Question: What are the geographic, economic, technological, personal and political factors that caused the Europeans to explore?

Economic Factors Commercial Revolution –Selling goods and services for a profit –Farmers no longer just farmed for sustainability –Merchants and craftspeople wanted to earn a profit from their work. Monopoly of trade routes by Venice and Genoa

Economic Factors High price of goods because… –distance traveled –passing through many hands Italian & Islamic traders Italian traders had control of Mediterranean Ottoman traders had control of the overland routes

Economic Factors Portuguese contact with Africa resulted in a new source of some goods (i.e. gold, salt, ivory and slaves) –Bartholomeu Dias: Expedition around Africa & set up trade. People wanted riches found in faraway lands

Technological Factors Great improvements in sails, shipbuilding, and navigational instruments. –Astrolabe: determines latitude and time –Compass: to determine direction –Caravel: faster, larger than other ships **Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal- - started a school for navigator

Technological Factors

Geographic Factors Land routes took longer Portuguese explorers found route to Asia by sailing south

Personal Factors Some explorers wanted to be the first to find new routes for trade –It would bring them fame and glory

Political Factors Ottoman Turks controlled much of land and known sea routes Portugal became leader, found new route to Asia, new source of gold. Created competition among the major European nations for… ***God, Gold & Glory***