How Did The Crusades Influence European Colonization

The Crusades influenced the European colonization projects by means of religion, commerce, and conquest. While Christians were on their way to try and capture the Holy Lands during the Crusades, they were exposed to the forgein and striking customs of the West; this included goods like silk and porcelin, and the Islam religion. Europeans found themselves wanting the goods overall, but the routes at that time to get to the West were troublesome, like the Silk Road. Furthermore, it caused Europeans to locate new routes by sea. The two main countries with the most thirst for conquest were Spain and Portugal, which lead to increased competition between them to find new territory and courses to the West. Once these countries found themselves on