southernmost tip of Africa because they were attempting to find new routes to Asia. If the fall of Constantinople never happened and they remained with their power, the exploration would have never started up. Europe still would’ve been isolated in the Dark Ages with poverty, death, and overall a corrupt