Material and mercenary benefits were the primary incentives to the Portugal exploration of the African coast and the Spanish settlements in North and South America. Although both the Spanish and Portuguese did make claims to exploring for missionary reasons, the spreading of their Christian religion became secondary upon learning of the wealth the areas of their explorations harbored. Henry the Navigator, a Portugal prince, explored the African coast in the 15th century. His main ambition was to become part of the Muslim gold trade. As a result of Henry’s African expedition, gold from Guinea began to enter Europe by the late 1400’s via Portuguese ships. Antwerp, a Portuguese port city, became the monetary polestar of all of Europe. The appe
|
This is only the first few lines of this paper. If you would like to view the entire paper you need to register here.
|
Get Instant Access to 100,000 Essays!!
|
|
