European Exploration Dbq

1.) The desire to find new trade routes to Asia was one of the motivations for European explorations. Europeans were seeking the wealth of Africa and Asia. They wanted profit, they wanted gold. The spice market was also a huge profit of trading and several countries tried to gain control of spice trade. Another motivation was God and religion. Europeans wanted to spread the teachings of the Gospel to other parts of the world. They believed it was their duty to spread the word of God. Lastly, land was another motivation for European explorations. Some rulers, especially the King of Spain, and the King of Portugal, wanted to claim as much land as they could. The more land and money a country owned, the better their chance of domination in Europe.

The renaissance contributed in the area of literature because during this time period the printing press was created which made it easier to write and read literary works. Not only that, but this era also assisted art because before the rebirth art was ordinary and simple, though that all changed during the revival,artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo began to do their artwork more vividly. They used different forms like realism and two dimensional to make it seem more realistic. Another major contribution made by the renaissance was education . Before any changes were made, education was reserved to citizens who were wealthy and who could afford being educated, but because the printing press was made the Middle class people were able to educate themselves .Moreover , the renaissance also changed European culture. People were being introduced to so many new things including Music , the growth of literature, science ,technology and better education. This time period of enlightenment changed European culture forever.This contribution carryover to today because we continue to use similar devices only more advance. To sum it up, the renaissance and its many contributions and the European Exploration had a big impact on the world. Many changes were made that affect us today and new ideas were found. Contributions that were made during the rebirth of Europe and the Exploration impact us

Before 1453, Europe was in a period of time often referred to as the Dark ages. Critics claim that they had little access to any kind of trade, wealth or ideas that traveled along the Silk Roads. Meaning that the Europeans economy was based largely off of agriculture and they lived very difficult lives in poverty. This was until daring and courageous men decided to pull Europe out of the Dark ages and into the Renaissance (A Golden Age). The many voyages of European explorers and conquistadors are what brought Europe into what would become known as The Age of Exploration. This connected Europe to trade and cultural ideas along the east. Although the Europeans and conquistadors did conquer the natives and spread the base of slavery, these men did bring new ideas, technology, science and culture that ultimately result in a huge impact on history.

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 .

The desire to explore the unknown has been a driving force in human history since the dawn of time. From the earliest documented accounts, ancient civilizations have explored the world around them. Early adventures were motivated by religious beliefs, a desire for conquest, the need for trade, and an unsatisfying hunger for gold. The great Age of Exploration, beginning in the late 1400s, was an important era in the discovery and development of lands yet unknown to the Europeans. During this period, Europe sought new sea routes to Asia in pursuit of economic gain, increased glory, and opportunities to spread Christianity. Although these were motivations for explorers, the impact from the discoveries resulted in significant changes and

The age of exploration brought about many advances in both technology and culture, especially for Europe. In Europe at the time, there was much dissention within the masses. Also, due to the rapid consumption of church land and the new lack of jobs, the population of poor was quickly growing. These factors were some of the most influential when European countries were deciding where to sail.

Between the 1450-1750, European states began to embark on a series of global explorations that prompted a new chapter in world history. It was known as the Age of Discovery, or the Age of Exploration, this period spanned the fifteenth through the early seventeenth century, during which time European expansion to places such as the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Competition between European empires, such as Spain and England, fueled the evolution and advancement of overseas exploration and European empires during this period expanded greatly.

The age of exploration was driven by many causes. One of the biggest reasons being the desire to find a new route to Asia. The yearn for riches and spices was high and both could be found in the heart of Asia.

The European economic motivation was the main cause of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. New trade, and the search for gold and spices were the three main motives behind Europe’s thirst for exploration and discovery. Trade with Asia and Africa was shrinking, Europe’s gold supply was drained, and spices were growing in demand, forcing Europe to send explorers in search of new resources and trade.

Arising out of the “Dark Ages” was the very weak Europe. After taking death tolls from the black death which was devastating to the European population, and also poverty spread around the entirety of Europe, the population felt stuck. In the early 1400s, the Europeans began to set out and explore the world by settling colonies in the Americas, along the coast of Africa, and parts of India and Southeast Asia. This is referred or known as the Age of Exploration. The Age of Exploration was caused by advances in technology and it was powered by the motivation for glory, religion, economic factors, and much more. The push factors and the causes of European exploration lead to a numerous amount of accomplishments ranging from new colonies/territories to bringing in wealth. If the Europeans had not had some of the push factors the Age like the fall of Constantinople, Columbus discovering the “New World” and economic reasons European Exploration would have never begun, or it would’ve taken many more years.

At the turn of the 15th century, the conditions in Europe went from plague, a smaller population, a lack of knowledge, and provincial learning to economic prosperity, enlightenment, and centralized power that was brought about by the renaissance and the new monarchs. The first condition in Europe that led to exploration was the Renaissance. The Renaissance was the revival of classical art and studies of Ancient Greece and Rome. What began first in Italy spread throughout Europe, and inspired creative thinking. This was a push factor because the maps of ancient geographers and work of Arab scholars motivated Europeans to learn more about the world and lands that existed besides Europe.

     The first effect of the Age of Exploration, was the finding of the New World. The New World provided opportunities for European countries to conquer new lands and to obtain wealth while conquering. After Columbus “found'; the New World, there were European explorers embarking on new journeys there constantly. They would set up new colonies and conquer new lands. From these colonies, they set up trading posts back to their mother countries. Gold, fur, corn, potatoes, tobacco, chocolate, and many other products were brought back to Europe. The wealth from these products could only be imagined. The countries would then trade their imports to other countries and make a huge profit.

During the Renaissance, there were many causes of the European Age of Exploration. There were contributions in the areas of literature,art,culture,education,and politics. All of these contributions still carry over to today.

If only the Europeans identified it sooner that a world was a way to explore. Due to finally explore many things were starting to look up for the Europeans. Corresponding to the numerous new inventions the Europeans came upon that were there to assistance them on their explorations. As well as new theories, philosophies ,and new ways of intellectual. although the results affected Europe in positive and negative ways.

The Age of Exploration is a period when the European nations began exploring the world. This took place the same time as the Renaissance. The Renaissance lead to the Age of Exploration because it was the time of “rebirth” in European mindset leading to curiosity and discovery. The Protestant Reformation lead to the Age of Exploration because both the Catholic and the Protestant churches wanted to spread their religions to others around the world. I believe the three key explorers during this time period were John Cabot, Ferdinand Magellan, and Francisco Pizarro.