Age Of Exploration Dbq

The Age of Exploration was a time period from the 15th century to the 18th century in which Europeans embarked on extensive overseas expeditions. European nations, such as Portugal, Spain, England, and the Netherlands, participated heavily in global trade and set up many trade routes and colonies. Many people would say that the Europeans’ only reason for exploration was to spread Christianity, obtain gold, and gain glory through their conquests and acquisition of lands. Some people might also say that the Ottomans heavily influenced the Europeans to participate in this period of exploration. Although the goals of “God, gold, and glory” are often associated with the Age of Exploration, the Ottoman Empire had a greater influence on the desire
As European nations sent their navigators to look for direct trade routes to Asia, the goals of “God, gold, and glory” became prevalent. Portugal was one of the major players in the Age of Exploration. As Portugal sent explorers into the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal established colonies along the West and East coasts of Africa, as well as in India. The Portuguese obtained gold from their colonies on the West coast of Africa, the “Gold Coast.” The Portuguese also spread Christianity as they established colonies and conquered lands. For example, Portuguese fleets conquered Goa in 1510 as a result of them wanting to control Indian Ocean trade. The Portuguese successfully converted the people of Goa from Hinduism to Christianity and set up missionary activities to convert more people. Spain was also a major player in the Age of Exploration. The Spanish saw that the Portuguese were becoming wealthy and powerful after trying to find direct routes to Asian markets. The Spanish wanted in on the wealth and power and sent Christopher Columbus to find an easier route to travel to India. He unexpectedly landed in the Americas and the Spanish later sent out explorers, such as Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, to establish colonies in the Americas and acquire valuable resources for Spain. The Spanish conquistadors converted the peoples of Mesoamerica to Christianity and also discovered silver as they established colonies. Additionally, although the Portuguese landed in the Americas after Spain did, they set up colonies in present-day Brazil. Through the acquisition of these lands, both Spain and Portugal gained glory. Mercantilist philosophies were established by many European nations that participated in trade. They believed in increasing their own nation’s wealth through a favorable balance of trade and government regulation of commercial activities. All in