Causes of European Expansion in the Age of Discovery

Causes of European Expansion in the Age of Discovery

Political and Economic Causes

Political causes

Following the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the Christian kingdoms continued their expansion by taking control of new territories. For the monarchs who were establishing their authority, the conquest of territories was an opportunity to acquire gold and silver to finance their rule as well as gain personal glory. It was a way to demonstrate their power over the medieval institutions.

Economic consequences

The fall of Constantinople to the Turks (1453) had closed the traditional European trade route that brought supplies of spices from Asia. Therefore, to bring them to Europe it was necessary to use a new route to India and China, in order to bring back luxury products (silk, precious stones), as well as a route giving direct access to Sudan's gold mines and other North African products (slaves, ivory).

Scientific and Technical Causes

Scientific causes

During this period, books argued that the earth was round and much smaller than it really is (Ptolemy's Geographia, Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi). As a result, curious sailors considered it feasible to reach India or China by sailing westwards.

Technical causes

Sea navigation improved thanks to the widespread use of the compass and the improvement of the astrolabe, which enabled mariners to find their way by night, using the stars as a guide. The development of cartography provided new world maps and portolan charts, which set out the location of ports and enabled ships to navigate without needing to keep the coast in sight. Besides, in southern Spain and Portugal, new types of ship were built, such as the caravel and carrack, constructed to take advantage of the wind and withstand the big waves of the Atlantic thanks to their large sails and high gunwales.

Religious and Ideological Causes

Religious causes

The peninsular kingdoms maintained their desire to fight against the infidel and to create alliances against them. This prompted the interest in finding the legendary Christian kingdom of Prester John, which was thought to be in Africa and surrounded by the infidel. There was also considerable interest in spreading Christianity to new lands.

Ideological causes

The cultural attitude of the era encouraged a thirst for adventure, fame and wealth. Humanists and scholars were interested in checking the veracity of ancient texts and the accuracy of mathematical and astronomical methods.