Europe exploration and conquest of the 15 th & 16 th century was motivated by religion and prestige but the primary impetus was wealth.

 Evidence  Portugal  Prince Henry the Navigator  Bartholomew Diaz  Vasco de Gama  Cabral  Spain  Columbus  Magellan  Balboa  Cortes  Pizarro  England  Cabot  Drake  France  Verrazano  Cartier  Champlain

  The chief reason for the voyages were a search fro new trading routes to the east  Columbus was promised 10% of all material wealth he took for Spain  Columbus changed route from going north to the court of Genghis Khan to a southern route where gold was promised.  The chief reasons for the voyages were a search fro new trading routes after the cutoff of trade with the East, including the slave trade after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.  Native populations were treated with disdain and brutality in efforts to obtain riches.  The encomienda system was established to turn the Amerindians into forced laborers.  African slave trade began soon after the first contact with the new World and provided huge profits for European trades, as did the sugar plantations where the slaves worked. Gold: Primary motive

  Columbus was a deeply religious man, believed God promoted his voyages, and delighted in the possible conversion of natives.  Missionaries were among the earliest settlers.  Most of the native population converted to Christianity.  The Muslim dominance of world trade was a major reason for the search for new trading routes. God

  The motive of glory reflects the Renaissance values of individualism and fame seeking.  Renaissance humanism and interest in technology and geography, combined with individual egoism, encouraged men to become explorers, conquerors, and settlers.  After the Age of Exploration began, a desire for national glory, prestige, and power fueled further explorations and expansion of empires. Glory