Curiosity and People didn’t know very much about the world.

Most people
believed it was flat. There were few maps and they only
Adventure included parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Many explorers
wanted to seek their fame and fortune by discovering new
places.

The Crusades This was the beginning of a problem that still exists today.
People who believed in different religions fought each other for
the city of Jerusalem, in the Middle East. When the European
Crusaders came back home, they had learned about new
spices, silks, gems, and strange fruits, such as oranges.

Silk, Spices, and People in Europe wanted silk, spices, and perfumes because
life at the time was not very nice. There were no refrigerators
Perfume or running water. Meats sometimes tasted nasty and rotten,
but spices made them better. Unfortunately, many spices were
scarce and could only be found in Asian countries. Also, people
did not take baths and wash their clothes as much, so
perfumes would make life more pleasant. Silk was only made
in China at the time and was a light, comfortable cloth.

Marco Polo After traveling to China by land, this explorer brought many
riches back to Europe. A book about his journey told everyone
that these Eastern lands were on the border of an ocean.
Other explorers believed that they might be able to reach
these lands by sailing west.

To find a sea Up until this point, Italy controlled most of the trade with Asia
and Africa because that was where the Silk Road ended. Then
route to the the Silk Road was blocked off in 1453 by the Turkish Empire,
Indies that was which made it dangerous to travel. Now silk, spices, and
cheaper, faster, perfumes were even more expensive. The European rulers
tried several times to defeat the Turks in battle, but they were
and safer turned back each time. Several European rulers finally decided
to try to find a route around the Turkish Empire. If a country
could find a way to get these valuable spices to Europe, the
rulers would be very rich. The kings and queens of Spain,
Portugal, France, and England wanted to pay explorers to find
a sea route to the Indies. The country that found the best way
would control trade and become very powerful!