The Nature and Extent of Attempts at Discovery and Exploration

Reasons for Discovery and Exploration

The Age of Discovery was a period in history where Europe made extensive exploration to the rest of the world.
Motivating factors for this included the quest for wealth, the desire to spread Christianity and the pursuit of knowledge and new trade routes.
Technological advancements such as the compass, improved cartography and seafaring technologies, such as the caravel, allowed for more accurate navigation and longer expeditions.

Key Explorers and Expeditions

Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the New World offered immense resources like gold and silver, spices and tobacco and a new platform for the spread of Christianity.
Vasco da Gama’s voyage around Africa to India in 1498 opened a critical maritime route, bypassing the Silk Road.
Ferdinand Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the earth from 1519 to 1522, which produced accurate mapping of the globe.

Impact of Exploration

New discoveries led to the Columbian Exchange, a widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human population, technology, diseases, and ideas between the American and Afro-Eurasian hemispheres.
The wealth acquired spurred economic growth, especially in Spain and Portugal, and helped finance the Renaissance and the European Reformation.
Exploitation of resources and colonization caused a drastic decline of indigenous populations, mainly due to disease and war, leading to significant socio-cultural changes.
Increased global interaction also heightened competition and conflict among European nations, setting the stage for changes in military technology and tactics and contributing to the modern system of nation states.

Recognizing these factors can provide an understanding of how attempts at discovery and exploration shaped Europe and the world between 1482 and 1610. A thorough review of specific explorers, expeditions, and their impacts is recommended for a more in-depth understanding.