It was once stated that, "With the dawn of the 16th century, there came together in Europe both the motivation and the means to explore and colonize territory across the seas." This means that, once hearing the word of new land across the Atlantic, European countries were in competition among each other in claiming the land. This holds true in countries such as England, France, Portugal, and Spain. They all used religion, trade, and technology to help with the exploration and colonization of parts of the world.
Spain and Portugal led the initial onslaught to the New World. Spain and Portugal's technology was far ahead than other's in Europe. They studied, copied, and improved the designs of Arab vessels, used compasses and astrolabes, and mounted cannons on decks. Both had new military technology. The Portuguese exploration was encouraged by Prince Henry the Navigator. Some famous explorers were Bartholomeu Diaz, Vasco de Gama, and Amerigo Vespucci. All were looking to find the......
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