Age of Exploration Reasons
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Age of Exploration Reasons
Evidence from the Era
Use these short evidence cards as your source material. They describe several motives and developments, not a single explanation for every voyage.
TRADE & WEALTH European merchants sought valuable goods such as spices and silk from Asia. Sea routes could potentially reduce costs and give traders more direct access to markets.
RIVALRY & EMPIRE Monarchs competed for influence, territory, and access to resources. Claiming overseas lands could increase a kingdom’s power and prestige.
RELIGION Some explorers and rulers hoped to spread Christianity. Religious goals often existed alongside the pursuit of wealth and political power.
TOOLS & KNOWLEDGE Improved ship designs, the magnetic compass, navigational knowledge, and better maps helped sailors undertake longer ocean journeys. These developments made voyages more practical; they were not, by themselves, a reason to seek wealth or territory.
Investigate the Motives
Answer using the evidence cards. Each question includes its own choices or prompt.
- Economic: gaining access to trade and wealth
- Religious: spreading Christianity
- Political: claiming territory
- Technological: improving maps
- Political rivalry and empire-building
- Finding a new compass
- Learning about ocean currents
- Reducing the price of silk
- Magnetic compass
- Spice cargo
- Royal claim to land
- Missionary
- Desire for spices and silk
- Competition for overseas territory
- Hope to spread Christianity
- Improved ship design
- Political
- Economic
- Religious
- Technological development
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