Question

Use the excerpt below to answer the following question

"European countries sponsored exploration and colonization in hopes of increasing wealth through trade or discovering valuable natural resources. Many European explorers hoped to find a new sea route to Asia,
which would give them direct access to Asia's treasured spices. Once explorers encountered North and South America, European rulers rushed to claim land in the "New World" for its valuable natural resources like
gold, silver, and furs

Based on the text above, what economic reason did Europeans have to explore?

A.)They wanted to reestablish European colonial dominance.

B.)They wanted to establish new European trade guilds.

C.)They wanted to discover salt mines for food preservation

D.)They wanted to find new sea routes to establish trade centers.

Answer 1

The economic reason that Europeans had to explore, as stated in the text, was "in hopes of increasing wealth through trade or discovering valuable natural resources." The text also specifically mentions that many European explorers hoped to find a new sea route to Asia to gain direct access to Asia's treasured spices. Therefore, the correct answer is D) They wanted to find new sea routes to establish trade centers.

Answer 2

D.) They wanted to find new sea routes to establish trade centers.

As mentioned in the text, one of the main economic reasons that Europeans had for exploring was to find new sea routes to Asia, which would give them direct access to the valuable spices that Asia was known for. The search for new trade routes was driven by the desire to increase wealth through trade, which was a primary motivator for European exploration and colonization. While European colonial dominance and the establishment of new trade guilds were potential outcomes of exploration, they were not necessarily the primary reasons for exploration. Salt mines for food preservation were not a major factor in European exploration and colonization.