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An Overview of the Age of Exploration

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  1. The motive of pioneering spice trade routes

    Spices like pepper and cinnamon fetched extremely high prices in Europe, but as the Ottoman Empire took control of the existing overland trade routes, European nations had a strong motive to seek new sea routes to Asia. Portugal and Spain led the way in pioneering routes across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, aided by advances in navigational technology such as the compass and the astrolabe.

  2. Columbus's voyage to the Americas (1492)

    The Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus, backed by the Spanish crown, set out westward in 1492 in search of a route to India, and that October he reached an island in the Caribbean, becoming the first European to set foot on the American continent. Columbus believed until his death that the place he had reached was part of Asia.

  3. Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India

    Portugal's Vasco da Gama departed Lisbon in 1497 and, rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, arrived at Calicut, India, in 1498, opening the first sea route from Europe to India. This new route brought Portugal enormous profits from the spice trade.

  4. Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe

    The Portuguese-born navigator Ferdinand Magellan set out with a fleet in 1519 under Spanish sponsorship; although he died in the Philippines, his surviving crew continued the voyage and completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in human history in 1522. This voyage is regarded as the event that actually proved the Earth is round.

  5. The impact of the new trade routes on Europe, the Americas, and Asia

    After the discovery of these new routes, crops, livestock, people, and pathogens began moving between Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia in what is known as the "Columbian Exchange" β€” potatoes, corn, and tomatoes were introduced to Europe, while horses and wheat were introduced to the Americas. At the same time, however, diseases such as smallpox brought by Europeans caused a sharp decline in the Indigenous population of the Americas, after which European colonies expanded across the continent.

Sea routes redrew the map of the world

The Age of Exploration, spanning from the late 15th century to the 17th century, was a period in which European nations, led primarily by Portugal and Spain, pioneered new sea routes and connected the Americas, Africa, and Asia into one interconnected world. The exploration of this era went on to significantly reshape the global economic and political landscape.

The Renaissance knowledge that made exploration possible

The navigational and geographical knowledge behind the Age of Exploration is closely connected to the scholarly advances developed during the Renaissance, covered in our overview of the Renaissance era. It's worth exploring together how these two eras influenced one another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Exactly where did Columbus first land?

In October 1492, Columbus first landed on an island in the Caribbean believed to be part of the present-day Bahamas.

What impact did the Age of Exploration have on Indigenous peoples?

It's also important to be aware that diseases such as smallpox brought by Europeans, along with colonial rule, caused a sharp decline in the Indigenous population of the Americas and inflicted enormous harm.