The Exploration
Why did it happen?...
By Savannah Lapp Published on March 12, 2014 at 10:20 PM
In the early 1400s, Europeans were ready to head out and explore new lands. Most Europeans just wanted one thing: wealth. They went exploring to find spices, gold, and resources that would make them rich back in their home country. This period of search is called the Exploration. The Exploration was a major time period, and even led to the discovery of America.
A major factor leading to the exploration of new lands was the spread of Christianity. Because Europeans wanted to spread Christianity to all peoples, they went to Asia to convert them. While there, they traded with the peoples for spices and other wealth. The Portuguese were avid explorers. Because the government supported them, explorers could go out for months at a time and explore overseas. Prince Henry, the Portuguese king’s son, always dreamed of exploring and becoming even more wealthy. He helped conquer the Muslim city of Ceuta, and found many spices and jewels. In 1492, Christopher Columbus finally uncovered the land now known as North America. Of course he only found the Eastern side, he conquered the land for his king and queen back in Spain, even though he was planning on keeping much of the wealth for himself. After the land was claimed for Spain, Spain established its empire their. They quickly became a major Empire rich in natural resources. Even though Spain had claimed land that was already inhabited by the North Americans, they were able to establish a successful empire, for the time being. |
Information Retrieved from: Beck, Roger, Linda Black, Larry Krieger, Phillip Naylor, and Dahia Ibo Shabaka. World History: Patterns of Interaction. 1st ed. Evanston, Boston, Dallas: McDougal Littell, 2003. Print.