The Age of Exploration: An Overview
The period of the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries in European history is known as the Age of Exploration or the Age of Discovery. It was a time when travelers from Western Europe cruised across the Atlantic and all over the planet to find new grounds and shipping lanes. This eruption of exploration and extension was a substantial, verifiable occasion that had expansive ramifications for the world, including the colonization of new areas, the expansion of European culture, and the foundation of worldwide trade organizations.
Motivations for Exploration
The purposes behind the Age of Exploration are complicated and shifting. One key component was the quest for new shipping lanes toward the East Indies. Before the Age of Exploration, exchange between Europe and Asia was led fundamentally over land, with the Middle East acting as a go-between (Spielvogel, 2015). Notwithstanding, the Ottoman Empire, which protected and controlled the land routes, made exchange troublesome, costly, and challenging (Spielvogel, 2015). This drove European countries, notably Portugal and Spain, to investigate new ocean routes to Asia, expecting to sidestep the Ottoman Empire and seize the lucrative spice trade.
Historical Precedents for Exploration
The Age of Exploration was not altogether extraordinary. There have been times of development and exploration since the beginning of time, like the Viking exploration of North America around 1000 AD. Nonetheless, the Age of Exploration was exceptional regarding its scale, extension, and effect. It included various European countries and prompted the discovery and colonization of new regions worldwide (Spielvogel, 2015). It likewise had extensive outcomes, including the popularization of European culture and religion, the relocation and oppression of native people groups, and the foundation of worldwide trade organizations.
Key Factors That Enabled the Age of Exploration
The Renaissance fostered a spirit of curiosity and travel, and the fall of the Ottoman Empire made it more difficult for European nations to conduct land-based trade with Asia. Moreover, the ascent of solid and unified states, such as Spain and Portugal, gave the assets and associations essential to attempting such enormous-scale endeavors.
Reference
Spielvogel, J. (2015). Europe and the World: New Encounters, 1500–1800. In Western Civilization Since 1300: Ap Edition. Cengage Learning.