Final answer:
European explorers searched for the Northwest Passage to discover a new sea route to Asia.
Step-by-step explanation:
European explorers searched for the Northwest Passage to discover a new sea route to Asia. The search for this passage was driven by the desire to establish direct access to the lucrative trade routes of the East, without having to go through the Ottoman-controlled lands or rely on Muslim middlemen. Finding the Northwest Passage would offer European countries a quicker and more profitable way to conduct trade with Asia.