Introduction
Large-scale land and sea excursions led to the establishment of new regions for Europeans throughout the 15th and 17th centuries. Historians classify them as a distinct historical period known as the Age of European Discovery. Historians continue to debate whether we should begin to reckon with the historical period that followed the Middle Ages.
Different nations’ scientific circles have their own conceptions of dividing the “river of history.” However, all describe the 15th-17th centuries as the start of a new period that lasted several centuries and finished with the last shot on the battlefields of World War I (Campbell 14). This partition of the world influenced the future orientations of the Great Geographical Discoveries, which were motivated by factors such as state expansion and the desire to find new routes to distant regions.
Christopher Columbus and the First Voyages
Europeans had long sought a fresh maritime route to India. A Genoese sailor, Christopher Columbus, suggested an expedition west across the Atlantic Ocean. His plan was accepted, and an expedition of three caravels named “Pinta,” “Nia,” and the flagship “Santa Maria” set sail from Spain in 1492 (Tursunov 121). Columbus’s ships crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 33 days, discovering the islands of Haiti and Cuba off the coast of America (Tursunov 121).
The current island of Haiti was dubbed Espaola by Columbus, which means “Spanish Island.” The Spaniards saw the islanders and new harvests of maize (corn), potatoes, and tobacco. When Columbus’s sailors returned to Spain, they were certain they had discovered a western path to India, which they reported. A significant historical event occurred following Columbus’s first trip.
Pope Alexander VI Borgia signed the Law of the First Partition of the World between Spain and Portugal in 1493 (Tursunov 120). The partition’s boundary ran along a meridian in the Atlantic Ocean. To the west, all known and unexplored regions were recognized as Spanish, while to the east, they were recognized as Portuguese.
Causes and Consequences of the Great Discoveries
The findings would only have occurred if the proper conditions had been in place. The necessity to develop new trade routes to Africa, India, and China, permitting unfettered transport of precious metals and spices, and acquiring printing, which helped disseminate scientific knowledge, were requirements for the beginning of this age (Tursunov 121).
One can also mention the advancement of weaponry, which allowed for safer travel, and the development of a new European ship (caravels) designed for extended voyages. Other causes include advances in cartography, such as the adoption of more precise maps, compasses, and astrolabes, as well as several land excursions throughout Eurasia and Chinese marine expeditions to the shores of Arabia, India, Thailand, and Madagascar.
Conclusion
Thus, in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, vast and powerful governments formed in Western Europe, developing crafts, trade, river, and sea fleets. As a result, Europeans embarked on long travels to discover new regions in search of fresh trade routes, raw resources, and merchandise. This period in history was known as the Age of Great Discoveries. Europeans learned about the existence of a new area of the planet – America – through the voyages of Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and many others.
They also learned more about the nature and people of Africa’s western and eastern borders, as well as the maritime route to India. The first circumnavigation of the globe took place during the Age of European Discovery. Europeans explored new territories, learned more about the oceans and their vastness, and became increasingly convinced of the Earth’s sphericity. These geographical findings shaped beliefs about the Old World—Europe, Asia, and Africa—and the New World (for Europeans)—America.
Works Cited
Campbell, Randolph B. Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State. Oxford University Press, 2018.
Tursunov, Oloviddin. “Great Geographical Discoveries.” International Bulletin of Applied Science and Technology 3.4 (2023): 120-122. Web.