Age Of American Exploration

The Age of Exploration was a period between the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries in which explorers, such as Vasco Da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias, and Christopher Columbus, and several others, ventured throughout the seas. They moved westward in search of direct trade routes to India and China. Numerous countries, led by Spain and Portugal, set sail using various navigational devices. Unintentionally, this led to the discovery of the Americas, which then sparked the Colombian Exchange. At this same time in Anatolia (present-day Turkey), the Ottoman empire was thriving with powerful weaponry, such as muskets and gunpowder, conquering places like the once magnificent Byzantine empire. While the Age of Exploration is commonly associated with the goals
God, gold, and glory were highly important factors for the desire of the Europeans to explore. The Europeans were heavily interested in gold, and any other resource that would bring them wealth, causing them to explore in search of this. In 1420, the Portuguese, including explorer Prince Henry The Navigator, began exploring Africa, where they discovered large sums of gold and ivory (Springer, par. 2). Another Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, was able to reach the coast of India where he took control of the spices (Springer, par 2). These spices were introduced to Europe during the crusades and the demand for them there was very high. Portugal made a huge profit off these spices,