Sea Voyages of Exploration by Europeans

An era of global exploration began between the states of Europe at the beginning of the 15th century that marked the beginning of world history. The Age of Exploration or Age of Discovery covered the period from the 15th century to the early 17th century, when European expansion reached the Americas, Far East, and Africa. The 1519–1522 voyage of Ferdinand Magellan, who traversed the Atlantic and circumnavigated the globe simultaneously, was regarded as a key figure during this time.

The Age of Exploration in Europe accompanied the Renaissance. Western history was divided into two transitional periods during the late modern period and the Middle Ages. During this time, European kingdoms such as England and Spain began competing against one another, spurring overseas exploration. European empires during this time grew rapidly in influence and size on account of the influences of religion, profit, and power. Europe’s exploration had impacted not only abroad but even within its geographical borders. The long-term development of global expansion impacts European society on many levels: economic, political, and cultural.

Empire and Politics

Following the Muslims’ conquests of North Africa, Spain, France, and parts of the Mediterranean in the eighth century, Europe could not easily access the Far East for centuries afterwards. During the early days of exploration, both Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus searched for new trade routes to the east. Marco Polo’s travel accounts (published during the late thirteenth century) encouraged travellers from Europe to explore new territories and places in the East.

Ocean voyages were quite hazardous during the early days of European exploration. There was no reliable navigation, and the maps were unreliable. The weather was unpredictable. A lack of supplies, rebellions on high seas, and hostile indigenous people were other worries that they faced.

In the early days of overseas exploration, the Portuguese and Spaniards undertook the first expeditions. Many factors account for Spain’s position at the forefront of global exploration. It was made possible by the strategic geographical location of the city, which made it easy to travel to southern Africa or west to the Americas. A major reason Spain and Portugal were at the fore of overseas exploration was their ability to absorb and apply ancient Arabic knowledge and expertise in mathematics, astronomy, and geography.

Voyages Of Exploration

Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, England, and France were the principal actors of the Age of Exploration, characterised by political exploration. Several states in Europe, including the Netherlands and Portugal, built empires based on international commerce. To facilitate the development of worldwide trading posts, parts of their economic infrastructure were developed. In colonising the newly discovered lands, Spain and England seized the opportunity. Both North and South America developed significant political, religious, and social infrastructure, particularly in the North and South American regions.

Economic Factors

Before the fifteenth century, European states traded with countries in the Far East, including India and China. This trade brought luxury goods to the European economy, including silk, cotton, and spices. With technological advances in navigation and shipbuilding, Europeans could travel further and see parts of the globe that they previously had not experienced. The result was that Europe was no longer reliant on Eastern trade, as they gained access to luxury goods, which were highly prized. Sugar, cotton, and rum were among the goods that fueled the expansion of many European empires and their use of slave labour from Africa. Demand for luxury goods was a key factor influencing the transatlantic slave trade.

Small groups financed by private companies conducted Europe’s first exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. These early expeditions were generally financed by noble or merchant families. European states became the most important players once it became clear that global exploration was extremely profit-making. Another discovery phase involved voyages undertaken for a particular empire or monarch (e.g., France or Spain). Early exploration was mostly conducted by countries of the Spanish and Portuguese empires. Silver and luxury goods were the driving forces behind Spanish imperialism.

Science and Culture

Through the exploration period of Europe, Europeans became acquainted with cultures new to them. It is interesting to note that, before the fifteenth century, Europeans knew relatively little about places and people outside Europe, especially Africa and Asia.

 Europeans didn’t know anything about the Americas during the early days of European exploration. A historical perspective had Europeans believing that the world was smaller. Thus, Columbus and Magellan believed that discovering new routes to the Far East would be easier than it was.

It took a long time for misconceptions about geography and culture to alter during the early centuries of European exploration. With new geographic discoveries in the sixteenth century, the maps’ depictions and representations in Europe began to expand. However, due to intense political rivalry, European states guarded their geographic knowledge and discoveries against one another.

Because of the printing press, accounts of overseas travels, such as Marco Polo’s wanderings in the late thirteenth century, received a wider audience during the sixteenth century than they had previously received. At the same time, the Age of Exploration saw the development of Humanism and the interest in the natural world grow rapidly. The study and collection of exotic materials such as plants and animals ushered in a new era of scientific inquiry. Early surveys and analyses in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries influenced later science and natural history developments.

Religious Factors

As the universal religion and faith of mankind, Christianity must be the main religion of the Catholic Church. In the Crusades that preceded the Age of Exploration, Europe contacted new places, people, and goods. In all early global explorations, the fervent missionary work of mediaeval Christianity would play a key role. The pope sanctioned and encouraged these voyages by encouraging world exploration. Enslavement was often forced on indigenous peoples and Africans. Spanish missionaries were frequently present during the early explorations of Spain that brought Christianity to the native populations. Europeans have typically viewed indigenous populations as barbarous heathens incapable of civilising themselves until they were converted to Christianity.

The Atlantic Crossing

Christopher Columbus: His plans were rejected by the Portuguese royal court. Nonetheless, he received permission to carry out a modest expedition by the Spanish authorities. A sail from Palos, Christopher Columbus embarked on his voyage on 3 August 1492. A sighting of land was made 70 days after they left on 12 October 1492. Guanahani’s island in the Bahamas was Columbus’s first discovery, although he thought it was India. The Arawak Indians welcomed him and his crew.

Spain Establishes an Empire in the Americas

To expand their influence, Spanish armies used gunpowder and horses and showed their strength. Locals earned their living in one of two ways: paying tribute or working in gold and silver mines. Greed for gold caused violent incidents that provoked protests in the neighbourhood. Additionally, the locals suffered from several diseases, which made matters worse. Deaths among Arawaks were caused in large part by Old World diseases.

Conclusion

During the age of European exploration and discovery, global interaction and interconnectedness began. The advancement of technology allowed the Europeans to conquer lands they had never seen before. It was an unknown land when the Europeans conquered it. Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea was fueled by economic, political, and religious factors. The market for luxury goods in Europe grew rapidly due to searching for precious metals such as gold and silver. The global explorations of Europe led to the emergence of European empires, which grew and intensified throughout the next several centuries. Africa’s exploration of the New World ultimately resulted in slavery and oppression of native populations. Europeans began the transatlantic slave trade when they increased their trade with African slaves.