Final answer:
European exploration of the New World was primarily driven by the quests for Gold, God, and Glory. These motives led to the pursuit of wealth, religious conversions, and national prestige. Labor shortages in new colonies also prompted the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The European nations were willing to put risks aside in exploration of the New World due to several compelling incentives, primarily the pursuit of Gold, God, and Glory. Exploration was driven by the desire to find new sources of wealth, particularly precious metals and other valuable goods. Another powerful motive was the religious zeal to spread Christianity. Finally, national pride and the quest for glory played significant roles, as establishing colonies and claiming new territories bolstered a nation's prestige and status among the European powers.
As the fifteenth century concluded, Europeans sought to expand their empires and influence by exploring and colonizing the New World and Africa. They were motivated by the chance to increase their national wealth, challenged by the expenses of establishing competing colonies, and inspired by the potential to control rich resources and new markets.
European powers, spurred by an aggressive form of nationalism in the late nineteenth century, saw colonization as a symbol of status and power. In pursuit of this, they embarked on various expeditions and established trade routes, while facing labor shortages that led them to turn to Africa for slaves, thus beginning the transatlantic slave trade.