Age Of Exploration

The Age of Exploration The Renaissance brought an array of changes to the European continent. New innovations in the fields of science, math, arts, and literature were sparked during this time period. With the growth of humanism, secularism, and individualism, a spirit of curiosity and adventure developed amongst Europeans. As new innovations and ideas were forming during the Renaissance, it gave humans the ability to explore and travel to other parts of the world. The development of the compass, the lateen, and the astrolabe, coupled with a better understanding of the geography of the world, allowed Europeans to better navigate the oceans. With the development of gunpowder, humans were also able to protect themselves as they traveled.
The monarchs of both Spain and Portugal financed their expeditions with the goal of spreading Catholicism to the New World. The foundation of Catholicism is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even Columbus himself had religious ideals while making his journey to find new lands. Columbus “believed he was a divine agent: ‘God made me the messenger of the new heaven and the new Earth of which he spoke in the Apocalypse of St. John…and he showed me the post where to find it’ “ (McKay 499). Explorers Bartholomew Diaz and Vasco da Gama also had religious aspirations as they searched for a trade route to India. On every expedition, several missionaries were brought along in order to help convert the natives of the land to the Christian
After the Black Death that decimated the population of Europe, Europe began to see a huge population growth across the continent. For instance, in France alone the population doubled in the period from 1450 to 1550. As the population grew, so did the need for goods and resources. The demands for spices such as pepper, cinnamon, and cloves were increasing amongst the European population. The desire for silks, precious gems, gold and silver, and other luxuries led to a need to increase trade in Europe. As Europeans tried to obtain more goods, they looked towards other countries to fulfill their demands. For example, explorers Vasco da Gama and Bartholomew Dias both sailed in order to find a much faster trade route to India that would avoid traveling through the Ottoman Empire. Columbus also set sail to find a faster trade route to Asia before accidentally landing in present-day North America. By finding a direct trade route to Asia, Europeans were also able to accumulate more profit while trading. They were able to eliminate Italy as the “middle man” and had the opportunity to receive direct pricing from Asian countries. As a part of this exploration process, slavery started to expand as well. Slavery, up to this point, was not a common practice amongst Christian Europeans because they did not believe in enslaving other Christians. As the