Age of Discovery

History research papers overview the Age of Discovery when studying the 15th Century in World History. Paper Masters can assist you with an Age of Discovery research paper or you can use the sample topic discussion we included on this website. Let us help you write an Age of Discover research project any one of the following explorers:

The Beginning of the Age of Discovery

The Age of Discovery refers to the period of time, beginning in the 15th century, when European mariners set forth to discover new trade routes to the Indies, and wound up discovering new continents.

In 1543, Constantinople fell to the Turks, cutting off the land routes to India and China. Portugal, led by Prince Henry the Navigator, began exploring down the western coast of Africa. In 1488, Dias reached the southern tip of Africa, while Vasco de Gama reached India in 1498.

Age of Discovery and Columbus

However, the Spanish monarchs also wanted a sea route to the treasures of the Indies, and so they commissioned an Italian navigator, Christopher Columbus. In 1492, Columbus sailed directly west, reaching the Caribbean. During his four voyages to the New World, Columbus did not discover spices, but he did discover gold, setting off colonization and conquering expeditions led by men such as Cortez and Pissarro.

In 1522, another Portuguese, Ferdinand Magellan, sailed for Spain around the southern tip of South America and into the Pacific Ocean. Although Magellan was killed in the Philippines, one of his original five ships became the first to circumnavigate the globe.

Soon, English, French and Dutch explorers set forth, seeking lands and trade routes further north. In 1606, Australia was discovered, followed by New Zealand in 1642.