Age of discovery
Age of discoveryWhat were the Effects of the Age of Discovery?
The Age of Exploration was a time of struggle and wealth for many European countries. The pursuit of a trade route to the Far East led many countries across the ocean, looking for the great spice cities that were rumored by Marco Polo. These countries knew that whoever found the shortest or best route would become rich, very quickly. Explorers from many European countries embarked on journeys that not even they had any clue where they were going. This search for the Far East led to many discoveries that would otherwise have never been found.
Christopher Columbus may have been one of the most influential people ever to live. His pursuit of the spice trade routes led him to a completely new continent. While he first thought it was Asia, later explorers found it to be a new continent. It was very likely that someone other than Columbus would have eventually found the New World, but he was the first, which makes him the most important.
The New World proved to be a blockbuster as far as the other “finds” during this time period. The impact, both directly and indirectly on the lives of the Europeans was tremendous. It promoted wealth and it led to a desire for more explorers. The competition of the countries was amazing. There was always a race to see who would start the first colony, who would explore the continent, and of course who would make the most money.
It goes without saying, the Age of Exploration shaped the Europe and the America of today, and it left everlasting effects. The world trade of the period increased to an unprecedented amount. There was new types of businesses, new goods to be sold, and most importantly, new land to conquer. The exchange of goods from the New World and Europe increased Europe’s wealth, but not only was there an exchange of goods, but also an exchange of disease.
The first effect of the Age of Exploration, was the finding of the New World. The New World provided opportunities for European countries to conquer new lands and to obtain wealth while conquering. After Columbus “found” the New World, there were European explorers embarking on new journeys there constantly. They would set up new colonies and conquer new lands. From these colonies, they set up trading posts back to their mother countries. Gold, fur, corn, potatoes, tobacco, chocolate, and many other products were brought back to Europe. The wealth from these products could only be imagined. The countries would then trade their imports to other countries and make a huge profit.
This influx of money and goods led to the change of the economic systems in Europe. This change caused the Commercial Revolution, or the establishment of many types of new...
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