The Age of Exploration

European was attracted to the Far East from the time of Marco Polo. All trade with China and the rest of the Far East had taken place by land, and the price of shipping and profits of the middlemen made goods from the Far East extremely expensive. Thus the dream was born to find a shortcut to Asia. The Portuguese were the first to begin extensive exploration. Through the efforts of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese began exploring the coast of Africa. In 1487 Bartholomew Diaz became the first European to sail around the Southern cape of Africa. In 1498 Vasca da Gama flying the Portuguese flag, sailed to India and returned with a cargo of Indian spices. The Portuguese returned year after year with ever-larger fleets and gained control of the trade routes to India, defeating combined Arab and Ottoman fleets that stood in the way. Before long, the Portuguese had extended their trading all the way to China. They, however, had neither the population nor desire to do more than establish trading posts. The Spanish, led by Christopher Columbus, attempted to find a route across the Atlantic to Asia. Instead, they discovered America. The Spanish quickly went on to conquer the native populations of the Caribbean islands as well as the Maya and Inca Empires. The Spanish first goal was to find gold and silver. The native populations were decimated. The Spanish soon had competition from other European countries; Portugal, England, Holland, and France. After the Spanish Armadas were defeated, the road was open for the English to establish colonies in North America, which they promptly did. South America was divided between Portugal and Spain.