Introduction
Age of Discovery or Exploration involves a period approximately from the 15th century to the 18th century of the history of European civilization. It implied a great desire to explore new lands and expand the territories of states, which prompted journeys and the discovery of sea routes (“The Age of Discovery”). It resulted in charting previously unknown islands and seas, trading development, territorial expansion, founding colonies, and elaborating new technologies (“The Age of Discovery”). It is undeniable that the Age of Discovery implies a significant number of changes in the lifestyle and possibilities of the population (“The Age of Discovery”). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to outline the major causes, which prompted people to start exploring new sea routes actively in the 15th century.
Inability to Trade with West
The first considerable motive, which prompted Europeans to explore new lands, regarded their inability to establish stable trading relationships with the West. The reason for it was Turkish intervention, which implied Byzantium occupation (Jowitt). It blocked the trading way from Europe to Western lands (Jowitt). The flow of Western goods delivered to Europe was rapidly reduced, though Europeans needed these products (Jowitt). In addition, it was an important way of earning money. For this reason, there was a need to explore new lands.
The Lack of Gold as a Monetary Metal
Large amounts of gold were sent to the West, though the economic development of Europe required more money. The major development direction was the growth of goods production and trade. People hoped to find gold in Western countries, which were rich in gold and jewelry (Briney). Europeans dreamt of reaching India and Africa, perceiving them as wealthy countries (“The Age of Discovery”). Despite the fact that others owed the gold, Europeans were determined and courageous enough to garb it (“The Age of Discovery”). For this reason, groups of small ships, which may be considered large boats now, intervened in the whole country.
Scientific Progress and Shipbuilding Development
However, a single desire is not enough in order to realize aminations plans. Fortunately, in the 15th century, the shipbuilding industry became developed, which allowed Europeans to sail far away from their native lands. In this period, new construction of ships, namely a carvel, was elaborated (“The Age of Discovery”). The keel and sails allowed people to move forward despite side wind (“The Age of Discovery”). In addition, apart from a compass, an astrolabe was utilized for defining latitude. By this time, significant progress had been achieved in the field of geography. A theory of spherical Earth was widespread, which admitted the idea of reaching India by moving both East and West (Briney; “The Age of Discovery”). All these factors allowed Europeans to conduct long journeys for far distances.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it may be noted that a range of economic causes prompted Medieval Europeans to conduct sea routes over far distances. Their trading routes with Western lands were restricted significantly, which result in a lack of products and losing a source of making money. As they were in need of gold, they have expectations of rich lands, which they dreamt of intervening in. In addition, they had an excellent opportunity to release their ambitions due to appropriate scientific progress, which also regarded the shipbuilding industry. All these factors prompted Europeans to explore new lands, resulting in considerable territory expansion and active development.
References
Briney, Amanda. “A Brief History of the Age of Exploration.”ThoughtCo. 2020. Web.
Jowitt, Claire, et al. The Routledge Companion to Marine and Maritime Worlds 1400-1800. Routledge, 2020.
“The Age of Discovery.” Lumen. n.d. Web.