USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Instead of heading south, like Portuguese sailors, Spanish explorers headed west across the Atlantic Ocean. These early explorers were seeking a quicker trade route to the Far East, including China and India. The most famous example of early Spanish explorers is Christopher Columbus .

Detailed explanation-2: -Columbus wanted to sail ships west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a new trade route to Asia. This would help Spain expand its trade in spices and other goods from China and the islands of the East. Columbus also hoped to find and bring back gold and silver.

Detailed explanation-3: -Along with the idea of looking for new trade routes, they also hoped to find new sources of gold, silver, and other valuables. Additionally, Europeans saw exploration as a way to bring Christianity to other cultures that lived in other lands.

Detailed explanation-4: -The era known as the Age of Exploration, sometimes called the Age of Discovery, officially began in the early 15th century and lasted through the 17th century. The period is characterized as a time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea in search of new trading routes, wealth, and knowledge.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Age of Discovery and later European exploration allowed the mapping of the world, resulting in a new worldview and distant civilizations coming into contact. At the same time, new diseases were propagated, decimating populations not previously in contact with the Old World, particularly concerning Native Americans.