The religious Crusades introduced Europeans to Asian goods, increasing demand and competition for trade routes. Italy and the Ottoman Empire controlled most routes, forcing Spain and Portugal to explore other options, sparking the Age of Exploration. Spain and Portugal sought new routes and claimed territory in the Americas. France and England also explored westward hoping to establish trade with Asia through new routes.

1. By: Alex Grisham

2. Leading to the Age of Exploration
1.
2.
3.
The religious Crusades were the first step leading towards the Age of
Exploration because the Europeans were introduced to the spices
and goods from Asia.
These goods caused an increase in demand throughout Europe. This
increase in demand made European countries compete to find the
most profitable and safest trading routes to Asia.
Italy and the Ottoman Empire controlled the most routes to Asia;
this forced Spain and Portugal to find other routes.
A map of the “Great Silk Road”

3. Leading to the Age of Exploration
Continued
4. Spain and Portugal’s attempts at finding other trade
routes was one of the sparks to the Age of
Exploration.
Age of
Exploration
Map

4. Portugal in the Age of Exploration
 Portugal began to invest in explorations when
importing Asian goods became profitable. The
Portuguese were forced to find other routes of trade
because Italy and the Ottoman Empire controlled
most of the Silk Road.
 When the “New World” was discovered, Portugal
claimed most of the Eastern Coast in South America.
Map of Portuguese Territory

5. Spain in the Age of Exploration
 Like Portugal, Spain didn’t have any trading routes with Asia and due to
the prosperity brought by trading Asian goods, Spain wanted into the
trading. This interest in trading with Asia led them to find alternative
trading routes brought them into the Age of Exploration.
 The Spanish claimed most of Central and South America and
overpowered and conquered both Aztecs and Incas in order to claim
the land.
Spanish Territory in the
New World

6. France in the Age of Exploration
 France was drawn to join the race for a trade route to
Asia, just like most of the other European countries;
however, just like the others, there was no other route
to be claimed by heading east, so France followed
Spain and Portugal west. When the “New World” was
discovered, France claimed land stretching from
current day Louisiana reaching up high into Canada
and established a fur trade
there.
Map of North
America
around 1700’s

7. England in the Age of Exploration
 England too was enticed by the idea of trading with
Asia and the prosperity it offered, however, England
was forced to secure stability there before they were
able to go out and explore. This delayed start caused
England to get only a small amount of land along the
Eastern Coast of North America.
Map of the 13 Original English Colonies

8. Citations Page
 Works Cited
 Age of Exploration Map. Digital image. Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-age-of-discovery-timeline-explorersquiz.html#lesson>.
 "Causes to the Age of Exploration." Reading. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://152.46.13.240/MoodleContent/AmericanHistoryI/Causes_Age_of_Exploration/Ca
uses_Age_of_Exploration.html>. Module 2 Lesson 2 Notes gave me most of the
information I used.
 Map of North America circa 1710. Digital image. Virtual Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb.
2014. <http://www.museevirtuelvirtualmuseum.ca/edu/ViewLoitDa.do%3Bjsessionid=217A4184CA781BBF8E78F603C698
A90F?method=preview&lang=EN&id=1779>.
 Portugal's Claimed Territory. Digital image. New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 6
Feb. 2014.
<http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/European_Colonization_of_the_America
s>.
 The Silk Road and Arab Sea Routes. Digital image. Hofstra University. N.p., n.d. Web. 6
Feb. 2014. <http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch2en/conc2en/silkroad.html>.
 Territorial map of Americas. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_colonization_of_the_Americas>.