Another major development worth noting is in the science of cartography, or map-making. Prior to the Age of Exploration, maps were predominantly based on a religious world view. If you take a look at a T and O map, for example, you will see that the world is displayed as a circle, with Jerusalem, the birthplace of Jesus, in the center. Maps, therefore, had a religious function, rather than a practical, scientific one.
However, in the 1400s, a crucial development occurred when a classical text called Geography was translated from Greek into Latin. This book, originally written by Ptolemy, encouraged the use of coordinates in map-writing and gave an understanding of the Earth’s curvature. (See the reference link provided.) As a result, maps moved away from the religious T and O view into a scientific document that would help explorers navigate the globe.
It is also worth noting that as maps became more scientific and detailed, the introduction of the printing press (around 1440) increased their readership and popularity. Combined, these two factors set the scene for exploration.
The Age of Exploration was made possible by several key developments in the fifteenth century. Sailing ships capable of crossing oceans, better navigation equipment and maps, and improved weaponry all played a role and were among the major developments.
The Renaissance spread secular learning throughout Europe. The dissemination of knowledge was aided by the discovery of the printing press in 1440. Knowledge of geography became more common, and curiosity about unknown places increased.
Internationalization of trade and commerce became more prevalent after the Crusades (1095-1270) and Marco Polo's journey to China in the late thirteenth century.
Europe's trade with Asia had become increasingly important by 1400. Europeans traveled by land and sea to buy silk, spices, and other items. But trading over such vast distances was never easy, and it became more difficult after 1453. In that year, Constantinople fell to the Turks.
The creation of powerful nation states in Europe helped set the stage for exploration, too. Only larger nations had the resources to underwrite costly expeditions. France unified in 1453. By 1485, England had emerged united from its War of the Roses. In 1469, Aragon and Castile merged to form Spain. Spain also sought to export its religion: Roman Catholicism. These three nations and Portugal led the way during the Age of Exploration.
There were two main events occurring in Europe that led to the Age of Exploration.
The Crusades. The Crusades were a series of holy wars between Catholic Europe and the Islamic Middle East. While the Crusades failed to return territory in the holy land to the Europeans, it did open up trade routes with the East, as food, goods, technologies, and ideas spread along the Silk Road between Europe and Asia. Among these goods were navigational tools and technologies and better weapons technology like gunpowder. Other key inventions made their way to Europe as well like the printing press, adapted from a Korean invention called moveable type.
The Renaissance. The Renaissance began in the late 15th century in Italy. Soon, new ideas about government, society, and exploration spread throughout Europe. With the new and improved weapons from the East, as well as a desire to spread Christianity (this was a direct result of losing the Crusades), governments were jumping to fund explorers to find and conquer new lands. This would allow European empires to grow beyond the boundaries of Europe and rival their Eastern contemporaries.
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