Factors That Led To European Exploration

During the early 1400s, several factors spurred an age of European exploration. The three main factors were the desire to acclaim wealth, the goal of spreading Christianity, and advanced sailing technology. Being wealthy was one of the biggest reasons that spurred exploration back then. Overseas, there were many countries to exchange luxury goods with. It was a profitable business in Europe, merchants and traders would be able to make wealth. Thanks to the Crusades, introduction to spices enhanced the taste of bland food in Europe, and demand was high, making merchants and traders wealthy. Secondly, the goal of spreading Christianity was another factor that spurred European exploration. Since the Crusades, there has always been hostility between
It was a vessel, sturdier than earlier vessels and adapted triangular sails that derived from the Arabs to help sail against the wind. Next, sailors used the astrolabe, which was a brass circle with carefully adjusted rings marked off in degrees. The instrument helped determine the ship’s location at sea, and by using the rings to sight the stars, the sea captain would be able to calculate the latitude of the ship. Three additional inventions that helped lead to the European exploration was the compass, map, and the printing press. The compass aids sailors by telling them what direction the ship was going, and was invented by the Chinese. The map was invented by the Greco-Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, who wrote Geography around A.D. 150. This eight-volume book contained maps and the longitude and latitude of approximately 8,000 places. It also contained instruction for how to make maps. Maps provide information of what countries and places there are in the world, which sailors can use to help guide them the way. Last but not least, the printing press did it’s job of making plenty of maps, so that maps were quickly made, and provided for everyone at a price that was