Answer:
Crusades: resulted largely in a muslim victory. In the following centuries, muslim states would monopolize trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond, making it harder for Western European nations to trade with the Middle East and Asia.
Renaissance: at the height of the Renaissance period, shipmaking and navigation innovations allowed Western European nations to send sailors around the globe, looking for alternative trade routes with Asia. The first nations to do so were Spain and Portugal.
Age of Enlightenment: the political ideas of the Age of Enlightenment inspired political leaders back in the Americas, which at the time consisted in colonies dominated by a few European powers. These ideas resulted in revolutions in both North American and South America.