3.+Factors+that+led+the+Europeans+to+sail+West

**__FACTORS THAT LED THE EUROPEANS TO SAIL WEST__**

 * 1. The spirit of discovery was in the air. It was the period of the [|RENAISSANCE](click link and see video above describing the renaissance) or the revival of learning in Europe. Because of this period, there was a new zeal for exploration. One of the things invented during this period that encouraged exploration was the mariner's compass which made voyages to distant seas possible. There were also new developments in ship buildings; ships that used to be built with 1 mast begun to be built with 3 and 4 [|masts]as well as with longer sails.**


 * 2. There was also a desire for trade. In the 15th Century, the items from the East such as spices, silk and other precious items could only be acquired through the merchants from Venice (in Italy). Goods from China, Japan and India as well as Persia were brought by the Venetians who controlled the trade and they in turn sold the items to the other European states at very high prices. The Venetians did not allow any other Europeans to engage in trade with the people from the East. This is why the other European states wanted to go on their own voyages.**


 * 3. Prince Henry (the navigator) was a Portuguese prince of this period who had a love for the sea and encouraged exploration in Portugal by devoting most of his time and money to trade and shipping. He opened a naval college to teach men to become sailors and explorers. He built better ships and he employed map makers to make better maps. He did all of this so that Portugal would be able to begin trading with the people of the east and also for Portugal to acquire new territory.**


 * 4. The Europeans also felt confident enough to go exploring because the Renaissance period also saw the development of firearms and naval ammunition which would be used to subdue hostile natives if necessary.**


 * __THE EARLIEST EXPLORATIONS__**


 * Because of the incentives for exploring offered by Price Henry, Portugal was the first European state to embark on voyages. Prince Henry sent ships out along the west coast of Africa. Some ships even ventured into the Atlantic Ocean which in those days were called the Sea of Darkness.**


 * In this area, they sailed to and conquered the island of Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Cape Verde, all on the coast of Northern Africa. For years the Portuguese continued to explore the West African coast hoping they could find a route to India so they could trade without interference from Venice.**


 * In 1486, the Portuguese rounded the southern tip of Africa, the cape of Good Hope. Twelve years later, they reached India by sailing around Africa and were seen bringing back the spices, silks, perfumes and other items on their ships. This encouraged other European states such as Spain to get involved in exploring as well.**


 * __IMPACT OF THE NEW WORLD ON EUROPE__**


 * (1) The discovery of a vast landmass, believed to be filled with riches for the taking, naturally caused a great interest in Europe. The kings and queens especially were interested as they believed that acquisition of gold and silver would mean wealth and power for themselves and their nations. It also inspired a group of men who had a hunger for wealth and fame. These men were CONQUISTADORES. Conquistadores were Spanish men who came to the Caribbean hoping to find wealth and glory and then return to Spain.**


 * (2) The most immediate conflict involved the two foremost seafaring nations at the time: Portugal and Spain. Many of the political disputes between the two countries were mediated (settled) by the Roman Catholic church as the Pope had more power than any monarch in these centuries. The trouble was that different popes sided with Portugal at one time and Spain the next. For instance Pope Nicholas V passed a Papal Bull* giving Portugal a trading monopoly on all territories between Africa and the Indies. Then Pope Alexander VI later went on to pass a Papal Bull giving Spain ownership of new land discovered by Spanish explorers.**


 * The second Papal Bull angered the Portuguese and because of this a treaty or agreement was passed to resolve the dispute between Portugal and Spain. This treaty was called the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 and it defined which parts of the world each could conquer and colonize. It divided the world into 2 hemispheres, with Africa and Asia belonging to Portugal and the New World to Spain.**




 * (3) It increased the wars between the European nations. They were already fighting one another within Europe and on the high seas, but now the arena of war was moved to the Caribbean. The British and French competed most fiercely with the Spaniards and each other to seize the Caribbean islands. For instance; St Lucia was conquered 17 times by France and Britain at different times. Martinique and Guadeloupe changed hands 7 times, Tobago 6 times and St Vincent and Grenada 4 times.**


 * (4) It caused piracy in the Caribbean. Since it would have been difficult to take over the Spanish colonies in South America and the Caribbean, the other European monarchs decided to attack the Spanish at sea. (see more on piracy in note number 8)**

__**N.B. A papal bull was a decree issued by the Roman Catholic Pope on property matters.**__