The Age of
Explorations
Why did people want to
explore?
In Today’s Lesson
In today’s class we will learn about why
people wanted to explore and discover
new lands.
● Leif Erikson and Marco Polo
● The Silk Road
● What reasons people had to travel
long, dangerous journeys.
Exploration
People have been exploring the world
ever since they could travel long
distances.
● Leif Erikson discovered
Newfoundland c. 1001 AD and
settled in present day L'Anse aux
Meadows.
● Marco Polo explored China and Asia
in the 14th Century.
Map of Marco Polo’s travels
L'Anse aux Meadows.
Why did People Explore?
● Trade
○ - Distant places like China and India
were vital to trade.
○ People wanted to find new ways of
getting to these places.
○ This was because the Ottoman Empire
who was the enemy of Europeans,
made it dangerous and expensive for
Europeans to cross their lands.
The Great Silk Road
Why did People Explore?
Spices: There were no
fridges in Europe. Spices
were needed to preserve
food, so people explored
Asia to discover new
places for spices.
Why did People Explore?
Religion: Many people
in Europe felt it was their
duty to spread
Christianity and so
explored different lands
to preach the message
of Christianity.
Why did People Explore?
● Land - Europe had a growing population
which meant that people wanted to find
new land to call their own.
● Empire Building - The Kings and
Queens of Europe wanted to increase
their power and wealth. They looked to
take over lands so that they could have
larger empires
In Conclusion
Europeans at this time wanted to
explore for a number of reasons:
1. Trade
2. Spices
3. Religion
4. Land
5. Empire
Homework
● In your own words, explain why
Europeans wanted to explore and control
other lands during the Age of Exploration.
● Three of these answers will be read out in
class!