Overview:European exploration, the exploration of regions of the Earth for scientific, commercial, religious, military, and other purposes by Europeans beginning in the 15th century. The motives that spur human beings to examine their environment are many. Strong among them are the satisfaction of curiosity, the pursuit of trade, the spread of religion, and the desire for security and political power. At different times and in different places, different motives are dominant. Sometimes one motive inspires the promoters of discovery, and another motive may inspire the individuals who carry out the search. To continue reading, click on the link below: |
Where it All Began:
Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road. Upon reaching China, Marco Polo entered the court of powerful Mongol ruler Khubilai Khan, who dispatched him on trips to help administer the realm. Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years. Though not the first European to explore China—his father and uncle, among others, had already been there—he became famous for his travels thanks to a popular book he co-authored while languishing in a Genoese prison.
http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/marco-polo |
Meet some European explorers who came after Marco Polo:
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Did an Asian explorer land in the Americas before Europeans?About 70 years before Columbus, a master navigator by the name of Zheng He sailed around the world for the Ming Empire. Throughout his discoveries, he sold and traded spices on some of the largest vessels ever constructed, and he may have even reached the coast of California! Read more about his travels in the link below: |
Reevaluating Christopher Columbus
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