- Brook Madsen
- Ms. Lyon
- P.4A
- 4/1/2017
THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF WORLD EXPLORATION
CAUSE 1- The Crusades
The Crusades were one of Europe's most dark and bloodiest times. Yet, it did have one benefit. It lead to world exploration! When the Christians were fighting the Muslims in the Holy Land, they realized that there were more religions and countries out there. Marco Polo traveled to India and China, inspired by the Crusades, to explore Asia. This was good for Europe as it opened up new trade and communication around the world.
EFFECT 1- World exploration and trade
By traveling to India and China, Marco Polo inspired the rest of Europe that there were other countries with different beliefs. This lead to new trade craves, such as spices, and precious metals, and paper. New things lead to new inventions, like the printing press and sailboats. These new things changed Europe tremendously, leading to further communication and world exploration. This caused globalization, and world wide communication. Also colonization is a another effect of the Crusades. Exploring lead to wanting to spread the countries by making colonies.
CAUSE 2- Europeans wanting resources
A cause for exploration was Europe wanting spices and sugar, so they tried to sail to India and China. Columbus thought he could sail west to get to India, but he found the Americas. Him finding the Americas (the Caribbean more specifically) inspired colonization and more tragically the slave trade.
EFFECT #2-slave trade
Sadly, one major effect of exploration was the slave trade. Although this is an awful thing, things today would be entirely different for us. Colonies and countries were built upon slavery. Clothes, crops, and materials were built by slaves, so everything wouldn't exist without the slaves. Slaves, also increased the triangle trade, the imports of raw materials, and finished product. Even if the slave trade was awful, it helped the countries to communicate and trade together.
