Question

Write a paragraph identifying how demographic factors in Europe starting in the 1400s contributed to European exploration and expansion. Consider the demand for new goods and spread of Christianity. Which region was the primary motivation of exploration, and why?

Answer 1

Demographic factors in the 1400s such as the demand for new goods, the spread of Christianity, and the search for new routes spurred European exploration and expansion, with the primary motivations being direct trade with Asia and religious expansion.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the 1400s, demographic factors such as the demand for new goods, the desire to spread Christianity, and the quest for new routes and markets fueled European exploration and expansion. Trade with Asia along the Silk Road had been costly and controlled by intermediary Muslim traders, which pushed Europeans to seek new maritime trade routes to reduce expenses and circumvent these middlemen. The Age of Discovery, fueled by these demographic and economic considerations, led to European countries, especially Portugal and Spain, launching naval explorations to Asia, Africa, and the New World. Religious motivation also played a crucial role, as the Catholic nations aimed to spread Christianity and reclaim territories from Muslim control. As a result, the primary motivation for European exploration was the combined desire to establish direct trade routes to Asia to access its wealth and to spread Christianity, both driven by the demographic, economic, and religious conditions of Europe in the 1400s.