In 1487, the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias sailed around the southern part of the continent and got as far as the east coast of Africa, but a storm made him turn back. They were convinced that by sailing around the coast of Africa they would find a route to India. They set up trading posts and collected gold and silver. With the help of new kinds of ships that could sail faster and instruments, like the quadrant, they started the Age of Exploration.Īt the end of the 15th century the Portuguese started to explore the west coast of Africa. In the 15th century the overland routes were being controlled by the Turkish Empire, which made it even more difficult for European merchants to pass through.Īs a result, some European countries, like Spain and Portugal, decided to find out if there was a sea route to India. To make food taste better they used spices, like pepper or cinnamon.įor centuries Europeans brought these goods on a land route from Asia over thousands of dangerous kilometres. They dried meat and often used salt to make it last longer. In those days, people had no refrigerators to preserve their food. They wanted to buy and sell expensive and valuable products from Asia-like gold, jewels and silk. The populationstarted to grow more quickly and a new class of merchants emerged. By the end of the 15th century many things were changing in Europe.
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