columbian exchange

The central feature of world history between late 15th Century and 1700 was the expansion of Europe and the spread of European culture and civilisation throughout the globe. Until 1500 the world had, on whole, pressed in on Europe. Beginning in the 1500s, Europe began to press out on the world. This period in history is known as the Age of Discovery or Exploration. During this time, driven by a variety of motives, European explorers mapped almost all of the world’s seas and outlines of the continents and completed incredible feats such as the rediscovery of America and the circumnavigation of the globe. Through exploration Europe began to change the balance of power, tipping it in favour of European civilization. By the end a new global balance was in existence. The Age of Exploration was instigated by two European countries situated on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal. In the 15th Century, the sea was seen as mysterious and feared. Most of it was unknown territory, blank on the maps, and what cartographers did not fill in, a vivid imagination did. Aside from fear of the unknown, the probability of becoming hopelessly lost, or encountering frequent storms, and disease, kept most people on land. Any sailing in those days was done within sight of the coastline. But despite this, Spain and Portugal found men willing to brave the known and unknown dangers of the sea, and spent great sums of money to sponsor their voyages. Why did they do this?

There are many probable reasons as to why Spain and Portugal decided to send out their explorers in search of alien lands. Everyone involved in the exploration was impelled by their own motives and desires, such as trade, personal wealth, glory and to spread Christianity. This can be summarised in the quote by Bernal Diaz del Castillo (1492/93 - 1584), a sailor and later Conquistador, “to serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich, as all men desire to do".

A key