New Navigation technologies and Search for business opportunities
New Navigation technologies was one of the factors that made the European voyage necessary. In 1507, a German cartographer made the first map that clearly showed North and South America separated from Asia. Therefore, the maps were better build for the explorers to use easier. Also the ships that were build were smaller, faster and easier to maneuver. Their shallow bottoms made it easier for explorers to travel along coastlines where the water was not deep. Caravels also used latten sails and idea borrowed from Muslim ships. These sails could be positioned to take advantage of the wind no matter which way it blew helping explores in the open seas. With these new boat system, new navigational tools were build that helped sailors to travel more safely on the open seas. For instance the compass were much improved. Sailors used compasses to find their bearing or direction of travelling. The astrolabe helped sailors figured out their distance north or south from the equator. Lastly, the improvement of the weapons gave Europeans a huge advantage over the people they met in their explorations. For instances, sailors could fire their cannons at targets near the shore without leaving their ships. Furthermore, the technologies brought by the Europeans to the new world had an effect on the environment. The introduction of guns affected the eastern sub-arctic region the most. Using guns, Europeans hunted for furs and destroyed the local wildlife. “Often they just skinned the animals and left the meat to rot” which caused a shortage of food and fur for the natives in the area. Moreover, another factor that contributed for the voyage was the search for business opportunities. For instance, the trade that Europeans had in the Far East, such as India and China. This trade introduced goods such as cotton, silk and spices to the European economy. Therefore this provided a great help to the European economy....