What pushed European nations to expand with 15th century Protugese explorations of West African coast?
87066
treasure brought back from Sapin - spurred others to join or get left behind
1129572
It was caused by colonialism, back when European countries thought it was ok to take over countries in Africa and exploit them.  It just stuck around the longest in S. Africa.  I'd also say it was caused by ignorance and hatred.
604567
First, the Europeans had known right along about Africa (which was a short hop across the Mediterranean) and about Asia, though their dealings with the Far East (India to China) came rather late, and were a result of contact with Muslims, esp. after the Crusades.\n\nAs for America, the discovers knew NOTHING about America (leaving aside for now the brief settlement from an earlier discovery by people from Iceland --by way of Greenland) when Columbus stumbled into it when trying to get to the Far East more quickly by crossing the Atlantic (rather than trekking by land or sailing around Africa).  This is, of course, why they were "discoverers"!  (Actually, he would have been a discoverer if he had found the route he was looking for rather than a new continent he wasn't looking for.)\n\nIronically, Columbus's critics --who said it was too far and too dangerous-- had a much more accurate estimate of the earth's circumference than he did!   \n\nFurther irony, Columbus never knew that he HAD discovered a new continent.  He died believing he had reached the edge of the "Indies" [hence they are called the West Indies to this day].   It was Amerigo Vespucci who first concluded, while exploring the coast and part of the interior of South America in a 1501-02 voyage, that this was not part of the Far East at all, but a new continent. (The widespread circulation of his letter on this point explains how he became associated with the discovery itself and why mapmakers put a version of HIS name on a map of the "new world" in 1507.)\n\nOne other consideration -- why didn't they sail out to attempt such things earlier?   Because it was only in the 15th century that Europeans (beginning with the Portugese) developed the navigational tools and skills to undertake such voyages.\n\n**Note to mon l -- none of this had ANYTHING to do with "falling off the edge of the earth".  All these folks knew (and the educated had known for many centuries) that the world was round (contra later anti-Catholic propaganda and a blunder in a popular 19th century biography of Columbus that has influenced the popular understanding ever since).  The obstacle the experts --including some fine navigators-- saw was the great DISTANCE to Asia -- and on that point, they were correct!
477698
AD147-Lands\nOr in other words Africa.
556159
Lewis and Clark found what was in the Lousiana Purchase. They found the Pacific Ocean.\n\nOcian in View! O! the Joy"\n~William Clark, Nov. 7, 1805
3807
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451.
92312
Africa, Caribbean islands, North American seaports
1125263
its a huge question.  You can write books to fill a library.  \nIn Europe, it opened up new lands and great wealth.  In the Americas, destruction and loss of land, people, cultures, natural wealth etc. etc. etc.  In Africa, slavery like no other seen before it and more of the same as the Americas.  Asia, Colonization, stripping away of natural resources etc.  \n\nUnfortunately, sometimes one man's boon is another man's bust.
494018
Are you referring to the European renaissance?  My answer is the year 1500.
1136097
Europeans founded America in 1492, but they were really late in the game. Vikings came earlier, and surely the Eastern Asians before that, but we have no documentation of a date.
879569
A long, long history of Western imperialism.
937146
"Discovery" is the key word.  The voyages of the age of discovery increased knowledge, brought new products, introduced cultures, opened new markets, etc.  New challenges brought changes in maritime technology - improved navigation, shipping, and associated crafts.  The expense - and potential rewards- of these complex ventures helped to spur the growth of corporate entities (there is a name for them - joint stock companies, I think, but check that for accuracy) that helped spread risk.  Insurance, too.  The huge increase in money brought about by the discovery of gold and silver in Mexico and Peru lead to major economic growth in Europe, which in turn allowed more exploration.
886366
European nations began that long before the U.S. was even created. The U.S. did so because they ran out of frontier and wanted to expand outward, both in the Pacific and the Caribbean. It may have also been due to international competition, or at least that's my opinion.
277487
The answer is in their basic definitions.  Make sure you understand what the words mean, then you can see how exploration can lead to land claims and colonialism, how monopolies cause revolutions.
15720
The main thing that enabled imperialism was economic might.  After the dark ages, Europe began trading with the 'outside world' and wealth became distributed beyond kings and queens.  This wealth created the ability for the creation of more wealth.  This wealth purchased arms and armies to enforce the will of individuals and governments on other individuals.\n\nWithout the weath to purchase force, there would have been no imperialism.  In the 1500s, the wealth of Portugal and Spain was so great that the Pope essentially divided the world up for imperialism between the 2 countries -- that's why the eastern 1/2 of south america (Brazil) speaks Portuguese and the western 1/2 of south america speaks Spanish.
549974
Really the only major world exploration in the 13th century I can think of is the voyage of Marco Polo to China in the late 13th century.\n\nLook up more on Marco Polo at www.wikipedia.org
155996
The only logical explanation is that people other than the Europeans had already discovered the lands and fed the information upon which the de Virga world map was based.\n\nThere is a book, titled 1421, authored by Gavin Menzies. He argues for the proposition that the Chinese had been exploring the world -- and had discovered North America -- long before the Europeans did. His website is: www.1421.tv.