Definition
The Age of Exploration, also called the Age of Discovery, was the period from roughly the 15th to the 17th century when European powers sent ships on long ocean voyages to find new trade routes, lands, and wealth. Portugal and Spain led the way, soon followed by England, France, and the Dutch.
These voyages connected previously separate parts of the world by sea for the first time. They are remembered as feats of navigation, but they also opened an era of conquest, colonization, and forced labor that reshaped every continent.
Why it matters
How it works
Exploration depended on motive, means, and money. The motive was profit — especially access to the spice trade — alongside religious zeal and national rivalry. The means were better ships such as the caravel, the magnetic compass, and improved charts. The money came from monarchs and merchants willing to fund risky expeditions for a share of the returns.
Once a route or land was found, states moved quickly to claim and exploit it. Exploration was rarely an end in itself; it was the opening stage of empire-building.