What explorations had created new world prior to the composition of utopia?

Question

What explorations had created a new world picture in the quarter of a century prior to the composition of Utopia?

Answer 1

Thomas More wrote the book "Utopia" in about 1515. This was about twenty-three years after Columbus had "discovered" America. So the answer to your question is the voyage of Columbus in 1492.

Answer 2

If you are referring to the 'New World' as in the Americas, supposedly discovered by Columbus, then this is a good example of a common misconception about the man, his voyages, and his intent.

The 'legend' Colon gave himself, and to the selling of his 'project', was that he had found a western route to the 'Indies', a route shorter, quicker, and less hazardous. As the currency of his day was the spice trade, this meant that he was selling the idea of greater, faster, returns on voyage investments. Remember that these investments were literally the fore-runners of our present day stock markets.

What Christobal actually had was some charts that showed a 'new', hitherto 'unknown', major land mass between Europe and the western route to the 'Indies'. The existence of such charts proving that they were not 'unknown' at all. Thus what he was after was the potential of riches, in his own terms, gold. And immediately, upon arrival here ( I live in the unfortunate country that received him on his second voyage ), he set about trying to locate any source of that bright yellow metal.

With regard to the explorations of the early maritime trading nations, it was essentially driven by trade, and not the idea of finding idealistic, or 'Utopian', if you prefer, lands and/or civilisations.

Quite simply our European forefathers had no conception of such a place, they were far too firmly convinced that they already were living in the pinnacle of civilisation !

I believe that 'Utopia', the book, was more a work in the study of the geography of the human mind, than any earthly state.

Answer 3

I think you had better re-phrase your question! I assume you are talking about Thomas More's Utopia!
He died in 1535, and many 'new worlds' were being discovered in the 15th century, just prior to his death. The Americas, for instance.
I think Cristoforo Colon (Columbus) was still alive in1535. So if that is your question, the the Americas would have been 'the' New World on everyones lips at that time!

Answer 4

What? Which planet are you talking about?