The Desire to Explore

What factors might motivate a society to venture into unknown regions beyond its borders?

Student Notes

Read Page 105 for introduction of chapter 5.

     From which perspective is this story told about first contact between Renaissance Europeans and the  Taino told?  How might the story be different if it were told from another perspective?

Why were explorers determined to venture into dangerous, unknown waters?

Apply your knowledge about the Renaissance people and respond to the same question.  

Why were explorers determined to venture into dangerous, unknown waters?

Renaissance Explorers:

• Shared faith in the potential of human beings

• Had confidence in their dreams and abilities to take on challenges even if dangerous

• European monarchs supported voyages of exploration

Exploring to Expand Trade

     As trade grew in Europe, people with money demanded luxury goods.  As merchants, bankers and manufacturers invested in profitable new business ventures, economic worldview was encouraging growth and expansion.  

Trade With the East

      As spices and luxury goods were moved from the East, they passed through many hands on the way to Europe.  

Arab merchants purchased the spices from India, transported them through the Mediterranean region and sold them to Italian merchants.  These merchants then sold them in Venice, which were then sold to traders across Europe.  Each time someone "touched" the product, the price increased by 100, 1000 and sometimes 2000 times the original price.  With such a high cost to these products, Europeans wanted to find a way to get a piece of the profit.  

     Aside from the high prices, the luxury goods were not shipped on secure trade routes.  Over time, trade was affected by the conflicts and power shifts among the people of the East.

     Europeans established sea routes to the East as a solution to their trade problems.  This gave them control over the goods as they hoped to get rich by by bringing the luxury goods and spices back to the European market. 

Exploring to Expand the Gold Supply

     Due to the high demand of gold and silver as a currency, European mines were running out of the precious metals.  Because the trading economy depended on an exchange of goods and resources for money, only coins were used.  Europe now had to find another source for the metals.

Exploring to Expand Christianity

     As earlier established, Christianity was an important part of the people during the Renaissance.  During the Age of Exploration, explorers and the monarchs who sponsored the voyages believed they must "go into the world, and proclaim the good news to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15).  The idea of sharing the gospel meant that it was the duty of the Christians to bring Christianity to the people in the lands the Europeans visited.

      Throughout 1100's - 1600's felt there was a mythical man named Prester John who ruled over a wealthy kingdom.  Prince Henry, who was a typical European Christian for that time, wanted to find this mythical Prester John.  Prince Henry hoped to attain Prester John's assistance with converting the people of Africa and to join the crusade against the Muslims.

     Eventually, with the exploration of the western world, missionaries were sent to what is now Canada to preach to the First Nations people.  Many Catholic and Anglican priests came to spread the word throughout the west and to the north.  

This assignment can be found in Workspace

What Motivates People to Overcome Challenges?

Page 113 #2

Material gain was a powerful motivating factor for Renaissance explorers.  They hoped to get wealth for themselves and their country by finding trade routes and gold.

a)  Using the document attached to the Workspace assignment, work with a partner to generate a list of five historical or contemporary people you know of who have taken on great challenges. You can select from any field and any time period, and the person does not have to be famous.  Beside each one write down the achievement you admire and one characteristic you think might have motivated that person to take action.

b)  Choose the motivating factor on the list that is most admirable according to your worldview.  Write a short paragraph examining your choice.