why did the Europeans go on voyages?

Question

what were the motives for the Europeans going on voyages during the First Global Age, a.k.a. the Age of Discovery? Please give me 3 reasons and an explanantion for each(or however many reasons you want to give) : ) THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

Answer 1

It's because Pope Alexander VI wanted to spread the catholism. He give spain and portugal the right to discover and colonize the east and west. Then Magellan reached Philppines by mistake.

Answer 2

Mankind has always seek to explore new lands, from the very first moment the first humans left Africa discovering new lands and spreading all around the world. It's always been a drive. The Europeans began exploring the world, first because they had the means (new advances in seafaring, cartography, ship-building) that allowed them to go further away than any other civilization before, and because they had the need to do so. They were seeking, primordially, new trade routes to reach the Indies, established some colonies or factories there and trade spices, silk and other luxury products directly with the natives, instead of dealing with the turks and the arabs, who were the intermediaries of this profitable trade. Up to the XV century, all this trade was carried out by the Italian republics in the mediterranean sea, dealing with arabs. The mediterranean was the very center of trade and civilization but, by that time, the Ottoman Turks were getting very powerful, they conquered Constantinople (1453) and destroyed the Byzantine Empire and put an end to the so much needed trade with the christians. They began building a formidable navy, expanding through the Balkans and Northern Africa. The Mediterranean had become then a dangerous sea, rid by piracy, and the traditional trade routes were no longer available. That marked the beggining of the decadence for the Italian republics, like Genoa or Venice and for the Mediterranean as the economic center of civilization. The westernmost European countries, specially Portugal and later Spain, began then to explore the Atlantic looking for a new way of reaching the Indies, bypassing the turks and also, they were looking, along with France, England or the Holy Roman Empire, for new allies in the East to fight against the Turks. That was something that had been tried before, by explorers like Marco Polo, and others that were sent in as christian ambassadors to the christians of Ethiopia, and to the Mongol Khans to try and forge an alliance against the Muslims and the Turks in particular, since they were fierce rivals. The portuguese were doing great progress in their atlantic eplorations, they reached Cape of Good Hope and soon the were able to navigate to India and Indonesia. But by that time, Columbus who was looking for a direct link with China and India sailing right across the Atlantic, instead of circunnnavigating Africa, accidentally discovered a new world that, as time proved, had much more to offer than the East Indies.

Answer 3

First was Persia a great sea power for Asia Minor, and the trade of material wealth and discovery of riches was their goal. Until Alexander. Then came Leif Eriksson the Viking to search beyond, their realm of visions, through mysticks they were told to venture out.(astrologers,astronomers), much the same today with our search into space for the unknown, was basically the reason for man to go on the hunt. Then there was Columbus( Italy,Spain), then Magellan,(Portugal),Spain. A continuation of the Roman Empire. Great Britain, and France. (Austria,Russia,Germany,Turks, always rode on the coat tails of the voyages of France, Italy, Spain, and Great Britain, never really lauching their own expeditions) Obviously they would invest privately with the slave trade with the Dutch to undermine the investments of the others. Not all the goals were the same. Some were to expand their countries holdings as was most, but not in the case of the Viking. After their long voyage they realized they were better off pillaging closer to home. Otherwise the rest were looking to get rich. When you say Europeans that is a very vague meaning for their really was a vast time period of their pioneering and the heads of government differ so much, you really need to go to www.history.com and list time periods and then territories, for they changed heads so much as with the Marie Antoinette period, or Isabella 1 or 2nd? Great Britain? Religion was always a part of this but not with Magellan he was a sailor and Columbus, Eriksson, etc., many times this was a pious excuse to get the crown to get the blessing of the Church. Persia nor Alexander, never needed a religion to get them to seek fortune and conquests of others, nor did any of those voyegers. Isabella 1 was hung up on the Catholic Church and insisted on having prisoners for her conversion process be brought back and Columbus accommodated her wishes, very brutally. I dont think he was ever thinking of the Catholic Church or Jesus when he did that.

Answer 4

They were mostly motivated by seeking trade routes and new markets or sources of products or resources.

They took voyages because they didn't have airplanes.

Answer 5

to get away from the yahoo (yapoo) question deleters