European Explorers Dbq

One of the major reasons that we have spices, tobacco, sugar, etc. and certain luxury items is due largely to the Afro-Eurasian trade world that took place in the fifteenth century. In comparison to the East in the Afro-Eurasian trade world, “Europe was constituted a minor outpost in the world trading system,” (page 447). They were constituted as a minor outpost mainly because “they did not produce many products [that were] desired by Eastern elites,” (page 447). Political and technological advancements allowed for both individual European explorers and the states that supported them to be able to go beyond the borders of their country to locate luxury goods, promote Christianity, and to be a discoverer of new lands and waters. Political

Bartholomew Diaz’s own motives were, “‘to serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who are in darkness, and to grow rich as all men desire to do’.” When Vasco da Gama arrived at the port in Calicut, India in 1498 he made his motives clear by saying that he wanted, “‘Christians and Spices.’” Hernando Cortés declared in Mexico, “‘I have come to win gold, not to plow the field like a peasant,’” (page 449). Lastly, Christopher Columbus understood, “Christianity as a missionary religion that should be carried to places where it did not exist.” He says, “‘God made me the messenger of the new heaven and the new earth of which he spoke in the Apocalypse of St. John...and he showed me the post where to find it,’” (page 453). These men all had the main intention of spreading Christianity. The intentionality was to undo Italian and Ottoman’s complete control over the trade with the East, thus opening up more opportunities for the Europeans to

The political and technological developments helped to facilitate the European expansion. Individual European explorers’ main motivation was to locate luxury goods, promote Christianity, and to be the first to discover new lands and water. The states supported the European explorers because of demands for luxury goods, religious fervor, and the desire for glory. European expansion and the Afro-Eurasian trade world is the main reason that you have most of the luxury items that you have today. Without this trade world and expansion things would look and taste very