Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (NAB, MT 28:19). Many countries wanted to establish trade with India. Once they got to trade with them the countries wanted more. They wanted to colonize. With colonization came missionaries. The missionaries in India allowed for Christianity to spread and flourish in the world. Without the search, colonization, and conversion of India, the world we know today would be delayed if not nonexistent.
European exploration began during the Middle Ages. During the late 13th century, Italian explorer Marco Polo went on a 25-year overland journey through Mongolia and Japan in search of a route to the Far East for trading textiles and spices. By the mid-14th century, the Ottoman Empire had conquered most of the area between Europe and the Far East, and Arab traders were charging expensive fees for their spices. In order to counter those obstacles, Europeans decided to establish their own trade routes over water.
…show more content…
The increased use of the magnetic compass in the 13th century and improvements to ships allowed for further exploration. In 1474, Paolo Toscanelli of Florence drew one of the first theoretical maps that showed a shorter route to China by way of the west. The same year as Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage, German geographer Martin Behaim made one of the first globes. The first stage of European exploration led to contact with indigenous peoples of newly discovered lands, as well as the establishment of trade. Soon after, exploration led to colonization, as countries competed to control land and trade routes and to convert native populations to