Final answer:
The discovery of America by European explorers rather than the Chinese can be attributed to geographic factors favoring European exploration, European motivations of religion, glory, and economic interests, and the technological advancements facilitating maritime voyages that led them across the Atlantic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of why it was European explorers who found America rather than the Chinese can be best explained by option D) Geographic factors favored European exploration. The start of European maritime exploration was initially driven by the search for new trade routes to Asia to circumvent the control that Venetians and Ottomans had over land routes. Furthermore, Europeans sought to exploit new resources and territories, including Africa for gold and slaves, to cope with labor shortages and economic demands in the wake of the diseases that devastated Amerindian populations.
On the other hand, during the early 15th century, the Chinese had undertaken impressive voyages under the admiral Zheng He, which demonstrated China's advanced maritime technology and navigational skills. However, they did not seek to establish offshore colonies or press further into uncharted waters for various reasons, including their vast territorial frontiers and self-sustaining economy, lack of interest in spreading Confucianism or Buddhism globally, and a departure from commercial and exploratory naval endeavors following the death of Zheng He.
In contrast, European nations like Spain were driven by a mix of religious fervor, national glory, and economic interest, emboldened by technology such as the sternpost rudder and the compass, which were originally Chinese innovations. These European motivations, combined with geographic proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, set the stage for their eventual crossing of the Atlantic and the discovery of the Americas. While Gavin Menzies's controversial theory in 1421: The Year China Discovered America suggests earlier Chinese discovery, it lacks widespread scholarly acceptance, warranting further evidence.