Explain the factors that led to European exploration in the 15th century.

The
factors that led to European exploration in the 15th century were multi-faceted. Initially, they
were motivated by a desire to find faster and cheaper trade routes to Asia, where they could
trade for spices. Spices were a lucrative commodity in Europe. For centuries, the spice trade
was dominated by Muslim merchants who brought these spices to Europe through overland routes and
charged a high premium for them. European merchants hoped that by establishing their own
sea-routes, they could go directly to the source and gain better access to the spice trade. This
was the primary motivation of Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus.

Another factor that aided European exploration during this period was improvements in sea-going
technology. Better ship-building techniques and navigational advances, such as an improved
compass and sextant, in combination with advances in cartography (map-making) meant that it
became easier, faster, and relatively safer for European sailors to head out on...