The Factors That Led to the European Discovery and Conquest of Other Lands.

The discovery, exploration, and colonization of foreign lands by the Europeans were driven by three vague yet consistent points. God, gold, and glory were the three chief reasons for exploration. The motives for Spanish, French and English explorers were all different, although in some ways, they were the same. They all wanted to find the Northwest Passage, which they believed was a direct and efficient route to the Orient (home of spices, silks and wealth). They also wanted to lay claim to new land to expand their empires. The Spanish explorers were in search of mineral wealth, looking for El Dorado (the City of Gold) and they aspired to spread Christianity. France also wanted to spread Christianity and find a new route by water to the East through North America. The English were motivated by a desire to colonize as much of the Americas as possible (to add to the escalating British Empire).
European control over South America, Africa and Asia were made out to be good for the native people of these lands. However, the Europeans were not there to help these geographic areas. They were there to spread their influence and gain riches for themselves and the European nations. The successes and failures of the Europeans and non Europeans would decide their relationship status for as long as they could co-exist.
New technology and more advance technology also gave Europeans an upper hand in travel and gave them control. The technology of sailing ships enabled them to move around the globe, firearms technology enabled them to impose their power on other people, and printing, allowed information about discoveries to be preserved and distributed.
European nations competed with each other to gain colonies in foreign lands. They all wanted to gain power and prestige. The more territory that they were able to control in the world the more powerful and important they thought they could become. New and unscathed lands were tremendously rich in natural resources, which could