-
In hopes of establishing trade routes and participating in West African ocean side commerce.
-
The shift of power in the region forces Spain and Portugal to find new maritime routes. This sparks the Age of Exploration because trade routes were blocked to Asia.
-
Bartolomeu is the first to travel below the southern tip of Africa also known as the "Cape of Good Hope", paving the way for sea routes from Europe to Asia.
-
Sponsored by Spain, Columbus unintentionally finds the Americas while searching for trade routes to Asia. Landing at the Bahamas, Columbus believed he had reached the Indies. This initiated the Columbia Exchange
-
The treaty between Spain and Portugal, the leading powers of exploration at the time, established the foundation for the global division of newly discovered lands. It effectively mapped out the New World, dividing territories into separate colonial empires
-
Established a direct maritime route from Europe to Asia, permanently establishing the spice trade with India. Laid the foundation for Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean.