European Exploration

So, following the end of the Thirty Years' War, Europeans started a push to explore beyond their borders.

(Real)Motives for this action:
1. WEALTH
- Many countries (such as Spain) used religion to veil their true motives for the "Age of Exploration"--> in fact, the use of religion often "supplied the pretext and gold the motive"

- Although some explorers were, in part, religiously motivated , many outwardly admitted that profit was the reason for their voyages.

 - At the heart of this period of exploration was money and how to accumulate it through new lands/valuable trade

 -The only problem with fulfilling this motive for wealth through trade stemmed from issues to the east

The Trade Problem:
- Since the Crusades (11th -13th century) the Europeans were really into the spices and silks that they could buy from the  Indies (not to be confused with India)
- However, two empires stood in the way of European traders getting into the spice market to gain wealth:
1. The Ming dynasty : in China, the new dynasty threw out all foreigners (aka the Europeans) from their Mediterranean ports. Because the Europeans had always used this known eastern route, the closing of these ports left them with the only other option to sail south or west.

2. The Ottoman Turkish Empire : while the Turks were conquering Asia Minor and slowly moving west, the European traders still may have been able to find a way to use them in trade-- had that method been most profitable
            -B/c the Turks would have just been an extra middleman in the process of the European markets getting spices and silks, traders would have to lose more than they gain ; therefore, it gave them more incentive to cut the Turks out and find a direct route to the  Indies.

-So, European nations started to look for a more direct route to the Indies by sailing westward

'Solving' the Trade Problem (aka Means) :
- Coinciding with the Renaissance,  many of these would-be explorers reaped the benefit of curiosity.
- Smaller/faster ships (caravel) were built ; the astrolabe and magnetic compass improved measurements of latitude and location
- Also, the popular practice of centralizing the  power in the monarchy helped provide a strong backing in  funds for those willing to explore the oceans
            -Funding was key to the success of these voyages b/c sailors couldn't afford the risk to even hope of getting a reward.

Explorer: Christopher Columbus:
- He may have sailed the ocean blue in 1492, but he didn't know where actually came ashore .
-Thinking he reached the "Indies" , Columbus sailed onto the West Indies.

-Although making many mistakes (like calling the natives , "Indians", etc) his discovery set off the beginning of new trade networks and a more global community.

As a Result:
To what extent, as they expanded their land, did Europeans narrow their views on the world?

- Previous View of the World : In the Renaissance, there was a return to the glory of man  and all he was capable of achieving. Humans were regarded in the highest esteem. Different talents were celebrated and encouraged among European society.

- Taking this Renaissance view, the European view during the "Age of Expansion" was limited. In this way of thinking, only European men, rather than all men, were worthy of praise. The more people they came in contact with in the new world, the more Europeans narrowed their view of subjugating other races. The natives were not equals, their accomplishments were looked on as primitive, and their differences seen as inferior to the European race.