Europeans Seek Riches and Religion
European nations sought sea routes to Asia in the 1400s to bypass expensive land routes controlled by Italian and Muslim merchants, gaining direct access to the profitable spice trade, while also aiming to spread Christianity to new lands, as covered in Grade 7 California myWorld Interactive Chapter 9: Global Convergence. The combination of economic ambition and religious mission drove Portugal and Spain to sponsor major voyages of exploration. This topic introduces 7th grade students to the dual motivations behind the Age of Exploration.
Key Concepts
In the 1400s, Europeans craved Asian goods like pepper and cloves. However, Italian and Muslim merchants controlled the land routes to Asia. This made the spice trade extremely expensive for European kingdoms.
To gain wealth and power, nations like Portugal and Spain searched for a direct sea route to Asia. A new route would allow them to bypass the old traders and buy spices for a much lower price.
Common Questions
Why did Europeans want to find a sea route to Asia?
Europeans wanted a direct sea route to Asia to bypass Italian and Muslim merchants who controlled expensive land routes, allowing them to buy spices and other valuable Asian goods at much lower prices.
What was the spice trade?
The spice trade was the highly profitable commerce in Asian goods like pepper and cloves, which Europeans craved but could only obtain through costly middlemen, motivating exploration for direct sea routes.
How did religion motivate European exploration?
European rulers wanted to spread Christianity around the world and sent missionaries to convert people in the new lands they reached, making religious missionary work a major goal alongside commercial interests.
What does Grade 7 history teach about European motivations for exploration?
California myWorld Interactive Grade 7, Chapter 9: Global Convergence covers how both desire for direct access to the Asian spice trade and the goal of spreading Christianity motivated European exploration.
Why were the old trade routes to Asia so expensive?
The old land routes to Asia were expensive because Italian and Muslim merchants controlled them and charged high prices as middlemen, motivating European nations to seek cheaper direct sea routes to Asian markets.