Age of European Exploration and Conquest

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Factors Leading to the Age of European Exploration and Conquest
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Many scholars refer to the 15th and 16th centuries as the age of exploration and discovery. These explorations were mainly spearheaded by European nations, with the Spanish and the Portuguese setting sail in the 15th century. The British, the French, and the Dutch later joined these expeditions in the 16th century (Pyne, 2021).

The factors that led to the Age of Exploration are many and differ from one country to another. Researchers have simplified the reasons for the conquest to search for God, Gold, and glory. Although the five European nations that were mainly active in the exploration had many differences, they also had a few similarities. One of the major similarities is that they all sought to gain an economic advantage in their countries. Admittedly, scientific culture and curiosity, the need for glory, seeking to spread religion, and the desire for economic dominance, are the main factors that resulted in the rise of the Age of Exploration in Europe.

Factors Leading to the Age of European Exploration and Conquest

Religion

One of the major factors that made the four European nations leave their motherlands and go to unknown lands was to spread religion. When the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople in 1493, the trade route to take Christianity to Asia was blocked. The Europeans were therefore forced to take sail if they were to move outside their continent. This consequently led to the improvement of sailing technology, and by the 14th century, many Europeans were capable of sailing as far as the Americas (James West Davidson et al., 2012). The Spanish are not to have justified their migration and exploration adventures by arguing they were spreading the religion to different parts. The explorers also used religion to ensure that they were not faced with fights in the regions they decided to explore.

Gold

Europeans began their exploration adventures in the 15th century because they hoped that they could find something of economic value during their sails. Substances of economic importance that they were after included enslaved Africans, American Metals, and Asian spices, among other useful resources. They would collect these resources and take them back to their native homes, where they would sell them at a premium. This made trade to be a major facilitator of exploration, although it was not the only factor (Sun, 2022). This is why the explorers became one of the richest people in Europe during this era. Notable among the explorers is Vasco da Gama, who ended up being made the Governor of India after voyages across different nations (Goldberg, 2017). Economic dominance was one of the major factors that promoted exploration by the European nations.

Glory

People joined exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries to search for glory. Explorers were respected people in society, and those brave enough to undertake the expeditions were viewed as local heroes. Some people who gained fame from exploration included Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, and Christopher Columbus (James West Davidson et al., 2012; Pyne, 2021). The nations that also discovered new unexplored regions proved that they had better tools and weaponry when compared to their neighbors. During the two centuries under discussion, the four nations competed to see who was better and the level of dominance was always constantly changing.

Scientific and Cultural Curiosity

Europeans in the 16th century were curious to discover new things, including visiting unknown lands. This scientific and cultural curiosity encouraged them to try unknown lands and socialize with new people to discover their culture. Most explorers were keen to record their interactions with the people they came across, revealing their huge interest in understanding new vultures. The explorers were also hopeful they would get scientific ideas from the explorations that would facilitate their careers.

Comparison between the British and Portuguese Exploration

The motives for European exploration in British and Portuguese were varied. The British mostly focused on accessing raw materials in the explored countries (James West Davidson et al., 2012). On the other hand, the Portuguese were more focused on ensuring that they controlled the land and sea trade routes (Paine, 2020). The Portuguese were also keener to build a legacy on the areas they had visited, whereas reals the British did not seek to build monuments in the regions they had colonized. During this period, the British were eager to create a rivalry with fellow European nations for dominance, while the Portuguese were more neutral.

Conclusion

The factors that led to the rise of the Age of Exploration in Europe included scientific culture and curiosity, the need for glory, the desire to spread religion, and the desire for economic dominance. Most countries were motivated by almost identical reasons, but as discussed above, minor differences included the type of glory sought. The exploration in the two centuries discussed above helped the nations advance their military technology and prowess not witnessed before. It also led to the improvement of other technologies, such as the discovery of the world map.

References

Goldberg, W. M. (2017). European exploration of the Pacific during the Age of discovery. The Geography, Nature, and History of the Tropical Pacific and Its Islands, 57–76. Web.

James West Davidson, Delay, B., Christine Leigh Heyman, & Al, E. (2012). U.S.: A narrative history. Volume 1, to 1865. Mcgraw-Hill.

Paine, L. (2020). Rediscovering the age of discovery. In C. Jowitt, C. Lambert, & S. Mentz (Eds.), The Routledge companion to marine and maritime worlds, 1400–1800 (pp. 50-66). Routledge.

Pyne, S. J. (2021). The great ages of discovery: How western civilization learned about a wider world. University of Arizona Press.

Sun, Q. (2022). Correlating European age of discovery through Asiatic trade in 15th – 18th century. Atlantis Press. Web.

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