Final answer:
The main reasons for European exploration were God, glory, and gold: religious motives to spread Christianity, the pursuit of empire and prestige, and the search for new trade routes and resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
Motives for European ExplorationThe three main reasons Europeans began exploring in the 15th and 16th centuries were driven by the goals of God, glory, and gold. In nations such as Spain and Portugal, a religious fervor to spread Christianity and convert peoples, combined with the desire to reclaim territories from Muslims, fueled the impetus for exploration. The concept of glory is associated with the European monarchies' ambition to expand their empires, achieve military victory, and gain prestige by charting new territories. Lastly, the pursuit of gold involved not only the literal quest for precious metals but also the search for new trade routes to acquire spices, silks, and other lucrative commodities without the hefty taxes imposed by middlemen along traditional routes like the Silk Road.
This exploration era was characterized by the improvement of navigational technologies, the establishment of new markets, and the lowering of prices for cherished goods due to direct trade routes. With the depletion of indigenous populations and unsuitable European laborers in the colonies, Europeans also turned to Africa, leading to the inhumous transatlantic slave trade.