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There were several reasons for European explorations.

One was a desire to spread Christianity. This was often the official reason for explorations, but with other underlying motives for the explorers.

A second reason was to expand trade routes for items that were desirable in Europe, such as spices and fragrances.

Also, Europeans were off in search of gold, pearls, and many other precious metals and jewels.

A desire to expand empires and exert control over the world began after many of the initial explorations of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The living conditions for most people in Europe were abysmal in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The common people were extremely poor and disease ridden and had very limited diets. The attraction of moving somewhere far away was tremendous; the desire to set up overseas colonies went hand in hand with the desire to expand the power of empires.

Finally, as the Catholic Church lost its hold over scientific thought in the 17th and 18th centuries, explorers began to cover the world in search of scientific progress.

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14y ago

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