Answer:
Traders supported exploration for several reasons, including:
1. Access to new markets: Traders were always looking for new markets to sell their goods, and exploration opened up new areas that had not yet been exploited by other traders. By discovering new trade routes and markets, traders could gain a competitive advantage over their rivals and increase their profits.
2. Access to new resources: Exploration also offered the potential to discover new resources that could be traded, such as gold, silver, spices, and other commodities. Traders were eager to gain access to these resources, which could be sold at high prices and generate significant profits.
3. Expansion of trade networks: Exploration allowed traders to expand their trade networks and establish new relationships with other traders and merchants around the world. This helped to build a global trading system that connected different regions and cultures, and facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies.
4. Political and economic power: Traders also supported exploration because it was often sponsored by powerful governments and monarchs who were seeking to expand their political and economic influence. By participating in exploration and trade, traders could gain favor with these rulers and gain access to new markets and resources that were available only to those with political connections and power.