5.2.2

Explain the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of the explorers, sponsors, and leaders of key European expeditions and the reasons Europeans chose to explore and colonize the world (e.g., the Spanish Reconquista, the Protestant Reformation, the Counter Reformation).

Age of Exploration

Why did Europeans explore? Download Primary Source Set: Age of Exploration

This source set considers European and indigenous accounts to identify the reasons that Europeans set out to explore the Americas.