Free European Expansion Essay Sample
European expansion did not just come out of nothing. There are factors and people that contributed to the expansion of Europe. The European expansion marked growth in economy, politics and an improvement in the social welfare of the region. The period of expansion marked the years from 1450 to 1650. This paper explores the factors that contributed to European expansion at that time.
Discussion
Among the major factors that encouraged European expansion was the economy of the late fifteenth century. An example of this was the ottoman capture of Constantinople in the year 1453 that made Europeans look for slaves in sub-Saharan Africa. This was because of the expansion in agriculture which needed more labor force (Korieh and Njokul, 165).
Political state of the time also encouraged European expansion. The Spanish monarchy for instance supported venture into foreign lands the same way Portugal hunted greatness in the search of overseas territories. European counties wanted to venture into new territories to exploit the advantages there for instance minerals and oil.
European expansion was clearly related in both reason and effect, to the European change from medievalism. The Crusades and the rebirth inspired European interest; the Reformation fashioned thousands of passionate religious missionaries looking for foreign converts and refugees seeking religious autonomy; and the royals of rising monarch states required revenues, first from trade together with orientation and later by exploiting a new world. Perhaps the most pervade authority was the rise of European capitalism, with its financial standards, profit-seeking inspiration, venture institutions, and steady impulse toward profitable expansion (Duiker and Spielvogel, 372)
Trade was also another factor that contributed to the European expansion. European states were looking for places and regions where they could get raw materials and a market where they could sell their produce.
Conclusion
It is the above reasons among others that led to European expansion and particularly in African