Overview of English Exploration

Overview of English Exploration

Overview

Until the mid-sixteenth century Spain and Portugal were the two main European seapowers; the English had little interest in overseas exploration. Yet, by the end of the seventeenth century, England had become a powerful presence on the seas with a sphere of influence that had expanded to include settlements in North America, the West Indies, and India. While individual motives for exploration were mixed, the main impetus was economic—the search for riches. The English were not interested in discovery for its own sake, but sought the opportunities for trade that were opened up by new markets and new routes to existing markets. Accordingly, English merchants, not the British crown, were the driving force behind many of England's overseas ventures. English exploration, however, was also shaped by political considerations and was often proposed and supported under the guise of religious motives.

Background

European demand for goods from the East spurred the first voyages of discovery. Imports of silk from China, cotton cloth from India, and "spices," which referred to dyes and perfumes as well as condiments such as pepper, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and ginger, were highly prized. Europe had been trading with the East for these items since medieval times, but the trade had been conducted through the merchants of the Ottoman Empire.

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