World History: New global connection

Question

Discuss how the scientific revolution and renaissance

paved the way for a European exploration and colonization. In addition, identify some potential reasons why Europe became a world colonizer rather than any other continental powers.

Answer 1

The beginning of Europe's quest for colonization began with the bubonic plague which killed 2/3 of the population and with King John signing the Magna Carta, which thereby created a leisure class. The rediscovery of ancient Greco-Roman humanities, arts and philosophies ushered in the renaissance that dispelled the Dark Ages in a quest for bringing the newly uncovered knowledge and skills that caused art to flourish! The Church helped with the establishing of universities, such as the Sorbonne in Paris and the medical university of Bologna. Prince Henry of Portugal emphasized marine ventures and the Italian mapmaker, Christopher Columbus, was sure that if he sailed West he'd find a shortcut to the East Indies. He secured funds from the young monarchs of northern Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. Vasco De Gama earlier had sailed around Africa to find a sea route to the destinations that Marco Polo had discovered in his walking route to China after leaving Venice. Magellan's ship made it all around the world, even though he fell to murder in the Philippines. Like Columbus he sailed West to get East, finding a strait at the bottom of South America, which we call the Strait of Magellan to this day. Once European powers found that they ruled the seas, they began establishing colonies all over the globe. Portugal colonized Angola in Africa, Macao in Asia and Brazil in South America, but the rest of that continent fell to the Spanish, though Sir Francis Drake, with Queen Elizabeth's blessing, would plunder Spain's gold-laden ships and take England from obscurity to ruling the waves! Spain's possession in Central America and North America still left behind the impoverished ex-super power's influence. Thus science was rediscoverd, too, from Greco-Roman knowledge, revolutionizing medicine and other subjects.

Greco-Roman science held to an earth-centered solar system, which the Church agreed to, which is why when Galileo invented the telescope and proffered that the solar system was sun-centered, heliocentric, the Church have him the boot.